Hi I was wondering if a Jeep tj is at 6 inches of lift height. Should the caster be at stock spec or lower? And what is stock caster on a tj ? Thanks
Should caster be at stock specs with a 6” lift?
- Thread starter Joethrottle81
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- caster angle
Factory caster angle is 7 degrees for factory size tires but the bigger the tire the less caster angle that is required. A suspension lift naturally reduces the caster angle as it also shortens the wheelbase.
So your required caster angle is not based on the lift height it's based on two things. Tire size and needing to keep the front pinion angle relatively in line with the front driveshaft.
The pinion angle is more critical than the caster angle. You just need 'enough' caster angle to provide good steering return to center after completing a turn and good tracking. You want as much caster angle as possible but only to the point before it causes an excess angle between the pinion and driveshaft which causes vibrations.
After installing a tall suspension lift a good rule of thumb is to add caster angle until you get vibrations (which come from the front u-joint on the front driveshaft) then back off on the caster angle until the vibrations stop completely. For 35's something like 5 to 5.5 degrees of caster angle works fine for most people.
Hey jerry I appreciate all the help. I got my caster to 6.2 and it drives very straight. My issue now is that the steering wheel stays where I leave it with no return to center??? I checked the pillow block on the steering shaft and it’s a little wobbly and has up and down play. Feels hard to turn when disconnected from the steering box too. Do u have any ideas? Thanks again
It has been over a year since he was last on this forum, I doubt he'll see this.
Hey there, I'm experiencing the same issues. 6" lift on 35s. I think the only way to fix this issue is to install a driveshaft with another double cardan so that you can adjust the pinion angle all you want and it won't add any vibration. Then you can just increase the castor until it feels more stable. They don't sell those kinds of driveshafts though so I plan on modifying one. I'll post an update once the weather warms up (its currently -40 where I am).
Wonderful! They do sell these kinds of driveshafts. Tell us where you plan to hang the carrier bearing for your double double cardan front drive shaft.
