Alignment needed for drag link and tie rod swap???

[Roky]

So I decided today that my JLUR drives worse after a Synergy tie rod and drag link swap. Which is ridiculous and disappointing. However.... It has to be the alignment. Because there is no other reason. It wonders a lot more than it did 2 weeks ago. I guess I'll get a second opinion on the alignment. From discussion with members and a little research, it appears I can add some caster and it should improve. However, it drove better before the tie rod and drag link, so that shouldn't' matter.

Couple thoughts though... this shines some light on all of the people in the "my JL steering has play and drift" camp. Could it be alignment? because I really didn't have any complaints before. I changed my drag link and tie rod as some reassurance since I'm running 37's. Now the front in floats on the road and kind of wanders on every bump. Obviously its not my steering box because I didn't touch that.

Weird.

There is a specialty alignment shop in town. I'm going to talk to them. I wish I would have had my measurements from prior. Also going to ask them about adjustable control arms and adding caster.

The only things that can be done to the solid axle is caster, toe, thrust angle, and straighten the steering wheel. So imho, you’d be wasting your money getting another alignment until you get your adjustable control arms, so you can adjust your caster when you get your next alignment. Having an alignment didn’t change the way it’s handling. Your caster is close to the minimum I’d run on stock height Jeep. I’m not sure why the wandering is more noticeable now, maybe the increased weight of the tie rod, or that everything is beefier and tighter, so it’s making your low caster more pronounced. This is just what if’s, and maybes. But one thing I’m sure of, you set your caster to 6 degrees, you will see a very noticeable difference.

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[Halstem1]

The only things that can be done to the solid axle is caster, toe, thrust angle, and straighten the steering wheel. So imho, you’d be wasting your money getting another alignment until you get your adjustable control arms, so you can adjust your caster when you get your next alignment. Having an alignment didn’t change the way it’s handling. Your caster is close to the minimum I’d run on stock height Jeep. I’m not sure why the wandering is more noticeable now, maybe the increased weight of the tie rod, or that everything is beefier and tighter, so it’s making your low caster more pronounced. This is just what if’s, and maybes. But one thing I’m sure of, you set your caster to 6 degrees, you will see a very noticeable difference.

Roky, thanks for all your help on this. I totally get what you're saying. I ordered a set of Synergy lowers and will throw those on and see. Like you said, maybe everything is tighter and its more noticeable than it was. Should there be any concern with installing them myself? Install looks pretty easy. I might need an impact to loosen the current arms and I'm not 100% sure what to do with the brake line brackets.

 

[Roky]

Roky, thanks for all your help on this. I totally get what you're saying. I ordered a set of Synergy lowers and will throw those on and see. Like you said, maybe everything is tighter and its more noticeable than it was. Should there be any concern with installing them myself? Install looks pretty easy. I might need an impact to loosen the current arms and I'm not 100% sure what to do with the brake line brackets.

You can do it yourself, no problem. Just make sure they’re exactly the same length. I’d measure center bolt to bolt and make new arms a 1/4” longer to start. Then see where your at when you get alignment, and adjust from there. 6 degrees will show out of spec on the read out, probably be red instead of green, don’t worry about that. As for the brake lines, I cut mine like this. ( I borrowed this pic from @Arterius2 , thanks).

They just ride like this, and if you want to get the rest of bracket off, I did it like this.....

I just didn’t trust myself to pry them out.......

 

[quietpeen]

Roky, thanks for all your help on this. I totally get what you're saying. I ordered a set of Synergy lowers and will throw those on and see. Like you said, maybe everything is tighter and its more noticeable than it was. Should there be any concern with installing them myself? Install looks pretty easy. I might need an impact to loosen the current arms and I'm not 100% sure what to do with the brake line brackets.

The hardest part will be getting the bolts to break loose then even more fun getting them back to 190 ft. lbs. The weight of the jeep has to be on the control arms before you tighten them so if you are doing this in your garage there isn’t much room laying under it to get good leverage.

 

[Halstem1]

The hardest part will be getting the bolts to break loose then even more fun getting them back to 190 ft. lbs. The weight of the jeep has to be on the control arms before you tighten them so if you are doing this in your garage there isn’t much room laying under it to get good leverage.

yeah, I was kind of wondering how this will go. I have an extra long breaker bar that I was hoping will help. My other hope... good and bad is that the dealer installed the mopar 2" lift, so I have doubts that they actually re-torqued the control arm bolts back to spec when they did it. haha.

