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| Alignment after Lift install http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43259 |
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| Author: | 03Cactus [ Sun May 17, 2009 3:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Alignment after Lift install |
I just installed a Frankenlift and A-Arms on my '03. I drove it to Meineke to have it aligned and they said they could not align it because the left tire was not sitting in the same place in the wheel well as the right tire. I looked and it was off slightly but not that bad. Has anyone else run into this before? I am going to bring it to a offroad shop to have them align it tomorrow morning but am slightly concerned something may not be quite right. I checked over the lift and nothing seems out of place or anything like that. I would say it is no more than an inch or so different. The driver's side tire is closer to the front of the fender than the pinch weld in comparison to the passenger's side. After the lift, my alignment is WAY OFF. Is it normal for the alignment to be visually off in all respects? Thanks. |
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| Author: | SweepnChoke [ Sun May 17, 2009 4:17 pm ] |
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Both after installing my spacer lift, and then it's removal and coil lift install I needed an alignment, and it was visually off, but not with respect to the wheel front\back location in the wheel well. Your new struts/coils shouldn't have any effect on front/back location in the wheel well, and your LCA's stayed the same, so that really only leaves the installed UCA's. I would check the UCA's ball joint location in respect to the LCA and compare against the other side. Any pics? |
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| Author: | tommudd [ Sun May 17, 2009 4:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Of course its going to be way off you just raised it 2 to 3 inches. If they look at it and say that then they are idiots and you need to go to a shop that knows what they are doing. Some 4 Wheel Drive shops do not even know how to align an IFS, so ask first if they have done any and the results |
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| Author: | SweepnChoke [ Sun May 17, 2009 4:39 pm ] |
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Would you expect the difference in the front/back location of the wheel in the well between driver and passenger side though Tom? I never ran accross that, but I only have 2 Liberty lift experiences to draw from, where as you have much much more. |
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| Author: | JL Rockies [ Sun May 17, 2009 4:44 pm ] |
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After I put the lift on, I drove to the Goodyear store to have the tires put on. They refused to do the alignment because it was a PITA and takes all day. I brought it to the dealer (a super cool one) and they aligned it. They agreed that KJ's suct to align especially when lifted but it did not take them very long. |
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| Author: | tommudd [ Sun May 17, 2009 5:00 pm ] |
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If they or whoever did the lift did not loosen the lower control arms then the wheel should be in the general location ( front to rear) Of course the top will be pulled way in due to the lift of course. Also aligning a lifted KJ takes no longer than what a non lifted if you know what you are doing. When I did my lift the local mom and pop shop took less than 45 minutes and it was the first lifted KJ they did, so do not let someone tell you it takes all day , thats just BS!!! |
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| Author: | DryBones [ Sun May 17, 2009 5:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
my driver side is a smidge closer to the fron than the passenger side even after an alignement. How do I know? rub,rub,rub......  Trimming the Cr@p out of it and I still got a tiny bit of rubbing on the actual fender plastic at the bottom of the wheel well. I knew I should have put in 2 more conduit nuts! I really can't talk myself into cutting off the bottom of the bumper .....yet. I may just have to buy a TJM or ARB and be done with it. 
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| Author: | tommudd [ Sun May 17, 2009 5:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
DryBones wrote: my driver side is a smidge closer to the fron than the passenger side even after an alignement. How do I know? rub,rub,rub......
Trimming the Cr@p out of it and I still got a tiny bit of rubbing on the actual fender plastic at the bottom of the wheel well. I knew I should have put in 2 more conduit nuts! I really can't talk myself into cutting off the bottom of the bumper .....yet. I may just have to buy a TJM or ARB and be done with it. MOST all that I have done rub more on the drivers side, its also harder to install the spring/shock on the drivers side, why??? I have no idea 
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| Author: | 03Cactus [ Sun May 17, 2009 6:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I expected it to be way off just not nearly as far off as it was. There is probably 2-3" of toe in and roughly 2-3" of negative camber. (all estimates by eye-balling it). Is there anything I should double check before or after the alignment? Any advice you guys can provide before I go get the alignment tomorrow morning? |
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| Author: | tjkj2002 [ Sun May 17, 2009 7:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
A freshly lifted KJ only takes about 30mins max to align,done a few.If there not using a newer laser alignment machine it can be a nightmare though. |
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| Author: | 03Cactus [ Sun May 17, 2009 7:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
tjkj2002 wrote: A freshly lifted KJ only takes about 30mins max to align,done a few.If there not using a newer laser alignment machine it can be a nightmare though.
