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Minimum amount of caster.

S

Stumpalump

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Franktown Co.
Whats the minimum I can run? I'm at 8 degrees and it's hard to steer when locked and going real slow or backing up. I want to dial out as much as I can and still drive on the road some. Is the 3-5 rule good for an XJ? Any body ever try less or only 3 degrees? I use lock-out hubs so the drivline angle is not a concern.
 
I'm currently running 5* caster without significant problems, at 6.5" of lift.
I do notice a little "squirreliness" on the highway; have to pay a little more attention to keeping the Jeep going in a straight line.
I think 6* would be good.
 
I was running 3 degrees for about a year. Its not my DD but i do drive on the street to and from trails. It definately was quite loose feeling at freeway speeds (about 70mph) And seemed to get deflected alittle off large bumps in the road.
Now at 5.5 degrees its noticebly more stable at speed.
 
5 degrees as after that it makes driving on irregular roads more tiresome.
 
Ive been running 3* on my DD for 6 years now with no problems.Last years trip to Sturgis we were on every kind of road I can imagine.
 
I've run 3* quite a bit and it's fine.....no ill effects. Try it on your rig.
 
I could get 3 on one side and 3.5-4 on the other. Thats with giving it a tug with the winch. Somthings tweeked. I don't know. I don't like to have the control arms in a bind so I split the difference. Thats hard work under your jeep all day wrestling that stuff.
 
Just measure it at the diff cover like I show on my site. You should always have the control arms or shims the exact same on both sides. You cannot adjust the difference out as you cannot twist the axle housing to do so. Any difference has been there since it was welded at the factory.
 
Below 6, mine likes to wander on the highway.
 
fizassist said:
Below 6, mine likes to wander on the highway.
Click to expand...

Every steering and suspension setup will handle a little differently. I like running at 5*, but I've also run for a long time at 3* with no negative effects and it still came back to center by itself.

I also agree that that you can't force the axle by adjusting control arms. You should be able to remove and adjust control arms easily while it sits on the driveway.
 
I know every vehicle is different, but what I find strange is that the stock caster spec for a Land Cruiser 80 series is around 3 degrees of caster, while the Jeep needs a little more - why this is I don't know.
 
I ran 4* in mine for a long time and decided to adjust out to 7*, I hate it and I'm going back. I have bad drive shaft vibes from 35-70 and a very slight but annoying shimmy at 65mph. Everything in my front end is new and these issues only started after readjusting the caster.

I also see no difference in the steering comming back to center between the 2 settings or any wandering issues either way.
 
I drove 100 plus road miles and 15 or so trail miles today set at 3-4 degrees. I can see Gojeeps point of being more tiring on the road but it sure does steer and drive better on the trails. I only use it for trail driving and roads to get to them. I would dial in a degree or two more if I drove on the road more but where I'm at I'm happy. Thanks for the replies.
 
gorman said:
I know every vehicle is different, but what I find strange is that the stock caster spec for a Land Cruiser 80 series is around 3 degrees of caster, while the Jeep needs a little more - why this is I don't know.
Click to expand...
castor settings are related to steering axis inclination (SAI) and power steering boost. While turning, castor is used to counteract excess camber on the outside wheel caused by high SAI angles. On vehicles with high levels of steering boost (the Cherokee), on-center feel at the steering wheel is lost. Increasing castor adds back the on-center feel. Cars back in the 50's when power steering was less common had very little castor. As power steering has become more common and boost levels increased, increases in castor have followed the trend.

If you swap out the axle in your Jeep and/or modify the power steering, your requirements for castor should be adjusted according.
 
I fitted RE 4.5" coils and a spacer this weekend and I'm current still running the stock control arms as a temporary measure. At that lift I figure my caster is about 4.5* (based on measuring my pinion angle and subtracting that from 11*). What I like about the way it is at the moment is that the steering feels much lighter and thus the car is more responsive to steering inputs - it does however wobble a little easier on uneven surfaces.

I'll be installing a custom front axle soon and will in the process attempt to set the inner C's to such an angle that I have the correct pinion angle as well as castor that's within spec, e.g. about 7*.
 
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