Lifted 4x4 trucks and Caster

[Matt400]

Caster is often over looked by quickie type alignment shops, on straight axle 4x4 trucks they may just set the toe and call it good.



Before you take your rig down to the alignment shop for the "toe setting & call it good" treatment you can change Caster yourself.

Its best done with the wheels off the ground and the axle setting on jack stands. Simply loosen the Caster eccentrics shown in the picture and rotate them so the fat part of the eccentric washer is facing the front bumper. The pic shows it facing up because this truck is not lifted.



By doing this you are compensating for the forward rotation of the axle that happens when a lift is added. This should be done for 2" or more of lift.

On a 2" lift it will bring you back to factory Caster while 4" & 6" lifts it simply helps to minimise the steering wander created from a lift. The setting will not effect tire wear.

 

[Tinman]

I think the new steering up-grade parts has no toe adjustment (zero toe in). Since with these axles have fixed camber, if you have the new components, there'd be nothing to align except the caster you mentioned. I had mine done at the dealer after the Chase install so it should be correct.

 

[brods]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...cussions/205860-08-steering-upgrade-pics.html



Third picture down shows the adjustment sleeve for setting toe.

 

[Tinman]

I think Don Thuren said you don't have to run toe-in with the new stuff, but you can if desired.



I just checked my axle and the eccentric washer is facing about 45* past vertical toward the rear.

 

[HOBrian]

So Matt if I am seeing this right the groove should be at the 3 O'clock position?

 

[Matt400]

Yes, in the pic it is at 12:00 and for 2" or more of lift I have found it better at 3:00

 

[Fisherguy]

In the first post you said the fat part of the washer should point to the front bumper, isn't that the 9:00 position?

 

[Matt400]

In that pic it would be 3:00 but if the pic was from the drivers side it would be 9:00

 

[EDankievitch]

Your caster should be checked with a caster camber gauage. The book on our trucks calls for 4. 5 degrees pos caster. Too much will allow the steering wheel to center but the truck will follow the crown of the road more, also will cause the ball joints to wear out faster... ... . I have checked a few trucks and found them to be al over the place from the factory some as far off as 9 degrees pos.

Unless you install adjustable upper ball joints the camber is set, note the truck will pull tward the wheel that has more pos camber. thats why when the ball joints on the pass side fail the truck pulls to the left. Note that the pass side wheel seems to find bigger pot holes. Toe-in is the one setting that will destroy the tires the fastest if it's not right. Hope this all helps,... .....

 

[Matt400]

Your caster should be checked with a caster camber gauage.

Of course thats always ideal. The trouble is with shops that just set the toe on lifted trucks. Just did one today where another shop never moved caster back to where it should be after a lift.

 

[Pavemen]

a properly built lift will already have camber compensated for. any good lift will new control arms will have adjustable length arms and you can use a simple angle finder to set the camber yourself. easy fix, but i am not sure stating a fixed direction to set the eccentrics is valid. on my truck the 'cup' the eccentric rides on the axle brackets have moved/bent from being wheeled hard.

 

[Fisherguy]

a properly built lift will already have camber compensated for. any good lift will new control arms will have adjustable length arms and you can use a simple angle finder to set the camber yourself. easy fix, but i am not sure stating a fixed direction to set the eccentrics is valid. on my truck the 'cup' the eccentric rides on the axle brackets have moved/bent from being wheeled hard.

I would replace the term "properly built lift" with "high end lift", not everyone needs to spen d thousands of dollars on the front end to simply lift it a couple inches.

 

[Pavemen]

I would replace the term "properly built lift" with "high end lift", not everyone needs to spen d thousands of dollars on the front end to simply lift it a couple inches.

not necessarily. how much are SJ single flex arms now? double flex? what about a few bucks for some tube, adapters and joints and then go find a someone to weld it up for you?

 

[Matt400]

i am not sure stating a fixed direction to set the eccentrics is valid.

Not everytime maybe, but from what I see at work its been that way especially with coil spacers or taller coils and oem control arms. On larger lifts like those 6" superlifts that come with control arms I can max out the caster ecentrics and its not nearly enough at 1 degree pos so it wanders.

All I am saying is throwing a lift on and leaving the ecentrics in the oem location is asking for trouble.



On the spendy kits with adjustable control arms I can see what your saying and it could be advantagous to flip the ecentrics the other way and use just the control arm adjustment if you plan on hard off roading so they don't get mangled from the pressure.

 

[JBriggs]

Lifted 4X4 & universal joints?

07-2500 w/4 in. lift-2nd. rear universal in 60k--???