Caster Correction for a 2.5" Lift (2 Viewers)

[ZRotheohv]

I've been reading all of the pro's and con's of correcting caster with bushings, drop brackets, and plates, and I think for my mild lift (2.5" OME) I'd be better off with the drop brackets in the long run. I'd really like to run plates, but it seems like they're all designed for 4"+ of lift and I also don't want to have to run a DC driveshaft. The bushings might work but it seems like they don't last near as long as the OEM bushings, and they seem like a pain to install. Besides, if I change my mind later, the drop brackets come off pretty easily. Plus, if i only get the 2" drop, they shouldn't hang up too much.

So the question is, should I get the 2" drop or the 3" drop? How many degrees of caster does each inch offer?

I just got an alignment and the sheet says the left is at -1.2 degrees and the right is at -1.9 degrees. What length would get me closest to the +3 degrees?

Thanks!

 

[Dervis Garip]

Have OME 2.5 inch lift and replaced & corrected castors accordingly with this.


Old Man Emu Caster Correction Review

 

[Heckraiser]

I've been reading all of the pro's and con's of correcting caster with bushings, drop brackets, and plates, and I think for my mild lift (2.5" OME) I'd be better off with the drop brackets in the long run. I'd really like to run plates, but it seems like they're all designed for 4"+ of lift and I also don't want to have to run a DC driveshaft. The bushings might work but it seems like they don't last near as long as the OEM bushings, and they seem like a pain to install. Besides, if I change my mind later, the drop brackets come off pretty easily. Plus, if i only get the 2" drop, they shouldn't hang up too much.

So the question is, should I get the 2" drop or the 3" drop? How many degrees of caster does each inch offer?

I just got an alignment and the sheet says the left is at -1.2 degrees and the right is at -1.9 degrees. What length would get me closest to the +3 degrees?

Thanks!

I'm not sure there is a simple ratio of "1 inch equals X degrees caster." Maybe there is, I don't know. But I think the best thing to do would be to measure your lift using the method posted frequently on this site (hub to fender or rim to fender) and figure out how much lift your OME 2.5" kit actually provides in the front. Then get whichever drop bracket is closest to that number. Or if you want to err on the side of more caster (or the possibility of front spacers in the future), get the 3" bracket.

 

[Marine7]

I thought I read on one of these forums that each inch of correction equaled 2 degrees. +/-, again though, hopefully someone else will speak up..... I could be completely out of the ballpark!

 

[GW Nugget]

I've read that it's like 1.3° per inch.
Slee has a chart.
My 2" MAF brackets actually drop 2.5"
My buddies 3" MAF bracket measured like 3.25"

OME 2° yellows only correct for approx 1.5" of lift.

 

[Marine7]

Go with GW Nuggets advice! I must of been enjoying too many that night!

 

[landtank]

I've calculated that 1" of lift is @ 1.75* in caster change.

 

[Farrell Martin]

I just added 850 springs on my fj80 and put on the MAF drop brackets. For my lift, they recommended the 3 inch drop brackets. It rides great.

 

[cjmoon]

I run slee 4" plates with a about 2" lift. It works great. If run up to about 7deg of positive caster on rigs in the past. In my eyes more is better.

 

[GW Nugget]

I've calculated that 1" of lift is @ 1.75* in caster change.

OK, Mr. @landtank I will admit when I'm wrong & today I looked up the Slee chart.
Your right.
If you divided 3.52÷2=1.76 but below the chart it reads 1.7° per inch. Another thing is there 6" lift comes with 11° correction arms. That math is 1.83° per inch.

So with all that, it comes out to 1.7 + something.

 

[GW Nugget]

I read here that the OME yellows correct 3.4° of caster. That only corrects 2" of lift with the 1.7° per inch number.
Caster Bushing alignment Templates

So just yellow caster bushings falls short to correct 2.5" of lift. One would need 4.25° of correction. 1.7×2.5=4.25

 

[landtank]

my numbers are from my own calculations so they are likely different than other's. My other calculation is to measure from the hub's center to the underside of the flare, subtract 20.5" to get the actual lift height. That way you can then calculate the amount of caster correction to get back to close to where the truck was before the lift.

There is some vagueness to it but it does work.

 

[landtank]

View attachment 1432852

1 error on this graphic is that at stock height, the axle's center is 2" above the center line of the rear arm frame mount. This comes into play when considering the axle's position after the lift.

So during the initial 2" of lift the axle moves forward, then at 2" begins to move rearward to a point where at 4" it returns to the stock position in relation to the bump stops.

 

[FJP971]

I recently installed 851 springs in the front and 863 springs in the back. Caster correction bushings only put me at .8 degrees on DS and .6 degrees on PS. Any reason why I can't add brackets and leave the correction bushings in? Would 3" brackets give me too much caster?

 

[crikeymike]

I recently installed 851 springs in the front and 863 springs in the back. Caster correction bushings only put me at .8 degrees on DS and .6 degrees on PS. Any reason why I can't add brackets and leave the correction bushings in? Would 3" brackets give me too much caster?

Perhaps the bushings weren't set to the correct amount of caster? They have to be set into a specific position to achieve the right amount of caster.

I remember when I did mine years ago, I set the first arm correctly, then used that as a template to make the 2nd arm identical.

Adding brackets to existing caster bushings might not work, unless the bushings are set to almost 0* of correction.

 

[GW Nugget]

I recently installed 851 springs in the front and 863 springs in the back. Caster correction bushings only put me at .8 degrees on DS and .6 degrees on PS. Any reason why I can't add brackets and leave the correction bushings in? Would 3" brackets give me too much caster?

Wow, that's terrible. 851 on a stock rig should sit around a 1.5" lift. Have the yellows been installed correctly?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

For reference - My center of hub to underside of the flare measures 23" with a small amount of front to rear rake and my caster is at 4° using plates.

 

[FJP971]

Perhaps the bushings weren't set to the correct amount of caster? They have to be set into a specific position to achieve the right amount of caster.

I remember when I did mine years ago, I set the first arm correctly, then used that as a template to make the 2nd arm identical.

Adding brackets to existing caster bushings might not work, unless the bushings are set to almost 0* of correction.

Wow, that's terrible. 851 on a stock rig should sit around a 1.5" lift. Have the yellows been installed correctly?

As far as I can tell they were. A guy that works at a Land Cruiser shop who has installed a number of these did the install of the bushings. Here is a pic of the LCAs before I installed them. Not easy to see but do they look correct?

 

[GW Nugget]

@FJP971 Those look spot on.

 

[landtank]

For reference - My center of hub to underside of the flare measures 23" with a small amount of front to rear rake and my caster is at 4° using plates.

Which plates? Not all plates are created equal.