Toe,
Caster, and Camber - What does it mean and how to adjust it.
Jeep Steering Alignment
101Dana 30 and
Dana 44 Front Axle Camber Adjustment
Sometimes it is
necessary to adjust the camber settings on a CJ Dana front
axle. They are supposed to be set at 0 degrees camber
but that is not always the case. Swapping a Dana 44
into a CJ (especially if it's from a Cherokee/Wagoneer) will usually expose this problem immediately.
A Cherokee/Wagoneer Dana 44 use different outer knuckles
than a CJ does. Fortunately they are interchangeable
but will most likely cause the camber to be off about 1.5
degrees. That does not sound like a lot but with tall
tires the difference is exaggerated.
Several
companies make different products to combat this problem.
One being degree shims, these mount between the spindle and
the outer knuckle, the other is an adjustable ball joint sleeve
sometimes called a castor/camber corrector.
Determining the
camber adjustment needed is not difficult and can be
determined using a little math. An alignment shop can
do this a lot more accurately but us Jeep people thrive on
the "do it yourself" and even a perfectly a CJ
will still wander a bit down the road. Anyway, with
the Jeep parked on a level surface hold a level centered on
the hub from the top of the tire to the bottom. Using
an angle gauge measure the angle. Hopefully the
measurement is small 1-1.5 degrees. Measure the angle
on both sides. Excessive camber in one side can
indicate a worse problem like a bent axle tube. Use
the above image to determine if you have positive or
negative camber.
If your camber is off by a few
degrees you have two options. Use camber adjusting
shims or camber adjusting upper ball joints.
Camber shims alter the spindle
angle slightly to adjust camber.
camber shim
See:
Installing camber shims |
tech
Camber adjusting upper ball joint sleeves
allow camber adjustment by using an oblong ball joint sleeve
to alter angles.
camber corrector inserts
See:
Installing camber
adjusting upper ball joint sleeves
Personally, I prefer the shim,
it is held firmly in place and has no possibility of moving.
I have used both and the correctors have rotated on my Jeep.
My Jeep had positive camber, the shims actually increased
track width while the correctors decreased it.
The shims moved the bottom of the wheel out and the
correctors moved the top of the wheel in.
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