Help! Alignment Problems
04-10-2013, 05:14 PM
#11
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I have the BDS 3" coil/shock lift with no problems. I agree with nthinuf if those cam bolts were "banged" loose or moved when you hit the pothole that may give you the "pull". From my understanding the camber is pretty much set and not so easy to change and a toe problem unless way out will just wear tires. The only other thing I can think of is bad or broken ball joints.
04-10-2013, 05:18 PM
#12
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Some simple things that can be overlooked with problems like this are tire pressures and brakes. Are you sure all of the tire pressures are set evenly? A few pounds off wont really do much but if one is significantly low it can give you a pull. Next, are you sure neither of the calipers are sticking? A dragging brake caliper will certainly give you a pull sometimes mistaken for alignment issues. If you hit a pot hole and it started pulling from that point on, these are probably not your issues. Just a thought though.
Last edited by Smashboogie 4x4; 04-10-2013 at 05:22 PM.
04-10-2013, 05:53 PM
#13
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That's what the guy at the Truck Shop said about the camber/toe. That's why I was thinking about an adjustable trackbar and maybe some arms. I don't want to open Pandora's box though either if its a minor thing. Will the above improve the ride quality that much? (First jk). Thanks!
Adj control arms allow you to set the caster/pinion - tilt the top and/or bottom of the housing forward/backward. (Cam Bolts allow a small amount of adjustment to the bottom of the housing.) You have cam bolts installed now, correct? When they were installed, the shop had to notch out the control arm brackets. So if you remove the cams and go to add new control arms, guess what? (check the cams to see if one slipped, or get an alignment check and look at the numbers for both sides)
The trackbar centers the axle left to right. It is good to have them centered, but unless you bent a bracket when you hit that pothole, probably not your issue.
The toe is easily (relatively) checked by following that writeup, or taking it to a shop for an alignment check. Find out what the numbers are, and adjust it to suit your needs.
The stock camber is not adjustable. You could have bent a C (or even the housing itself) from hitting a pothole. This could change the camber, but you probably would not know it by just eyeballing. Again, the printout from a shop is the starting place.
04-10-2013, 06:09 PM
#14
JK Super Freak
Agree with above poster. Get a printout of your specs.
Hitting a pothole can easily bend the inner c's if you haven't reinforced your axle. Even with stock tires. Add in you bigger tires and that could be the issue.
Also, have you checked the ball joints? My passenger side ones were toast and causing pulling to the right (among other things I had wrong). Simple to check, jack up one side so tire is off the ground, grab a long pry bar or similar and put it under the tire and pull up. You shouldn't see much play at all in your ball joints. If you see up and down movement, that means bad ball joints. Very common issue.
Hitting a pothole can easily bend the inner c's if you haven't reinforced your axle. Even with stock tires. Add in you bigger tires and that could be the issue.
Also, have you checked the ball joints? My passenger side ones were toast and causing pulling to the right (among other things I had wrong). Simple to check, jack up one side so tire is off the ground, grab a long pry bar or similar and put it under the tire and pull up. You shouldn't see much play at all in your ball joints. If you see up and down movement, that means bad ball joints. Very common issue.