[jtgreen76]

i installed a 4" x series lift with upgraded shocks, tcase drop, steering stabilizer and 15x8 dc-2's with goodyear wrangler dura tracks this weekend. i went to get the front end aligned today and after all was over the tech got it to
fl camber -1.1
fl caster 4.5
fl toe 0.16
fr camber -0.6
fr caster 4.7
fr toe 0.14
total toe is .31
and steer ahead is 0.01
all in degrees i was just wondering if these were all good numbers?

[Jerry Bransford]

All those are fine. The caster angle is a just tad light for 33" tires but not enough to be noticeable or a problem. And when you get to 35" tires, that caster angle will be ideal. However, I'd leave things as they are, they are otherwise fine for your present 33" tires.

[mpyusko]

Your Camber is fixed so ignore those numbers. Your toe is the important one and bigger tires and lift require more toe-in. Caster should only be adjusted with a cam-bolt kit to correct your front pinion angle, which changes with a lift. Pinion Angle has priority over preferred caster angle. I'm not sure what it translates for degrees, but 1/4" of toe usually works for a lifted Jeep.

I went to Sears for an alignment after I put in my 4" lift and I could hardly keep the Jeep on the road when they set it to factory specs. I've since done a "tape-measure" alignment, and the Jeep handles great and the tires are wearing perfectly.

It's also important to make sure your front track-bar is adjusted properly. You want to make sure your axles line up, otherwise you'll be dog-tracking and bumps at high speed will really throw you.

Edit: I just noticed your control arms are adjustable, your pinion angle it set with those, not the cam-bolts. but Pinion Angle still takes priority over Caster.

[jtgreen76]

the jeep drives good and straight and the tech pretty much told me the same thing that you both have so i appreciate all the input. fyi i went to another shop and they told me they could only put it back to factory specs and i was dumbfounded that they could just align it.

[mpyusko]

Not surprising really.... liability. They only have a listing for factory specs. The Lift manufacturer should've been able to give you alignment specs, then they could use that. But honestly, once you make sure your pinion angle is set, all you need to adjust is toe. IMHO that's not worth the $75 and a tape measure will do much better.

[Zen]

^^legality

The companies don't want to have you come back with a wrecked Jeep and have your lawyer say, "If you had set the alignment to factory specs, this wouldn't have happened."

Now that you know your control arms are set good and everything but toe and steering wheel center is fixed, I wouldn't pay for annother allignment.

There are good write ups on doing your own allignment rechecks in the driveway. It's easy enough, you can do it each time you get back from a good wheeling trip.


***EDIT*** Too slow...

[mpyusko]

Originally Posted by Zen

There are good write ups on doing your own allignment rechecks in the driveway. It's easy enough, you can do it each time you get back from a good wheeling trip.
***EDIT*** Too slow...

Seriously, a tape measure, 1/2" wrench (i think), and a pipe wrench.... and it should only take 5 minutes to adjust your toe.

Shell out for a heavy duty tie-rod like from JKS and chances are you'll never have to re-align it..... or start spitting, swearing and install one anyway when you bend/bust it on the trail.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by mpyusko

Seriously, a tape measure, 1/2" wrench (i think), and a pipe wrench.... and it should only take 5 minutes to adjust your toe.

Shell out for a heavy duty tie-rod like from JKS and chances are you'll never have to re-align it..... or start spitting, swearing and install one anyway when you bend/bust it on the trail.

Yep... I went with the tie rod out of a late 90's V-8 grand.

[Knuckelhead]

Originally Posted by jtgreen76

fl camber -1.1

A .5 degree off-set ball joint would get that closer to spec...IMO