caster problems??
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 443
Likes: 1
From: Athens, AL
caster problems??
i heard that too much pos. caster causes hard steering...true??
my steering is HARD (even for having 39x15 tires)....here's what i have though....78 bronco, 6" susp. lift, 3" body lift, 39x15 M/Ts...it has 5" drop radius arm brackets, and unknown c-bushing offset....ALSO, I MEASURED THE AXLE TO FRAME DISTANCE AND COMPARED IT TO MY OTHER STOCK BRONCO...the back on my 78 is 6" higher, whereas the front is 4" higher....(wondering if maybe the 429 is that much heavier to cause a 2" drop in front, but i doubt it)...so anyway, considering all that, what degree offset SHOULD i have, and could i have enough now to kill my steering ability??????
***i am curious as to the height difference, too***
my steering is HARD (even for having 39x15 tires)....here's what i have though....78 bronco, 6" susp. lift, 3" body lift, 39x15 M/Ts...it has 5" drop radius arm brackets, and unknown c-bushing offset....ALSO, I MEASURED THE AXLE TO FRAME DISTANCE AND COMPARED IT TO MY OTHER STOCK BRONCO...the back on my 78 is 6" higher, whereas the front is 4" higher....(wondering if maybe the 429 is that much heavier to cause a 2" drop in front, but i doubt it)...so anyway, considering all that, what degree offset SHOULD i have, and could i have enough now to kill my steering ability??????
***i am curious as to the height difference, too***
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
caster problems??
Caster is the position of the shock/spring compared to a perfect vertical line. This shouldn't cause hard steering but with the lift you have, anything is possible. Also, even if you have either a twin Ibeam or solid front, there isn't any caster adjustments. What I would do, is take it to a profesional shop and have the truck aligned.
Jeff
Alighnment Tech
Goodyear, Maryland
Jeff
Alighnment Tech
Goodyear, Maryland
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 443
Likes: 1
From: Athens, AL
caster problems??
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-Oct-01 AT 09:18 PM (EST)[/font][p]1. caster has to do with the angle of the steering knuckles WRT the vertical centerline of the wheel
2. i do have a solid coil sprung axle, and yes, they do have caster adjustments....it's called 2, 4, or 6 degree offset C-bushings, which rotate the axle
yeah, mr "alighnment" tech, why don't i go waste my money on some guy with a degree to screw people out of their money...i can do the alignment check myself...free of charge, too...that's not what's in question here though
2. i do have a solid coil sprung axle, and yes, they do have caster adjustments....it's called 2, 4, or 6 degree offset C-bushings, which rotate the axle
yeah, mr "alighnment" tech, why don't i go waste my money on some guy with a degree to screw people out of their money...i can do the alignment check myself...free of charge, too...that's not what's in question here though
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,992
Likes: 2,741
From: Virginia
caster problems??
Dude, if you knew all this already, why did you ask such a simple question? And if you can align it yourself, you should know the factory settings and know how far the caster is off and what will be necessary to bring it to factory specs.
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 443
Likes: 1
From: Athens, AL
caster problems??
wasn't tryin to be hostile...the question was if the caster is off, would it really affect the steering ability.....i had heard that....and i will get around to checking it...was looking for the proper degree c-bushings i SHOULD have, since i don't know what offset they are....especially with the lift and dropped radius arm brackets mentioned....again, apologies for sounding like such a jackdonkey....no harm meant
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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caster problems??
To the original poster: I don't believe improper caster would cause additional steering effort. What it will cause is poor tracking - caster can cause the truck to feel like it's riding on rails or wandering all over the place.
Sure, there's caster adjustment on a solid axle, as already stated c-bushings accomplish this, at least on a coil sprung truck. Kinda sounds to me like the alignment tech was speaking of double-wishbone macpherson-strut equipped cars. On a TTB Ford (I-beam), caster and camber are adjusted w/cams that rotate the upper balljoint. On either a TTB or live axle, caster has to do with positioning of the knuckle(s), not the coil springs.
Sure, there's caster adjustment on a solid axle, as already stated c-bushings accomplish this, at least on a coil sprung truck. Kinda sounds to me like the alignment tech was speaking of double-wishbone macpherson-strut equipped cars. On a TTB Ford (I-beam), caster and camber are adjusted w/cams that rotate the upper balljoint. On either a TTB or live axle, caster has to do with positioning of the knuckle(s), not the coil springs.
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2001
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caster problems??
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 11-Oct-01 AT 09:33 PM (EST)[/font][p]Excessive positive caster can cause hard steering. With the addition of the larger tires and the suspension lift, the condition will be worse. Since a positive caster setting will result in steering stability, and steering returnabilty to center, an overly positive setting will make it harder to turn the steering off-center. The larger tires increase steering effort due to the fact that they are simply bigger (more mass requires more effort). The suspension lift can drasticly change all steering angles, creating handling and tire wear problems. As far as the offset, I am assuming that you are reffering to the ride height of the axels. If this is the case, a higher height in the rear will will have a negative affect on the caster in the front. I hope this info gives you a little insight on your problems.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,809
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From: Loveland, CO.
caster problems??
I always thought caster and camber were not adjustable on twin I-beam, hence the infamous strut bend when they can't get the truck aligned right. I always hated twin I-beam, as I can never get a Ford with it to ride straight with the wheel centered, including brand new ones.
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 443
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From: Athens, AL
caster problems??
jbronco, i have a 4 wheel drive, so no i beams....don't really know crap about i beam susp...
anyway...about those lift dimensions....can someone address those questions? i understand the fact that higher in the rear will affect caster, but what about the questions about the 6" higher in rear, 4 in front, and the radius arm bracket stuff??????
anyway...about those lift dimensions....can someone address those questions? i understand the fact that higher in the rear will affect caster, but what about the questions about the 6" higher in rear, 4 in front, and the radius arm bracket stuff??????
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