broythomas Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 I have a 1992 jeep comanche with a 3" skyjacker lift on a 2wd 4.0 eliminator with a manual (I know lifted 2wd is wrong, but working towards 4wd). i can't seem to get the steering right. I took it to an alignment shop and they set the toe at 0. My lift had longer lower control arms. But it looks wrong and I have no on center feel. Steering wheel also moves alot as the tilt of the road changes which is very common in seattle. The right wheel points outward slightly when the left is straight. The left also appears to be farther back and according to the alignment guide posted on here the left wheelbase should be shorter not the right. My alignment numbers from the shop: caster left: 7.18 caster Right: 6.87 camber left: -1.03 camber right: -1.39 toe left: 0 toe right: 0 Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Those numbers need plusses and minuses in front of them before they mean anything. Assuming your caster angles are plus, they are in the range to provide decent "tracking" but they should be closer to the same. Does the wheel pull to one side? The caster is adjusted by shims in the LCA frame pocket. The shop should know that, and should be prepared to shim the LCAs to get the correct setting, not just set the toe-in and give you a printout. Camber should be zero for both wheels. Either you need ball joints or you have other problems. It's not adjustable, except by using offset ball joints, but it ain't right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broythomas Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 forgot to mention I've added a dana 30 from a 1985 and all the tie rod ends feel good and had a new adjustable track bar. Had the same problem before the lift with the 2wd axle. Every part has been replaced except the upper control arms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broythomas Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 the caster numbers are + while the camber are -. It only pulls when the road tilts, but the right tire is wearing unevenly I think the inside is going faster, can't remember for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Your camber is fubar. I don't have a '92 FSM but the '94 FSM can't be that far off. The camber spec is zero, with an acceptable range of +1/2 to -3/4 degree. Your camber is way out of spec. The shop that did the alignment should have told you that, and they should have checked the ball joints for excess play. Caster is okay. The set-to spec is 6 degrees, with an acceptable range of 5 to 9 degrees. I would have preferred to see the caster be the same on both sides, though. Again, I don't think the shop did a very complete job for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broythomas Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 So does that mean I'm screwed on the camber if the ball joints are good? Haven't checked them closely, but it drives the same after the axle swap. Both axles had this same problem. Of course both could have had bad ball joints. If they're good is there anything else to check while I'm under there on tuesday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Mate, I don't wish to seem like I'm belaboring the obvious, but ... your toe-in is right on the money, your caster is within spec but not the same on both sides, which it should be, and your camber is WAY out of spec. How much more do you want to check before you fix the things you already know are wrong? Yeah, the camber is only a "little" out of spec -- until you remember that the set-to reading for the camber is zero. Now you're a whole bunch off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broythomas Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 I hope I didn't sound like I wasn't going to follow your advise. I am, but I have to work until tuesday. I'm planning to replace the ball joints. I guess I meant if I still had a problem after I replace them. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 If you still have a problem after you replace them, just buy the offset joints... Because basically there's nothing else you can do. In that case the housing or the inner Cs are bent. You can get another housing, but D30s bend just with the weight of the truck on them so it's unlikely you'd do better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 regarding the camber, I've done this, it was expensive. the cheaper way is to use the adjustable sleeves rather than the adjustable balljoints. They're about $25 vs $100 for the adjustable balljoints. I've got the same lift on my front end, plus another inch of spacers. It can be made to work properly and steer right, with those skyjacker arms. honestly, I wish that I had just gone and found another axle, that wasn't screwed up, putting the money I put into mine seems like a waste for a D30, especially when I could have just gone and gotten another one for $150 at the yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 honestly, I wish that I had just gone and found another axle, that wasn't screwed up, putting the money I put into mine seems like a waste for a D30, especially when I could have just gone and gotten another one for $150 at the yard. I was starting to arrive at the same conclusion. The axle is out of an '85. Who knows how many miles are on it or how much it may (or may not) have been abused. There's probably no good way to determine if the axle itself or the inner 'C's are bent short of replacing the ball joints, and even doing the work yourself the ball joints are going to cost $150 to $200. What are these offset sleeves of which you speak? I'm not familiar with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 the earlier D30's used threaded inserts in the knuckles that the balloints sit in. You can buy the threaded inserts with the adjustable offset. They're about $25 a piece. It's a whole lot cheaper than the adjustable BJs. I think they stopped using the threaded inserts about 90. My frankenstein axle still has them, the knuckles came off an 88. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 found a picture apparently they were used on D44's as well. http://www.jeepfan.com/projects/camber-adjustment.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I didn't know they used those, or that you can get adjustable ones... But yeah, those are used on D44s. At least, the ball joint ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 like I said, only on the early knuckles did they use those sleeves. I'm not sure of the cut off point, but it was 90 or 91. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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