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Leveling help?!

vortex

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chehalis, Wa
So about a month and a half ago i did a budget lift on my heep. Up front I have grand cherokee springs with a 3"spacer with stock Isolater and a in the back a Basturd durango/jeep spring mix.

My question is:
Why does the drivers side sit lower than the passenger?

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-PJ-
 
ALSO...

i am still running all stock parts up front...I.E.-shocks, drive train, control arms, and steering parts. Hope that helps a little more.

-PJ-
 
Do you drive the Jeep by yourself a lot? Just a wild guess (seriously, wild guess), if you drive alone a lot maybe the front driverside spring is worn a little more than the passenger. My Jeep is about 1/4" lower on the front driver's side, and even in the back (left vs. right). I drive alone 99.999% of the time.

I don't know, just a guess.
 
Well actually.....i do and im kind of a big guy...Maybe i should swap springs on each side....
Good call.

-PJ-

First, are you sure the height is off left to right and it's not the bumper that is bent? The lower part of the passenger side of the bumper looks a little pushed up.

How much does the left vary from the right? A stock coil isolator gives about 3/4". So maybe just add one to the low side. It may still be off by a little bit, but so what. That would be what I would probably do.

....Or, swap the coils and see if there is a difference tranfers. If so and the difference in height from left to right is less than 3/4", you can (I think, double check though) cut a little bit off the bottom of the coil spring to level them out. Double check if you can cut off part of the lower end of the coil without ruining them. Because the coils are NOT a flat bottom, I think you can. If you can for sure, cut a little bit at a time of course (you can always cut more off). If it were me, I would just start by cutting off maybe 1/2" (from the end of the lower part of the spring of course) and see how much that lowers it and then figure from there. Know what I mean? DO NOT CUT 1/2" up vertically, but ALONG the spring. I would always underestimate how much to cut off, again you can always cut more off. However, the front might sit a bit lower than the back, although that depends how you are currently balanced from front to back. So, maybe just add a stock coil isolator to the low side and it may still be off by 1/4", but that should be virtually unnoticeable without a tape measure.

If you are careful and have an angle grinder, you could just jack up the frame, disconnect shock, coil retainer clip, sway bar, and let the axle droop, and then rotate the coil to get a good angle to cut off 1/2" or so at a time. That way you don't have to pull the spring out, put back back in and test, then back out to cut etc.

Also, is the lift in the back even?
 
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First, are you sure the height is off left to right and it's not the bumper that is bent? The lower part of the passenger side of the bumper looks a little pushed up.

How much does the left vary from the right? A stock coil isolator gives about 3/4". So maybe just add one to the low side. It may still be off by a little bit, but so what. That would be what I would probably do.

....Or, you can (I think, double check though) cut a little bit off the bottom of the coil spring to level them out. Double check if you can cut off part of the lower end of the coil without ruining them. Because the coils are NOT a flat bottom, I think you can. If you can for sure, cut a little bit at a time of course (you can always cut more off). If it were me, I would just start by cutting off maybe 1/2" (from the end of the lower part of the spring of course) and see how much that lowers it and then figure from there. Know what I mean? DO NOT CUT 1/2" up vertically, but ALONG the spring. I would always underestimate how much to cut off, again you can always cut more off. However, the front might sit a bit lower than the back, although that depends how you are currently balanced from front to back. So, maybe just add a stock coil isolator to the low side and it may still be off by 1/4", but that should be virtually unnoticeable without a tape measure.

If you are careful and have an angle grinder, you could just jack up the frame, disconnect shock, coil retainer clip, sway bar, and let the axle droop, and then rotate the coil to get a good angle to cut off 1/2" or so at a time. That way you don't have to pull the spring out, put back back in and test, then back out to cut etc.

Also, is the lift in the back even?
FYI, I made some edits to my post.
 
Well with the bumper i tried to move a big rock with my bumper....but it is actually sitting uneven...well the jeep itself...and the bumper isn't as bad as it looks its actually the light.

Also how do i get the caster/camber angle back to normal? Just a simple alignment?

-PJ-
 
Well with the bumper i tried to move a big rock with my bumper....but it is actually sitting uneven...well the jeep itself...and the bumper isn't as bad as it looks its actually the light.

Also how do i get the caster/camber angle back to normal? Just a simple alignment?

-PJ-
Yeah I can see your camber is off. I my '01 XJ the camber is NOT adjustable. So, I not sure about that one. There must be a way to adjust it on your Jeep though since it's off that much. Try using the 'search' option on the forum.

The caster is adjusted by installing adjustable lower control arms. Unless your Jeep rides very stiff, I would just leave it.

For alignments, I do it in the driveway with a tape measure. It has always worked for me. Check here: http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoAlignment.htm
 
Good deal i think i will do my own alignment so i don't have to buy the stuff the guys at the shop want replaced. Also do you have select trac or command trac.

-PJ-
 
I am no expert mechanic, not even close. I don't understand how the camber can be off with nonadjustable ball joints. Use the search function on the forum to see if there is a way to adjust camber in the driveway if you get adjustable ball joints. Also find out why the camber is off. Maybe something is broken/ bent.
 
Good deal i think i will do my own alignment so i don't have to buy the stuff the guys at the shop want replaced. Also do you have select trac or command trac.

-PJ-
I have the part time 4wd option only, NO full time. I forget what they call that. With mine, it needs to toe in about 1/2" if i recall, although if you have the full time 4wd option I believe there should be no toe in (perfectly parallel). Double check that info though, I can't remember.
 
I have the part time 4wd option only, NO full time. I forget what they call that. With mine, it needs to toe in about 1/2" if i recall, although if you have the full time 4wd option I believe there should be no toe in (perfectly parallel). Double check that info though, I can't remember.

That is correct. You have the command trac as do i...I think I heard that i just need adj. lowers contol arms and that shopuld fix it...also could it be that i need a new trac bar or is that just to get the axle back to center?

Just a not i am running all stock steering everything with no mods.

-PJ-
 
You might want to actually check if the chamber is out & not just the picture, before you buy ball joints.

Factory spec for camber is +/- 0.5 degrees.
 
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