Alignment Confusion Help Pls

[GavinH]

I recently had 37 Baja Boss MT installed to replace my Baja Boss MT 35’s. My 35’s slightly rubbed the antirock and inner tub on the rear passenger so I knew with the 37’s I wanted to slide the axle over just a half or 1 full turn of the track bar to get it really centered so it doesn’t rub or at least does it evenly on both sides.

My confusion is here, after doing 1 full turn of the track bar the jeep wants to bolt sharply to the right when letting go of the wheel. I have to over compensate by steering to the left to keep it going straight even when in the left lanes. The second I let go the steering wheel is crooked with the jeep heading towards to the sidewalk.

The jeep never drove perfect but I could do 80 with no effort on the wheel and could be hands free for seconds without any tracking issues. It now takes noticeable input to keep it going down the road and all I did was change my track bar 1 full turn shorter.

This is the last time I had the alignment checked, fixed the toe after this which is in the next images toed in.

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[arnie_mueller]

My confusion is here, after doing 1 full turn of the track bar the jeep wants to bolt sharply to the right when letting go of the wheel. I have to over compensate by steering to the left to keep it going straight even when in the left lanes.

I'm not an expert but this is what I've learned from the fine folks here over the past few years and many banned accounts...

First, I'm assuming you have a lift, you're running 37s. Granted, I had 37s on my Rubicon and it was fine for the street, no problems at full lock. So, with the assumption that you have a lift, it's recommended to increase caster to 6.5-7.0 degrees. I don't know how to do that, I have a magnetic angle finder but still don't know where to put it, maybe you'll put forth more effort than I in figuring this out. You have the same Metalcloak toe alignment plates as I do, so I'm sure you'd love to do this at home. It's also recommended to set the caster between 6.5 and 7.0 on one side and then lock down the other side wherever it falls naturally. Each axle is different and it's rare to get a perfect axle that the caster is identical on each side, naturally.

Second, did you turn the track bar the correct way to center the axle? Maybe that's a silly question. I'd think that if the track bar wasn't centered, you'd instead have a problem of dog tracking and not pulling hard to passenger.

Third, I would experiment with toe. Try 1/8" and 1/16" in then 1/8" and 1/16" out, you'll have different results. I am finding the Jeep wanders less with toe out. That could all be in my head though.

Others who are far more intelligent and full of wisdom will likely give you better answers. What's the point of having knowledge without helping a fellow Jeeper though!

 

[58Willys]

Not sure what the factory spec for SAI is, but I doubt it’s supposed to be wildly different left to right. Something is bent.

 

[59chevyapache]

I would increases caster as well but also check ball joints. Bigger tires is more stress on them.

 

[shagles]

Did you adjust the front or rear trackbar?

 

[GavinH]

Did you adjust the front or rear trackbar?

Rear track bar and made it shorter to pull the tub to the left

 

[GavinH]

I would increases caster as well but also check ball joints. Bigger tires is more stress on them.

Not sure what the factory spec for SAI is, but I doubt it’s supposed to be wildly different left to right. Something is bent.

Not sure on SAI but I know it’s not adjustable just a measurement based of camber and steering angle. Everything has been changed to aftermarket other than the axle housing itself including the balljoints. Everything was brand new at the time of this alignment so doubt it was bent then unless it’s a factory housing that’s bent.

Thumps up on the caster increase

 

[shagles]

Rear track bar and made it shorter to pull the tub to the left

Check your rear control arm lengths. If the axle was offset one direction, the control arms might be different lengths left/right to straighten it out. So moving it back to center with different lengths would make it angled relative to the front/rear axis of the jeep.

 

[GavinH]

Check your rear control arm lengths. If the axle was offset one direction, the control arms might be different lengths left/right to straighten it out. So moving it back to center with different lengths would make it angled relative to the front/rear axis of the jeep.

When I initially installed the four arms and whenever adjusting them for pinion angle I always made sure to make even amount of turn on both sides to keep them even. I will double check these but almost certain they’re perpendicular on both sides. Also because it drove fine before I’m not sure if it’s those, just a click of a ratchet strap is how much over the entire axle moved it’s weird to me that little shift is throwing my jeep into the right lane.

 

[jadmt]

are you sure it is not the tires? the right camber is pretty far off which could be either a bent axle tube or maybe bad ball joint....

 

[jadmt]

Check your rear control arm lengths. If the axle was offset one direction, the control arms might be different lengths left/right to straighten it out. So moving it back to center with different lengths would make it angled relative to the front/rear axis of the jeep.

his thrust angle looks almost perfect tho.

 

[shagles]

his thrust angle looks almost perfect tho.

I thought that was from before the tires. My bad.

 

[jadmt]

I thought that was from before the tires. My bad.

oh, maybe it is. so you could be right.

 

[shagles]

are you sure it is not the tires? the right camber is pretty far off which could be either a bent axle tube or maybe bad ball joint....

Or, if the ball joints were done recently, the camber shim/sleeve thing could be in wrong or missing.

 

[Roky]

I recently had 37 Baja Boss MT installed to replace my Baja Boss MT 35’s. My 35’s slightly rubbed the antirock and inner tub on the rear passenger so I knew with the 37’s I wanted to slide the axle over just a half or 1 full turn of the track bar to get it really centered so it doesn’t rub or at least does it evenly on both sides.

My confusion is here, after doing 1 full turn of the track bar the jeep wants to bolt sharply to the right when letting go of the wheel. I have to over compensate by steering to the left to keep it going straight even when in the left lanes. The second I let go the steering wheel is crooked with the jeep heading towards to the sidewalk.

The jeep never drove perfect but I could do 80 with no effort on the wheel and could be hands free for seconds without any tracking issues. It now takes noticeable input to keep it going down the road and all I did was change my track bar 1 full turn shorter.

This is the last time I had the alignment checked, fixed the toe after this which is in the next images toed in.

Sounds like you’re thrust angle is off now, put it back where it was, and move the wheels instead… spacers, or less backspace wheels… you can’t just move the suspension out of the way, lol…

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