 

[quietpeen]

yeah, I was kind of wondering how this will go. I have an extra long breaker bar that I was hoping will help. My other hope... good and bad is that the dealer installed the mopar 2" lift, so I have doubts that they actually re-torqued the control arm bolts back to spec when they did it. haha.

oh since they have already been broken loose once they won't be too bad to get loose. It's the first time from the factory that was real tight.

 

[Roky]

yeah, I was kind of wondering how this will go. I have an extra long breaker bar that I was hoping will help. My other hope... good and bad is that the dealer installed the mopar 2" lift, so I have doubts that they actually re-torqued the control arm bolts back to spec when they did it. haha.

Just a heads up, you don’t have to do the 190 ft lbs until you get them where you want them. So you can tighten them down best you can in your garage, then torque after you get them where you want them. You might have to test drive a couple of times to get them dialed in . A lot easier torquing on alignment rack, lol.

 

[quietpeen]

Just a heads up, you don’t have to do the 190 ft lbs until you get them where you want them. So you can tighten them down best you can in your garage, then torque after you get them where you want them. You might have to test drive a couple of times to get them dialed in . A lot easier torquing on alignment rack, lol.

Since he got the synergy ones with pinch bolts that can be adjusted with them on the jeep there is no reason to not torque them unless you just can't get the leverage lol. What you are saying definitely makes a whole lot of sense with jamb nuts.

 

[Roky]

Since he got the synergy ones with pinch bolts that can be adjusted with them on the jeep there is not reason to not torque them unless you just can't get the leverage lol. What you are saying definitely makes a whole lot of sense with jamb nuts.

10-4..... be glad he didn’t get rk lcas, 250 ft lbs on those monsters, I had to upgrade my torque wrench, it only went to 200.......

 

[quietpeen]

10-4..... be glad he didn’t get rk lcas, 250 ft lbs on those monsters, I had to upgrade my torque wrench, it only went to 200.......

Screw that lol....is the the torque on the jamb nut?

 

[quietpeen]

Yes.... jam nut is huge, had to buy a crows foot, my kit only goes up to 1-1/8 th and needed 1-7/8”. They’ve been on for several months and haven’t budged, and we wheel regularly, 3-4 times a month.

Does the torque wrench just plug into the crows foot and accurately work to the correct ft. Lbs? I always wondering how you torque a jamb nut.

 

[quietpeen]

Yes, you push it on like a socket...

Nice!!!! You learn something new every day.

I was reading some of the RK install instruction and did chuckle at this.

However really? 325 ft. Lbs?

 

[Halstem1]

Hey friends. Installed my synergy lower control arms today. Holy smokes does a little more caster make a difference. I only took a short test drive but dang. Huge difference.

I’m gonna go early next week and get an alignment at a shop. Also debating getting my tires re-balanced. Question though.... is there an ideal spec for toe??? Does the larger the tire change the preferred toe spec? I’m just trying to dial in the alignment the best I can while I got it on the rack.

thanks.

 

[Roky]

Hey friends. Installed my synergy lower control arms today. Holy smokes does a little more caster make a difference. I only took a short test drive but dang. Huge difference.

I’m gonna go early next week and get an alignment at a shop. Also debating getting my tires re-balanced. Question though.... is there an ideal spec for toe??? Does the larger the tire change the preferred toe spec? I’m just trying to dial in the alignment the best I can while I got it on the rack.

thanks.

I’m running 1/16 th toe in, seems to work pretty good, I wouldn’t go more than an 1/8 th in, but that’s something you can dial in at home. Glad your rig is straightening out..

 

[Halstem1]

I’m running 1/16 th toe in, seems to work pretty good, I wouldn’t go more than an 1/8 th in, but that’s something you can dial in at home. Glad your rig is straightening out..

Good call. I’ll measure tomorrow and see what it is now. The alignment shop report shows it in degrees and no clue what that means. But I would assume the degree of toe would need to decrease as the tire size increases to maintain 1/16” toe in. Is that logic right?

also, thanks. I’m getting somewhere thanks to your help. I still have a little wobble but overall it’s getting better.

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