Bad Vibes

[maddmike]

If you keep your steering components lubed and change them out when they go bad, you'll never have to worry about death wobble.

i disagree. the only times i've had death wobble (and this is with puny little 31's), is when they have been out of balance. all steering components were lubed, in good quality, and tight. not to say it can't happen with loose or bad steering components, but it's common to get DW if the tires go out of balance.

[maddmike]

You can't knock your toe out of whack unless you bend something or strip teeth. If either of those happen, you will be replacing parts AND THEN redoing the alignment.

i also disagree with this comment. i've never bent or replaced anything in the steering department, and my jeep has been out of alignment no less than 6 times in 12 months. wheeling puts a lot of stress on the steering components, and magically they all seem to go out of whack about every other time i hit the trails. i'd also be willing to bet that there are at least a few others that would attest to that running hard rocks in a TJ.

[Lawrence]

Joe - No problem. As Shadly1 said, set your caster and forget about it. For the toe, I like to check it every so often to make sure everything is still within specs. The draglink adjustment is super easy. Get a couple of box wrenches (18mm I think), get in your Jeep and drive. Stop, get the 2 bolts loose, turn the draglink adjuster, tighten the bolts, get back in your Jeep, and drive again. Repeat until your steering wheel is centered.

I know you didn't expect having to get adjustable UCAs, but in the long run it is much better as you can dial your Jeep in perfectly. You're almost there, it will be worth the wait. If you need a hand with anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Josh - This is a cool tool, plus you can use it as a level and other things.

[maddmike]

Thanks Lawrence . . . that's some great info. So once the caster is set, all I'd have to do is the toe in and perhaps adjust the drag link if the steering wheel off center, if I nail a big rock and knock it outta whack? Got any cool links to a draglink adjustment how to? Do you ever have to worry about the caster unless you change something on the Jeep? Also, will my caster get better when the suspension settles a bit? And will the settling also affect the pinion angle making an adjustment to the upper rear control arms necessary down the line? Sorry for the barrage of questions:gun:

personally, i'd set everything now the way it needs to be and then check it again once the lift settles. it may be a while before the lift "settles", and when it does I doubt anything is going to be that much different other than the toe-in, and 6 months may go by before that time and you've already ruined your pinion gears or blown a u-joint at that point if you don't get that pinion angle adjusted.

[Shadly1]

i also disagree with this comment. i've never bent or replaced anything in the steering department, and my jeep has been out of alignment no less than 6 times in 12 months.

That's just not OK. You might be slipping teeth at your tie rod or drag link adjustment points. Is it always a toe reset or is it just straightening the wheel?

[maddmike]

That's just not OK. You might be slipping teeth at your tie rod or drag link adjustment points. Is it always a toe reset or is it just straightening the wheel?

sometimes only toe, sometimes both. that's not counting the times i've installed a new track bar, had my lift settle, or had my drag link collar come loose on me, and needed it re-aligned for that reason instead.

i don't know, maybe it's just me, i can be very prone to bad luck, but i've talked to several others who have complained of the same fate. that's the price I pay for driving around in bog rocks all the time. take it for what you will, hopefully others have better luck than I.

:dunno:

[sahara0207]

life time alighnment for me was 125 with my 37's even... got quoted then pulled in. lol now i have my custom steerin set up tho so i do it myself

[Schmo]

Here we go . . .

Well I picked up my new Rear Upper Adjustable Control Arms today . . . got an appointment first thing in the morning to have them installed/adjusted. I went with the Rubicon Express ones as they seem to make a solid product and I really wanted to keep the sticker I have on my gas tank skid:wink:!!! I sure hope this is the cure for my bad vibes. It's been like 3 or 4 weeks and I'm really itchin' to hit the trail. Hopefully you'll see me out there this weekend trying out the new stuff and gettin' er dirty.

[Schmo]

Well I just picked up the Jeep after having the new upper rear control arms installed. The Jeep feels much better, but just eyeballing the pinion and driveshaft, it looks like it's still going to need a bit of adjustment as the angles don't appear equal. No vibes on the street, but I notice a very slight vibe when accelerating over about 65mph . . . not sure if it's even a problem or just the engine humming a bit trying to spin the new 33's.

