How to laterally center the axle?

Chris

Chris

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Almost done installing my Currie 4" lift. I need to laterally (side-to-side) center the front axle. Rocking the Jeep back-and-forth isn't doing it at all. One thing that seems to work is getting in the car and turning the steering wheel side-to-side. If I do that I can get the wheels / tires somewhat centered under the Jeep (though they are turned slightly when the axle centers.

Would this work well enough for me to get the track bar bolted in place (it currently isn't bolted in on the axle side) and then go from there?

I'd have to have someone sit in the car and hold the wheel in the right position while I slide the track bar bolt in, but it seems like it would work.

I don't know how else I can do it in my garage...
 
First you need to know where center is! I measured mine from the inside of the wheels and found the cente point on the pumpkin. I the marked that point with a silver sharpie. With the rig on the ground and under full weight I found the center of the vehicle —- right at the bolt under the center under the radiator. I then set my laser level to vertical and aligned it to the bolt. Then I attached a ratchet strap to the axle and pulled it into alignment with the laser level beam off the center bolt. Wasn't hard.
 
Stinger said:
First you need to know where center is! I measured mine from the inside of the wheels and found the cente point on the pumpkin. I the marked that point with a silver sharpie. With the rig on the ground and under full weight I found the center of the vehicle —- right at the bolt under the center under the radiator. I then set my laser level to vertical and aligned it to the bolt. Then I attached a ratchet strap to the axle and pulled it into alignment with the laser level beam off the center bolt. Wasn't hard.
Click to expand...

So maybe what I am missing is a ratchet strap... Is that the same thing as a ratchet tie-down like this?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007D2JVJ4/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
Ya. You can do it with a come a long or just shove it into place. Holding it there while manually moving it is hard.
 
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Stinger said:
Ya. You can do it with a come a long or just shove it into place. Holding it there while manually moving it is hard.
Click to expand...

I'll try my ratchet tie-downs tomorrow and see if that does it. How should I setup the ratchet tie-down? Around the tire and around the frame?
 
This is turning into the worst thing I've ever done. I don't know how to laterally (side-to-side) center the front axle. The track bar is unbolted but I don't see how for the life of me I am supposed to center the axle side-to-side before putting the track bar in place.

I measured the center of the front of the frame and put a mark in the center right by where the center radiator mount bolts underneath. Then I managed to find the center of the front axle tube and put a mark on it. So I have the center of the frame and the axle, but howdy I line those two marks up? I can't just take a piece of string or anything because for all I know I could be placing that string at a slight angle...
 
Chris said:
Got it all figured out!
Click to expand...
Sorry to bring up an 7yr old thread but I'm having same issue wrapping my brain around this and how to use the rachet strap. How did you do it? I have the centering marks and how to get them down just how to use the rachet strap also no good videos showing this as you stated before.
 
I know how to use a rachet strap Jerry but where do I hook it to? If the axle itself is on jack stands and tires off while I'm doing alignment and I move the axle under the jeep while on the stands wouldn't that create a possiblity of the jacks falling? And the front of the jeep come crashing down?
 
Reckless_Tj said:
So I am just moving the frame and body over not the axle itself?
Click to expand...
The frame will move over but, and this is a big but, it is very possible to pull the rig over to the side too far and have it fall off the springs. That is a very bad day. Hook a strap to the axle in the direction you need to move it but put another one the opposite way and leave just enough slack in it to act as a safety. Trust me, you want nothing to do with trying to suck one back over that is laying over off the springs. The springs are still in the perches top and bottom but it is not pretty at all.
 
So the axle and jackstands don't actually slide over while the load of the front end on them its the body sliding over to line up the track bar bolt am I correct?
I don't see the axle sliding over while jackstands are holding it and the front end up or am I wrong?
Just don't wanna do it wrong and have ether jackstands fall
 
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Reckless_Tj said:
So the axle and jackstands don't actually slide over while the load of the front end on them its the body sliding over to line up the track bar bolt am I correct?
I don't see the axle sliding over while jackstands are holding it and the front end up or am I wrong?
Just don't wanna do it wrong and have ether jackstands fall
Click to expand...
The stands can't move, too much weight on them. They can tip over though if you let the rig fall over on the springs.
 
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I thought so but wasn't sure as I never have done this before. Better safe then sorry. Thank you for clarifying all the videos say they use the rachet strap "to move the axle over" that's why I was confused.
 
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Thank you guys I try to utilize this forum before I ask questions I've spent hours on here and hope to learn as much as I can from this forum.
 
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Reckless_Tj said:
Thank you guys I try to utilize this forum before I ask questions I've spent hours on here and hope to learn as much as I can from this forum.
Click to expand...
Did you get it centered?
 
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