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Steering Wheel alignment after a lift...

S

SurfXJSnow

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Charlottesville, VA
My actual alighment on my tires is fine, not pulling at all.

But my steering wheel is turned sideways now when driving straight. I've heard from a friend that you have to mess with the steering box and the joint that goes into it. Has anyone done this before? any easier ways to correct the steering wheel alignment other than messing with the steering box?
 
If you've lifted 3.5", you at least need to do a garage alignment. With stock steering, you've changed your toe-in. You've also changed your caster.

Toe-in is changed by turning the sleeve on the tie-rod. Your steering wheel is centered by turning the sleeve on the drag link. Caster with stock control arms is changed by shims at the frame end of the lower control arms. None of these require getting into the steering box.

It may feel fine, but you really do need to do an alignment.
 
ChiXJeff said:
If you've lifted 3.5", you at least need to do a garage alignment. With stock steering, you've changed your toe-in. You've also changed your caster.

Toe-in is changed by turning the sleeve on the tie-rod. Your steering wheel is centered by turning the sleeve on the drag link. Caster with stock control arms is changed by shims at the frame end of the lower control arms. None of these require getting into the steering box.

It may feel fine, but you really do need to do an alignment.
Click to expand...

I have new LCA's, will this still effect my caster? where the hell is this drag link? I cant seem to find it. i just want my steering wheel back in place, then ill get the alignment party1:
 
<sigh>

If you get your XJ professionally aligned, they'll set caster, toe-in and center your steering wheel.

Any time you change any of the suspension geometries, you're going to affect something in the alignment. A lift with stock steering will change both caster and toe-in. Changing lower control arms will affect caster.

It is possible that with the right lower control arms (length,) your caster may be where it should be.
 
ChiXJeff said:
<sigh>

If you get your XJ professionally aligned, they'll set caster, toe-in and center your steering wheel.

Any time you change any of the suspension geometries, you're going to affect something in the alignment. A lift with stock steering will change both caster and toe-in. Changing lower control arms will affect caster.

It is possible that with the right lower control arms (length,) your caster may be where it should be.
Click to expand...

I know where the drag link is. I might play around with it tomorrow. But the thought of taking my XJ into a shop for anything other than tires makes me cringe... but maybe ill give it a shot. :flame:
 
The guys on your local forum can give you a H-U on reliable shops in the area. ;-)
 
I'd say just go and get one done, its usually not too expensive and worth it in the long run.
 
You guys crack me up. We did this yesterday http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=967253

And before he left we set toe and centered the steering wheel. If the jeep doesn't wander or steer weird on the test drive (in this case he ran side streets and jumped on freeway and hit 85mph) it's fine. If you don't get DW or anything just adjust toe and center the wheel and save yourself $50-$90 depending on where you go. No problems with either jeep.
 
To adjust TOE for the front tires after a lift; draw a chalk line across the tires so you measure at the same points on the front of the tire and the rear of the tire. Measure the distance between the tires at the inside rear of tire and the inside front of the tire or find a point common on both tires in the front and rear of the tire.... Ensure the measurements are the same..
If they are not... loosen the bolts for the adjustment collar on tie rod. You should only need to turn the collar a few turns to make the front and rear measurements equal.... Tighten bolt after adjustment....
This will get you very close to factory specifications...
To CENTER the steering wheel after a lift...; you will need to locate the adjustment collar on the drag link (rod that connects from pitman arm on steering box to the passenger side near steering knuckle). Loosen bolt and slowly turn collar and have someone verify the steering wheel is going in the correct direction.... Continue until steering is centered. Tighten bolt after adjustment... Go out for a test drive to verify centering....
You may need to do this more than once....
 
Do you guys just use a monkey wrench/ pipe wrench to turn the collar? At the alignment shop the guy had a tool that grabbed the slit in the collar and turned it. He said it was messed up because someone turned it with a pipe wrench. I know it wasn't easy to get to turn for him.
 
I've always just used a monkey wrench? Spray it with some pb blaster to loosen it up and go to town. Also, you have to mess around with the tierods and drag link at the same time, otherwise you get a crooked wheel or crooked alignment. Play around with it and see what works out best.

After going to a shop to get an alignment, I should have just done it in the driveway. You can't adjust caster and camber with an SA unless you get adjustable control arms and/or offset balljoints. So you're basically paying around $80 for something that takes a half hour to do at home...
 
DanMan2k06 said:
After going to a shop to get an alignment, I should have just done it in the driveway. You can't adjust caster and camber with an SA unless you get adjustable control arms and/or offset balljoints. So you're basically paying around $80 for something that takes a half hour to do at home...
Click to expand...

Well, you can adjust caster to a certain extent on 2"-4" lifts by reading the caster angle on the balljoint with an angle finder and adding shims behind the LCAs to increase the positive caster. That's all I needed to do to get the caster back into specs on my modest 3" lift.
 
Steve_Moore said:
Do you guys just use a monkey wrench/ pipe wrench to turn the collar? At the alignment shop the guy had a tool that grabbed the slit in the collar and turned it. He said it was messed up because someone turned it with a pipe wrench. I know it wasn't easy to get to turn for him.
Click to expand...
There is a miracle elixir called PB-Blaster, I use it extensively. The alignment guy could have also...the crybaby.

I loosen the clamp bolts and I can turn mine with a bare hand. The task is only as hard as you make it.
 
I just spent the 60 dollars and took it to sears and had it aligned, and had the steering wheel put back in line. I felt like a mother saying bye to her son on his first day of school... i was almost in tears.
 
If the adjuster doesn't turn easily, use a straight tipped screwdriver in the slot to spread it a little & you should be able to turn it by hand. The front end guy was just whining. I've seen lots of adjusters on a lot of different types of vehicles that have been trashed by pipe wrenches & they work fine unless they have been crushed. They just look like hell.
 
I put the ZJ steering on my XJ today, after seeing how easy it is to do the alignment I'll never pay for it on an XJ again.
 
SO, im putting a 1/2" spacer in the front tomorrow i believe... Need to level it out up front, got more lift in the rear. (taking out stock isolators and putting in a daystar 3/4" spacer up front) do you think i will have to get re aligned? will my steering wheel be off again?!!!!!!
 
most likely, YES. Take it back in an PAY again unless you got a lifetime warranty (some shops offer it).

I didn't say do it yourself this time because you didn't listen the first time.
 
SurfXJSnow said:
SO, im putting a 1/2" spacer in the front tomorrow i believe... Need to level it out up front, got more lift in the rear. (taking out stock isolators and putting in a daystar 3/4" spacer up front) do you think i will have to get re aligned? will my steering wheel be off again?!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Yes.

You're separating the body and axle by another half inch. The front axle will rotate slightly, changing your caster, reducing it a bit. Because you're pulling the top of the draglink up, you'll have a little more toe-in.

Granted, an extra half inch isn't much......... but you should have waited to do the alignment until you finished your suspension work.
 
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