They were definitely using a laser machine because they told me that because the wheels didn't sit in the same place in the wheel well their lasers weren't intersecting and so they couldn't even start the alignment. |
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| Author: | tommudd [ Sun May 17, 2009 7:25 pm ] |
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03Cactus wrote: tjkj2002 wrote: A freshly lifted KJ only takes about 30mins max to align,done a few.If there not using a newer laser alignment machine it can be a nightmare though. They were definitely using a laser machine because they told me that because the wheels didn't sit in the same place in the wheel well their lasers weren't intersecting and so they couldn't even start the alignment. Thats due to them not knowing what to do. They can only handle something that is a fraction off. Need to find someone who really cares or has been around the shop for a while. One of the problems with schools, they don't teach them to think OK off the soap box, but it will be sad when we lose true mechanics and are left with only parts replacers |
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| Author: | LIV42DY [ Sun May 17, 2009 10:40 pm ] |
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Not for nothing , but have you tried a Firestone Dealer, I go to my local one and they never had any issues doing mine, they do have a laser system. Look around and visit one. |
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| Author: | tjkj2002 [ Sun May 17, 2009 10:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
tommudd wrote: 03Cactus wrote: tjkj2002 wrote: A freshly lifted KJ only takes about 30mins max to align,done a few.If there not using a newer laser alignment machine it can be a nightmare though. They were definitely using a laser machine because they told me that because the wheels didn't sit in the same place in the wheel well their lasers weren't intersecting and so they couldn't even start the alignment. Thats due to them not knowing what to do. They can only handle something that is a fraction off. Need to find someone who really cares or has been around the shop for a while. One of the problems with schools, they don't teach them to think OK off the soap box, but it will be sad when we lose true mechanics and are left with only parts replacers And when you actually loosen the LCA cam bolts it will tell you how to turn them and how much to get the alignment back in with a newer laser alignment rack like Hunter makes.It's idiot proof really,even tells you what tools are needed and alternative methods if no OEM specification is offered. |
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| Author: | tjkj2002 [ Sun May 17, 2009 10:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
LIV42DY wrote: Not for nothing , but have you tried a Firestone Dealer, I go to my local one and they never had any issues doing mine, they do have a laser system. Look around and visit one. X2................
Then again I work at one(hate there tires though,no I'm not a lube tech) and there lifetime alignment is worth it. |
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| Author: | LIV42DY [ Sun May 17, 2009 11:01 pm ] |
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tjkj2002 wrote: LIV42DY wrote: Not for nothing , but have you tried a Firestone Dealer, I go to my local one and they never had any issues doing mine, they do have a laser system. Look around and visit one. X2................Then again I work at one(hate there tires though,no I'm not a lube tech) and there lifetime alignment is worth it. No man I knew that, no way youre a lub tech not with your knowledge, I got an old timer that works at the one I go to , and everytime I go in, he puts his hand on the Kj and says" Its running Rough" I tell him you know better they all run that way, and then he says "Just testing you" as far as the tires, I ran Briges for a while, and still do , but never the Firestone Brand. |
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| Author: | 03Cactus [ Mon May 18, 2009 8:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I dropped the KJ at a 4x4 shop in the area today. They couldn't get around to aligning it today since i dropped it off so late but mentioned they heard som noise comin from the front end while getting it on the rack. they will be aligning it then checking the noise tomorrow morning. Is it possible the torsion bar or something else up front could have gotten out of whack while installing the lift? Any possibility of damage? |
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