correcting steering

I have an 87 xj and need to fix my steering alignment a bit. I have a shop manual and it has two different models/series for correcting the steering. Does the XJ need to have the front tires slightly cambered in or are they square to eachother? Thanks, Dan

The camber should be zero +/- maybe 1/4 degree. You can only adjust it by installing offset upper ball joints or by installing offset inserts for the lower joints. The inserts for the lower joints don't seem to be available any longer.

www.go.jeep-xj.info

Good write-up on doing your own alignment.

Thanks for the link Eagle.

I find it interesting that he says the toe-in adjustment should be different for a 231 vs a 242.

I remember reading somewhere that the toe-in measurement can be done more accurately by placing t-pins in the tread and measuring between them. Then roll the vehicle to rotate the tires 180° and measure again.

Sparkman said:

I find it interesting that he says the toe-in adjustment should be different for a 231 vs a 242.

Click to expand...

He says that because the factory service manuals say it. It has to do with the fact that the 242 is set up to run in 4WD on pavement.

The theoretical setting should always be zero toe, but in practice every moving joint (ball joints, tie rod ends, etc) has a bit of slop to it. In 2WD, as the vehicle moves forward the pavement pushes back against the tires and tries to take up all slop by forcing the tires toward a toe-out condition. Therefore, toe is initially set to a slight toe-in so that in motion it will be zero.

With a 242, when run in 4WD the front wheels are pulling, so they'll tend to remove any slop by going to a toe-in condition. So you would NOT want to start off toe-in if your driving conditions are going to add more.

The ideal would be to put the front wheels on tirntables and check the toe with a spreader between the leading edges of the tires to take out all the slop, then set the alignment to zero toe. Personally, even with a 242 I only use 4WD in slippery conditions, so I would set the alignment to the 231 settings. I think the factory is assuming most people will use a 242 more like all-wheel drive and just leave it in full-time all year. I don't know of anyone who actually uses it that way.