Alignment/Caster

[Fish]

What’s everyone running for caster? I have a 3.5” MetalCloak lift on my JLU and the jeep just seems to wander and pull all over. Here’s my most recent alignment. It’s a 2018, has the updated iron steering box.

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[rivercrossing]

7 deg caster

 

[3TV]

I would adjust your front lower control arms 1 full turn out from where you have them now.

I would also have someone turn your steering wheel back and forth while you watch the drag link and tie rod ends to see if there is any movement. They probably need replaced with stronger new ones (Metalcloak was my choice). If it is a 2018 and you haven't replaced the ball joints, then they need changed as well (Dynatrac was my choice).

I did all of that to mine, and caster is set at 5.9 degrees. It drives better than when it was brand new.

 

[Old Dogger]

Your numbers look good. The optimum Caster number for a JL is 6°. A JK is 5°.

 

[Fish]

I would adjust your front lower control arms 1 full turn out from where you have them now.

I would also have someone turn your steering wheel back and forth while you watch the drag link and tie rod ends to see if there is any movement. They probably need replaced with stronger new ones (Metalcloak was my choice). If it is a 2018 and you haven't replaced the ball joints, then they need changed as well (Dynatrac was my choice).

I did all of that to mine, and caster is set at 5.9 degrees. It drives better than when it was brand new.

Ball joints is what I was going to update next, The draglink is new and the Tie rod has no play. I'll adjust the lower arms and see what happens. Thank you.

 

[JEEP4U]

My lifted Sport is running +11 degrees.

 

[Roky]

What’s everyone running for caster? I have a 3.5” MetalCloak lift on my JLU and the jeep just seems to wander and pull all over. Here’s my most recent alignment. It’s a 2018, has the updated iron steering box.

You likely got more than 3.5” lift so you need to get your caster to at least 6 but I would shoot for a little more…. I’d try this first, it’s free…put the Jeep on level ground then put a angle finder on the flat circle to see what it reads now…then adjust your lcas longer or ucas shorter… do one full turn then check it adjust as needed….. if you use an analog angle finder like in pic, then 90 degrees is 6 degrees caster…

 

[lashlee]

My wife's JLUR with a GC3.5 is at 6.1 degrees with no issues. Like someone else noted, make sure everything is tight and replace those pesky ball joints. I put on American Iron Off Road ball joint deletes.

 

[4xFUN]

On my '24 JLR-X w/XR package running +6.3 degrees each side after I installed LCG lift (just enough for 37's full stuff) and was 4.2 stock.

 

[swampflyer]

I’ve been experimenting with the caster setting on my two door JLR started out 4. 5 I think. Anyway went up to 8.2 now back to 6.9 and that seems to be the sweet spot so I’m leaving it’s is. Seems most are finds sweet spot between 6.2 to around 6.5 or 7.

 

[Nokones]

I'm 6.7 on my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr with 35s and about 3 1/2" lift.

 

[3TV]

I just made caster changes on my wife's Gladiator Mojave on Friday, and today was the first time to drive it.

My 392 has a Game Changer 2.5" lift, 37s, and 5.9 degrees of caster, and I have always thought it drove great.

My wife's Gladiator Mojave has a Mopar lift and 35s, and her's has always felt like it is all over the road. It was hard to keep in a straight line, and very hard to drive in the wind. I measured the length of her lower control arms, and they were a whopping 3/16" longer than the stock lower control arms that I had taken off my 392 when I put the Game Changer lift on it. So, she had the Mopar lift extended front lower control arms, and the dealer had not cheaped out and left the regular length lower control arms on it. So, why was her Jeep all over the road? I started thinking it was her Nitto Trail Grappler tires vs my Cooper STT Pro. I changed her track bars to Metalcloak ones to properly center her axles because they were visibly off center with the Mopar lift. You didn't even have to measure to tell they weren't centered. That didn't fix the wandering (didn't really think it would, I was just fixing shortcomings of the Mopar lift). Finally, after putting up with it for a year, I bought front lower Metalcloak control arms for her Jeep. I set them one full turn longer than her Mopar lift lower front control arms, and just put them on last Friday. Today we had to do a 100-mile drive on the freeway. Wow, what a difference that made! I wouldn't have believed it could make that much difference if I hadn't seen it myself. Her Jeep drives "normal" now, like my Jeep.

I can forget worrying about the problem being from the NItto Trail Grappler tires. And that is a good thing, because I am planning to upgrade the 37s on my 392 to either 38s or 39s. The 39" BFG KM3s are $1000 more than 38" Nitto Trail Grapplers for a set of 5. I had been starting to think it would be worth the extra $1000 to buy BFGs if the problem with my wife's Jeep ended up being due to the tires.

Whoo Hoo, the Metalcloak lower control arms more than paid for themselves, not to mention, my wife's Jeep drives much better.

 

[Fish]

I just made caster changes on my wife's Gladiator Mojave on Friday, and today was the first time to drive it.

My 392 has a Game Changer 2.5" lift, 37s, and 5.9 degrees of caster, and I have always thought it drove great.

My wife's Gladiator Mojave has a Mopar lift and 35s, and her's has always felt like it is all over the road. It was hard to keep in a straight line, and very hard to drive in the wind. I measured the length of her lower control arms, and they were a whopping 3/16" longer than the stock lower control arms that I had taken off my 392 when I put the Game Changer lift on it. So, she had the Mopar lift extended front lower control arms, and the dealer had not cheaped out and left the regular length lower control arms on it. So, why was her Jeep all over the road? I started thinking it was her Nitto Trail Grappler tires vs my Cooper STT Pro. I changed her track bars to Metalcloak ones to properly center her axles because they were visibly off center with the Mopar lift. You didn't even have to measure to tell they weren't centered. That didn't fix the wandering (didn't really think it would, I was just fixing shortcomings of the Mopar lift). Finally, after putting up with it for a year, I bought front lower Metalcloak control arms for her Jeep. I set them one full turn longer than her Mopar lift lower front control arms, and just put them on last Friday. Today we had to do a 100-mile drive on the freeway. Wow, what a difference that made! I wouldn't have believed it could make that much difference if I hadn't seen it myself. Her Jeep drives "normal" now, like my Jeep.

I can forget worrying about the problem being from the NItto Trail Grappler tires. And that is a good thing, because I had decided it would be worth the extra money to buy 39" BFG KM3s instead of 38" Nitto Trail Grapplers if the problem ended up being problems tracking because of tires. Whoo Hoo, the Metalcloak lower control a-arms more than paid for themselves, because the 39" BFGs were $1000 more for a set than the 38" Nittos, and they are the same height. Not to mention, my wife's Jeep drives much better.

Thanks for the feedback, sounds like I’ll have to lengthen the MetalCloak LCA’s on mine.

 

[zouch]

~6.5º on mine.

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