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Front bumpstops dont meet at good angle.

H

Hickorynut

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Sims, Ar.
On a '96 XJ have DPG/RE 5.5 lift, with JKS ACOS, the bumpstops meet at a weird angle, barely meeting at the rear of the lower stop. I have adjusted the control arms to the specs found on this site & others, lowers @ 16" and uppers @ 15.5" . It looks like the axle should rotate down to make them meet properly, but this could cause steering, castor, etc. problems. Anyone have a cure for this problem? This lift does have RE drop brackets.
 
you should adjust the caster to the right angle, not a measurement you read on here. Caster should be set at around 5 degrees back.
 
ipkyss said:
you should adjust the caster to the right angle, not a measurement you read on here.
Click to expand...

ipkyss said:
Caster should be set at around 5 degrees back.
Click to expand...

hsugh.gif

Billy
 
Hickorynut said:
On a '96 XJ have DPG/RE 5.5 lift, with JKS ACOS, the bumpstops meet at a weird angle, barely meeting at the rear of the lower stop. I have adjusted the control arms to the specs found on this site & others, lowers @ 16" and uppers @ 15.5" . It looks like the axle should rotate down to make them meet properly, but this could cause steering, castor, etc. problems. Anyone have a cure for this problem? This lift does have RE drop brackets.
Click to expand...

I guess we're assuming that this is when you are articulating? Or is it when you're at some speed and hit hard enough to hit the bumpstops?

If it's when you're articulating it doesn't matter, you shouldn't hit hard enough to make much difference. In fact, you shouldn't even be able to hit the bumpstops, or just barely touch if you have soft bumpstops, when articulating because then your spring rate is too soft for going very fast. Hitting the bumpstops should only a concern at speed, like hitting dips and holes on the way to the trail.
 
JeepFreak21 said:
hsugh.gif

Billy
Click to expand...

By that comment, are you saying my response was wrong? Do you feel that setting the lowers at 16" and the uppers at 15.5" with give the right caster angle for every xj on here? Its a close starting point.
 
Yes this occurs while articulating. It did hit hard enough on the trail to tear about half of the bump off of the acos. The springs that came with my lift are REs 3.5" for a grand cher. as per DPG's sugestion. They do seem soft but I have no comparison. The acos stops meet the RE bumpstop, kinda hard rubber, I have added 2 hockey pucks below them to limit upward travel.
 
ipkyss said:
By that comment, are you saying my response was wrong? Do you feel that setting the lowers at 16" and the uppers at 15.5" with give the right caster angle for every xj on here? Its a close starting point.
Click to expand...

No! You told him not to set it based on a measurement he found here, and then you posted (here) a specific measurement for him to set it to!
rofldunno.gif

Billy
 
No prob. I just took it wrong. And the measurements were what he said...
 
JeepFreak21 said:
No! You told him not to set it based on a measurement he found here, and then you posted (here) a specific measurement for him to set it to!
rofldunno.gif

Billy
Click to expand...

hahaha :roflmao:
 
Hickorynut said:
Yes this occurs while articulating. It did hit hard enough on the trail to tear about half of the bump off of the acos. The springs that came with my lift are REs 3.5" for a grand cher. as per DPG's sugestion. They do seem soft but I have no comparison. The acos stops meet the RE bumpstop, kinda hard rubber, I have added 2 hockey pucks below them to limit upward travel.
Click to expand...

What is limiting your up travel based on? Tire rubbing, shocks bottoming?? You have a legit question, but what you're doing is fine tuning the front end. Might as well look at everything.

Seems to me that you're bottoming way too hard.
 
I added pucks to avoid both tire rub and shock bottoming. Could my spring rate be too soft? Also to measure 5 degree back for castor, what surface would I measure from?
 
Hickorynut said:
I added pucks to avoid both tire rub and shock bottoming. Could my spring rate be too soft? Also to measure 5 degree back for castor, what surface would I measure from?
Click to expand...

measure off the top of your upper ball joint. my angle finder had a gap in the middle that the zerk could go into and get to the flat surface... at least thats what i do, it seems to be the only surface that is in line with the castor without taking apart your knuckles. but be sure to check it on a flat surface, with the axle level, and at ride height(if you have your wheels off).
 
Hickorynut said:
I added pucks to avoid both tire rub and shock bottoming. Could my spring rate be too soft? Also to measure 5 degree back for castor, what surface would I measure from?
Click to expand...

If you're bottoming hard on the trail, yes, your spring rate is too soft. How much up travel do you have now before you hit the stops? What shocks and what length? How much shock shaft showing at ride height?
 
dgrigorenko said:
measure off the top of your upper ball joint. my angle finder had a gap in the middle that the zerk could go into and get to the flat surface... at least thats what i do, it seems to be the only surface that is in line with the castor without taking apart your knuckles. but be sure to check it on a flat surface, with the axle level, and at ride height(if you have your wheels off).
Click to expand...
Thanks for measurement info I'll give it a shot. Goatman, Shocks are RE monotubes,not sure about max. length in & out. At rest its showing 6" of shaft. Shock body is 15". The space between B.S. is 3.25" at rest. The tire does travel up more than this ofcourse. Thanks to all for taking time to help. DPG Dirk suggested moving the axle back by way of adjusting upper &lower Contrl arms, both are adjustable. This would move the b stops more in line with one another.
 
The bumpstop doesnt hit perfectly on the axle.. It doesn't have to be perfect. When the axle is articulated up the surface of the bumpstop isn't going to be straight.. As long as the bumstop is hitting... You're fine.
 
Hickorynut said:
Thanks for measurement info I'll give it a shot. Goatman, Shocks are RE monotubes,not sure about max. length in & out. At rest its showing 6" of shaft. Shock body is 15". The space between B.S. is 3.25" at rest. The tire does travel up more than this ofcourse. Thanks to all for taking time to help. DPG Dirk suggested moving the axle back by way of adjusting upper &lower Contrl arms, both are adjustable. This would move the b stops more in line with one another.
Click to expand...


If you have 3.25" up travel till you hit the stops, and 6" of shock shaft showing, can't you take out the pucs so you have more up travel? If the tires hit trim a little more, 3.25" till you hit the bumps isn't very much. Another two inches of up travel gets two more inches of spring force working for you to resist bottoming so hard. Of course, more up travel while articulating could misalign you bumps evem more, so you may still need to adjust something, but you wouldn't hit so hard and break the bump stop.
 
Goatman said:
If you have 3.25" up travel till you hit the stops, and 6" of shock shaft showing, can't you take out the pucs so you have more up travel? If the tires hit trim a little more, 3.25" till you hit the bumps isn't very much. Another two inches of up travel gets two more inches of spring force working for you to resist bottoming so hard. Of course, more up travel while articulating could misalign you bumps evem more, so you may still need to adjust something, but you wouldn't hit so hard and break the bump stop.
Click to expand...
Yes more up travel does equal more misalignment. Think I'll try to adjust the axle for a better hit on the stops. As is the upper stop kinda slides off to the rear allowing more up travel till it finally stops. Have new tires comin in a week, going to 35s from33s, so will have more tweekin to do then also . Thanks again, if I seem to be missing the obvious let me know.
 
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