[womb raider 940]

sounds like this problem is almost done what is the next project for the rubicorn

[Materdaddy]

Well I just picked up the Jeep after having the new upper rear control arms installed. The Jeep feels much better, but just eyeballing the pinion and driveshaft, it looks like it's still going to need a bit of adjustment as the angles don't appear equal. No vibes on the street, but I notice a very slight vibe when accelerating over about 65mph . . . not sure if it's even a problem or just the engine humming a bit trying to spin the new 33's.

Keep in mind that angle changes slightly under load. If it looks a little low, then it should be even under hard acceleration. You may want to have them re-adjusting it if you still have some vibes with your driving.

[Schmo]

Keep in mind that angle changes slightly under load. If it looks a little low, then it should be even under hard acceleration. You may want to have them re-adjusting it if you still have some vibes with your driving.

The hard part is that I can't really tell if the slight vibe I'm getting over 65mph is from the shaft/pinion angle or just the hum of the engine/bigger tires/etc. I figured I'd see if I can measure the angle as from what I've been told, with a CV style shaft, the pinion should be within 2* of the angle of the shaft and 1* under is optimal. Anyone know the easiest way to dial the pinion angle in?

[Lawrence]

Anyone know the easiest way to dial the pinion angle in?

If you have bad vibes... Park on level ground, stick a jack under your diff, adjust CAs accordingly until your angle looks good, go for a drive.

If no noticeable vibes, go have fun this weekend.

I ran with vibes for a while, not big ones, but I could notice something under acceleration. This is not a precision machine you're working on, it won't instantly explode because of minor vibes.

If you are that worried about it, stop by Napa/Kragen and pick up spare U-joints on your way to the trail.

[Shadly1]

The hard part is that I can't really tell if the slight vibe I'm getting over 65mph is from the shaft/pinion angle or just the hum of the engine/bigger tires/etc. I figured I'd see if I can measure the angle as from what I've been told, with a CV style shaft, the pinion should be within 2* of the angle of the shaft and 1* under is optimal. Anyone know the easiest way to dial the pinion angle in?

The easiest way is to pick up one of those magnetic angle finders from Home Depot. I think mine was about $10. Park your Jeep on a level surface and have it loaded with the items you normally carry every single day plus a full tank of gas. Stick the level to the flat part on the bottom of your diff and write down the number. Now stick the level to your drive shaft and write down the number. Subtract the two and bingo. If you need to raise the pinion, extend your upper UCAs an equal number of turns on both sides. Check your angles again and adjust as necessary, just keep it the same number of turns on both sides. You're shooting for 1*-2* low to account for center of gravity shift when you're under torque load. Once you're in spec, lock down your UCAs and you're done!


Feel lucky you don't have to deal with u-bolts and shims.

[Schmo]

It's on like Donkey Kong!!!

Oh yeah baby!!! Got under there with Josh's magnetic angle meter and the drive shaft is right between 18*-19* and the diff is right between 17*-18* . . . I couldn't believe it so I measured both sides of the drive shaft top and bottom and 3 different spots on the diff and kept coming up with the same readings! I filled up the gas tank on the way home which seems to have made a bit of a difference. Looks like I'll be wheelin' tomorrow!!! Overall she's running real good . . . trackin' straighter than before . . . steering wheel is centered . . . no wobbles, etc. I did notice that the little bumps between lanes are really loud now though I'll check the tire pressure tomorrow. I think the vibe I was feeling was the engine . . . I think it's just in the gas pedal when accelerating over 60 . . . the vibes before were felt all over and were severe. Ya think I'm just noticing the extra load on the engine from the bigger tires and maybe the extra drag now that I'm higher??? Can't wait to get out there


I really appreciate all the tips and advice . . . sure is nice having a place to turn when things aren't going the way you'd planned and be able to get back on track. You guys ROCK!