pics will come later. but for reference :
![[Image: posandnegcaster.png]](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ak_petey/posandnegcaster.png)
I have a Don Thuren leveling spring set under my dodge. about 3 inches of lift. I saw on his website he is offering 2 inch leveling springs now :wall: when I put the DT springs on the drive line angle was actually pretty decent, but it swung my axle backwards .. which resulted in about 3 degrees positive caster as the alignment showed last winter on the paper work. The truck drove pretty good but I did notice some issues with the truck wandering a little bit. not bad though.
I was going to swap the stock springs back in at this point, but then my parents house burned and the springs went with it. I pulled them out of the rubble and they were warped and bent to hell. So I have been driving around and around.. normal daily stuff. and a sway bar link broke and the other one bent pretty bad. So for about 3-4 months I was driving and it really wandered about worse with every day i drove it. I drove this way for about 4 months and i decided to finally do something about it.
TODAY:
now fast forward to today. The drag link was worn out, I replaced it. the sway bar links- replaced with moog sway links. Don Thuren makes an offset set of sway links, I will be looking at getting them in the future if these break on me again. They should last a while though and get me through for now. I have had them for a while .. just got around to installing them with the 3-5 inch range skyjacker arms I just got.
I installed the skyjacker arms and it turns out the skyjacker uppers are a little shorter than the stock ones. The skyjacker lowers are a little longer than the stock arms. but that made for a not so desirable driveline angle at the AXLE PINION. I installed the MOOG joints finally. I also replaced the drag link setup with MOPAR parts.
The DRIVE HOME:
I drove home and the truck tracked true and straight, no wandering. However. the driveline angle is not too great and I noticed a pretty bad vibration (pinion bearing suspected) when I engaged in 4wd. I also saw a little oil for the first time seep out at the pinion.
**Before I put the skyjacker control arms on, there was a hum I could here when in 4wd , now it has turned into a vibration with the pinion angle more postive.
Thoughts (post yours up too for discussion):
I think the pinion has too much positive caster. to be honest, it visually looked to be too POSITIVE, (leaning back too much). I need to get the truck to an alignment shop and get a reading on it and see if they can adjust the lower caster nut to get a better caster setting. If adjusting it is not enough, I may inquire about reinstalling the uppers or somehow pursway the alignment shop to let me cut, sleeve and weld the skyjacker uppers to a desirable length while on the alignment rack.
I have a feeling if I reinstall the stock uppers it may give me the necessary distance needed to correct the pinion angle. Oh, the front driveline is solid. no wobbles.
The pinion bearing is possibly out too. that project has been on the back burner for a while :eek:
![[Image: SDC10236.jpg]](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/ak_petey/2003%20cummins/SDC10236.jpg)
I have a Don Thuren leveling spring set under my dodge. about 3 inches of lift. I saw on his website he is offering 2 inch leveling springs now :wall: when I put the DT springs on the drive line angle was actually pretty decent, but it swung my axle backwards .. which resulted in about 3 degrees positive caster as the alignment showed last winter on the paper work. The truck drove pretty good but I did notice some issues with the truck wandering a little bit. not bad though.
I was going to swap the stock springs back in at this point, but then my parents house burned and the springs went with it. I pulled them out of the rubble and they were warped and bent to hell. So I have been driving around and around.. normal daily stuff. and a sway bar link broke and the other one bent pretty bad. So for about 3-4 months I was driving and it really wandered about worse with every day i drove it. I drove this way for about 4 months and i decided to finally do something about it.
TODAY:
now fast forward to today. The drag link was worn out, I replaced it. the sway bar links- replaced with moog sway links. Don Thuren makes an offset set of sway links, I will be looking at getting them in the future if these break on me again. They should last a while though and get me through for now. I have had them for a while .. just got around to installing them with the 3-5 inch range skyjacker arms I just got.
I installed the skyjacker arms and it turns out the skyjacker uppers are a little shorter than the stock ones. The skyjacker lowers are a little longer than the stock arms. but that made for a not so desirable driveline angle at the AXLE PINION. I installed the MOOG joints finally. I also replaced the drag link setup with MOPAR parts.
The DRIVE HOME:
I drove home and the truck tracked true and straight, no wandering. However. the driveline angle is not too great and I noticed a pretty bad vibration (pinion bearing suspected) when I engaged in 4wd. I also saw a little oil for the first time seep out at the pinion.
**Before I put the skyjacker control arms on, there was a hum I could here when in 4wd , now it has turned into a vibration with the pinion angle more postive.
Thoughts (post yours up too for discussion):
I think the pinion has too much positive caster. to be honest, it visually looked to be too POSITIVE, (leaning back too much). I need to get the truck to an alignment shop and get a reading on it and see if they can adjust the lower caster nut to get a better caster setting. If adjusting it is not enough, I may inquire about reinstalling the uppers or somehow pursway the alignment shop to let me cut, sleeve and weld the skyjacker uppers to a desirable length while on the alignment rack.
I have a feeling if I reinstall the stock uppers it may give me the necessary distance needed to correct the pinion angle. Oh, the front driveline is solid. no wobbles.
The pinion bearing is possibly out too. that project has been on the back burner for a while :eek:
![[-]](http://www.arcticoffroad.com/images/collapse.png)