Emergency help

    I doubt if they will change the caster because it involves adjusting the upper control arms. I'm just going to get them to fix the toe-in. Caster I will change Monday evening when I place the lower control arms on.

    I have the stock lower control arms on right now. Tomorrow I should be getting the new superflex arms which are about 3/8" longer then the stock one.


    I set the caster by shortening the uppers as much as possible. I would gustimate I have about 2* of positive caster.


    I have an almost constant small shimmy at 35mph and still ocasionally get death wobble.


    I'm hoping the 3/8" longer lowers with fix the problem. If it don't I don't know what else to do except to drive the jeep into the C&D canal.


    here's what is on the jeep.


    3 1/2" RE springs
    2" spring spacers minus the stock isolators
    upper adjustable control arms front and rear
    1" BL
    1" MML
    high clearance skidplate
    RE disco's


    I removed the front driveshaft


    Guess I'm a little confused.


    I thought you were buying the whole SF system.


    With the short LCA's you'll surely have caster problems.


    Why do you still have the spring spacers in there ?


    Don't get discouraged, it seems like you're causing yourself a lot of extra grief by doing this a piece at a time, rather than all together.

    You know shopping cart wheels, how they are supposed to "turn around" when you push them a new direction. They are caster wheels. They have a lot of positive caster. Try pushing one of those little wheels the wrong direction without letting it turn around. Thats what negative caster will do. I hope maybe that little analogy helps you understand the "why" for this whole situation.

    I did entend to do it all at once but some of the parts were on backorder. I figured since RE sells the basic lift and adds the lower control arms for the superflex lift I would be ok. I guess my biggest problem is not understanding the caster and how lifting the jeep affects it. I'm sure hoping the new lowers fixes my problem. And by the way it looks like I'll be installing them in the rain just like I did with the springs and shocks. :upset:

    the steady shimmy could be from a tire - i know, i know...they've been balanced already. but it's a cheap and free way of eliminating them from the equation. generally that would be a shimmy that would come and go as you pass through certain speeds....but who knows. just trying to come up with things for you to check while waiting for the lowers to come in. good luck and hope the rain lets up (it did here finally)
    chris

    I could be an unbalanced drive shaft too. Does the shimmy pick up speed as you accelerate or does it have a constant rhythm?

    Member since 2000

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    Quote from "fly-n-hi"


    ok I took the front driveshaft off so that would eliminate the u-joints and caster. right?

    I took off from work early today to install the lowers in the Rain. The shimmy and death wobble seem to be gone. I've just been driving around for an hour and a half making sure it was gone. I even got to play alittle as Rt.71 by lums pond. Its closed due to about a foot or more of water on the road.


    Fly-N-Hi is happy and has decided not to drive the jeep into the C&D Canal.

    I adjusted them all the way in like yours. I had to take the bottle jack and place it between the motor mount bracket and the yoke to rotate the axle back around.

    Quote from "fly-n-hi"

    I guess my biggest problem is not understanding the caster and how lifting the jeep affects it. I'm sure hoping the new lowers fixes my problem. And by the way it looks like I'll be installing them in the rain just like I did with the springs and shocks. :upset:


    Ever ride a bicycle ?


    The way the forks slant forward gives it positive caster and allows you to take you hands off the handle bars.


    Try spinning the front wheel 180° and then take it for a ride and let go - don't send me the medical bills.


    And as far as the DW goes, and I think Chris touched on this... DW is caused by something (or many things) being slightly out of adjustment.


    Tapping the brakes or hitting a pot-hole just starts the whole sequence of events.


    And the more a vehicle is lifted, the more critical it becomes to have everything just right.


    And that includes tire balance... It's impossible to properly balance a wheel/tire without putting weights on the outer side of the rim.


    Anyway, sounds like you got it. Sucks about the rain, I was working up north today and the rain on the way home was unbelievable.

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