How do my alignment numbers look?

[Poseidon20]

I just found my printout and was wondering what everyone thinks of my alignment numbers. I have no idea what any of them mean. I got this after the shop installed adjustable track bar and adjustable LCAs about 3 monthsago. Jeep has a 3in Fabtech lift with 35s.

Overall I think the Jeep drives fine, but I think there’s room for improvement. Above 60mph on the highway it drives great. Smooth and true. But around town from 20-55, it seems like it drives true but it feels flighty and shifty, even though it’s going in a straight line. So basically it’s tracking the way it should even though it feels like it’s not. Hope that makes sense.

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[jadmt]

curious how your camber went so far out? not something that is easily done on a solid front axle without crashing or jumping . when I see something like that everything else would be suspect..

 

[Poseidon20]

curious how your camber went so far out? not something that is easily done on a solid front axle without crashing or jumping . when I see something like that everything else would be suspect..

when I bought the Jeep it came with the 3in lift, which most likely netted more than 3in. The axle was so far out of alignment and it drove soooo bad. Other than that I don’t know what else could have caused it. Other than what I noted on the original post, it drives fine now. Are you saying my number still look off?

 

[GaryToo]

Caster is a bit high. Hows your front pinion angle. The other thing is the caster is normally slightly higher on the passenger side not the driver side. It not adjustable left and right individually so something seems a bit off there

 

[kah.mun.rah]

Does the lift have adjustable control arms? If so, I'd have them do some adjusting to improve those caster numbers.

 

[2019JLUS]

I just found my printout and was wondering what everyone thinks of my alignment numbers. I have no idea what any of them mean. I got this after the shop installed adjustable track bar and adjustable LCAs about 3 monthsago. Jeep has a 3in Fabtech lift with 35s.

Overall I think the Jeep drives fine, but I think there’s room for improvement. Above 60mph on the highway it drives great. Smooth and true. But around town from 20-55, it seems like it drives true but it feels flighty and shifty, even though it’s going in a straight line. So basically it’s tracking the way it should even though it feels like it’s not. Hope that makes sense.

• Front Wheels:
  • Toe: Changed from -0.377° to 0.09° (improved)
  • Camber: Changed from -0.38° to -0.81° (slightly more negative)
  • Caster: Changed from 7.66° to 7.67° (virtually unchanged)
• Rear Wheels:
  • Toe: Changed from 0.22° to 0.19° (improved)
  • Camber: Changed from -0.07° to -0.04° (slightly less negative)
• Thrust Angle: Changed from -0.13° to -0.10° (improved)

Analysis:

1. Toe: The toe adjustment has been significantly improved in the front, moving from a negative value to a positive one. This should help in improving stability and reducing tire wear. The rear toe has also seen a slight improvement.
2. Camber: The front camber has become more negative, which could mean better handling but might increase tire wear if too negative. However, the change isn't drastic. The rear camber has improved slightly, which is good for tire wear and handling.
3. Caster: The caster angle in the front has remained almost the same, which is fine as it affects steering stability and returnability. A consistent caster angle is good for maintaining driving feel.
4. Thrust Angle: The slight improvement in the thrust angle will help in ensuring that the vehicle tracks straight, reducing the feeling of the vehicle pulling to one side.

Driving Experience:
From your description, it seems like the Jeep drives fine but could use some refinement:

• Highway Driving: Above 60 mph, the Jeep drives smoothly, which is consistent with the alignment improvements, particularly the toe and thrust angle adjustments which help with straight-line stability.
• Around Town: Below 55 mph, the Jeep feels slightly off in terms of tracking straight, which might be due to the minor adjustments needed in camber and caster settings to fine-tune the handling and feel.

Recommendations:
Given that you've only recently had the alignment done, it might be worth giving it some time to see if you get used to the new feel. However, if you still feel there's room for improvement, you might want to consider:

• Fine-tuning the Camber: Since the front camber went more negative, a slight adjustment back towards zero might help with the feeling of tracking straight.
• Check for Other Issues: Ensure there are no other mechanical issues like worn bushings, ball joints, or tie rods that could affect alignment and driving feel.

Overall, the alignment seems to be in a good range, but small tweaks might be necessary to get the feel exactly right for your driving preferences. Since you're unable to search or generate images due to the attached image, let me know if you need any further clarification or if there's anything else I can help with!

 

[Roky]

when I bought the Jeep it came with the 3in lift, which most likely netted more than 3in. The axle was so far out of alignment and it drove soooo bad. Other than that I don’t know what else could have caused it. Other than what I noted on the original post, it drives fine now. Are you saying my number still look off?

I’d have your shop check your ball joints , the camber on driver side is off….and since it was better in the before side, something’s not right… caster is a little high, everything else was improved and looks ok…..

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Probably not the most popular opinion on here... But alignments are scam and an upcharge.

My brother is a claims adjuster for a major auto insurance company, and one of my good friends brothers is a mechanic at a small time shop in McKinney.

Both of whom have told me that outside of the occasional tracking issue, alignment isn't something that needs to be done every year let alone multiple times every year. Your alignment can change day to day, your alignment can change year to year, and your vehicle can still be tracking correctly down the road the second let go of the wheel at any point in time.

If you take your vehicle, any vehicle you own for that matter, to three different shops and you don't tell any of them about the other shops, you will get three different alignment numbers, and more than likely all of them will encourage you to have an alignment done. It's an upcharge!

The only time you ever need to get an alignment done on your vehicle is if it is tracking hard right or hard left when you let go of the wheel. If you're alignment is horribly off on one wheel, there's a solid chance you broke something, or a part is wearing out between the wheel and the rest of the vehicle.

 

[Ratbert]

Probably not the most popular opinion on here... But alignments are scam and an upcharge.

My brother is a claims adjuster for a major auto insurance company, and one of my good friends brothers is a mechanic at a small time shop in McKinney.

Both of whom have told me that outside of the occasional tracking issue, alignment isn't something that needs to be done every year let alone multiple times every year. Your alignment can change day to day, your alignment can change year to year, and your vehicle can still be tracking correctly down the road the second let go of the wheel at any point in time.

If you take your vehicle, any vehicle you own for that matter, to three different shops and you don't tell any of them about the other shops, you will get three different alignment numbers, and more than likely all of them will encourage you to have an alignment done. It's an upcharge!

The only time you ever need to get an alignment done on your vehicle is if it is tracking hard right or hard left when you let go of the wheel. If you're alignment is horribly off on one wheel, there's a solid chance you broke something, or a part is wearing out between the wheel and the rest of the vehicle.

I'm guessing you've never owned small sports cars where little tweaks have a significant impact on how it handles. Or had a vehicle with cupped tires. Or one where the inside or outside edges wore unevenly. Or...

 

[CJ SCION]

I'm guessing you've never owned small sports cars where little tweaks have a significant impact on how it handles. Or had a vehicle with cupped tires. Or one where the inside or outside edges wore unevenly. Or...

Will this smart phone app get'r dun? Alignment Tool

 

[Ratbert]

Will this smart phone app get'r dun? Alignment Tool

No idea. I would need to do quite a bit of research first if I was still driving little sports cars.

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