caster for my baby (plates and/or radius arm mounts)? (1 Viewer)

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so. i’ve been studying up (with a lot of help) and pinching pennies so - does anyone mind helping me with the next steps on this 3” lift of mine?
it’s the dobinson C59-167 (front; supposedly 45mm lift/1.75”) C59-166 (front; supposedly 60mm/2.35” lift and 2 - 2.5 degree caster adjustment).

center of wheel to underside of wheel well is basically 22 1/2 rear (2 1/2”) and 23” front (3”).

i’m looking at rear panhard adjustment but right now need to settle on a caster adjustment.

i currently have six new OEM rubber bushings so i guess i am looking at caster plates and/or radius arm mounts?

i’d love to have reports from anyone that has done this especially if you did the work yourself.

also interested in what to do about the stinkbug.

THANKS

RAM mounts (any good reason to split the difference with 2” plates and RAM mounts)? FJ80 / FZJ80 RAM

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I think your well off with plates and or just doing correction bushings. Slee used to sell 3 degree correction bushings, personally I prefer replacing bushings than putting extra stress on the arm mounts with plates. I am in the minority here. If you do plates, add a weld like Slee recommends.

I don't see much stinkbug in your photos. A bit of rake is a good thing, apparently in the minority here as well.
 
sti
I think your well off with plates and or just doing correction bushings. Slee used to sell 3 degree correction bushings, personally I prefer replacing bushings than putting extra stress on the arm mounts with plates. I am in the minority here. If you do plates, add a weld like Slee recommends.

I don't see much stinkbug in your photos. A bit of rake is a good thing, apparently in the minority here as well.
i start slinging lingo and i put a foot in my mouth. stink bug is low in front? low in rear?
and from the factory it had a bit of angled low in the back?
 
You got OEM bushings so use them. Grab a set of these 80 Series Caster Correction Plates- 2.5in. from @NLXTACY. Straightforward to fit but it does require a little trimming on the axle frame.
You have more or less what i have and with the plates i have 2° caster.
 
You got OEM bushings so use them. Grab a set of these 80 Series Caster Correction Plates- 2.5in. from @NLXTACY. Straightforward to fit but it does require a little trimming on the axle frame.
You have more or less what i have and with the plates i have 2° caster.
thanks. so -1.2 and -1.6 and i am good to go with 2.5 plates as far as you are concerned?
i need to find my FSM but wasn’t stock 3 degree caster?
 
I believe stock was 2° -4°. I know i am on the outer limit but my truck handle well and the more caster correction you add the higher the risk of driveline vibes.
 
I’m 22.25“ up front and went with the LandTank plates, I think if you read all his input those plates are good up to 23” (3” lift). If you are worried you can always go with the 4” plates. 23” in the rear and installed the Delta lift bracket. I haven’t taken it for an alignment but it drives like a dream.
 
so does anyone know what the difference is relative to driveline angle or spline to transfer case angle or whatever it is between caster plates and this radius arm mount?
meaning this mount supposedly corrects for 3.45 degrees of caster?
does it change driveline at the same “amount of change at spline per degree caster correction” as the caster plate correction?
 
so does anyone know what the difference is relative to driveline angle or spline to transfer case angle or whatever it is between caster plates and this radius arm mount?
meaning this mount supposedly corrects for 3.45 degrees of caster?
does it change driveline at the same “amount of change at spline per degree caster correction” as the caster plate correction?

Don't you already have the LandTank 2.5" plates? (I remember one of your threads from a while back) Just install them!

As I mentioned in your other thread... I am at 23" hub to fender. I regularly drive at 85 mph with my rig and everything runs great. I have no qualms about driving with 2 fingers on the freeway.
 
Don't you already have the LandTank 2.5" plates? (I remember one of your threads from a while back) Just install them!

As I mentioned in your other thread... I am at 23" hub to fender. I regularly drive at 85 mph with my rig and everything runs great. I have no qualms about driving with 2 fingers on the freeway.

hey lumpskie,
thanks for all the help. noob status is not so easy if you are actually interested in understanding things. anyway - there i bared my neck.
so - i was researching what to put in. i was also trying to see if i could wrap my head around some of the geometry involved.
anyway, somehow i let the dobinson guy sell me 5” plates because it seemed like everyone was saying too much caster is better than not enough. so i just sent those back because it seems obvious now those are a bad idea.
<edit: your bottom line is you must be at —0.5 or 0 or +0.5 degrees caster and the rig runs great with 3” lift? and panhard adjustment?>
 
Keep it simple, dude.

IMHO, caster correction bushings are a waste of time and $. Not only does it fail to deliver its namesake, but the actual rubber is inferior to the stock component being replaced. Next.

Caster plates are better than bushings and will likely get you in that ~2-2.5+ caster range assuming typical 2.5-3" lift, but will require permanent cuts into your stock front axle (saddies) + shorten the wheel base enough to potentially go from no rubbing to rubbing on turns.

My current setup features 4" Delta arms right at 4+ caster and not looking back having run all three options on my 80 within the past 30K miles of smiles. Yes, it's not the cheapest route, but I did pick mine up on a ho ho ho sale last year iirc. Good stuff, good company in the 80 aftermarket ecosystem.

gl

P.S. I also happen to run the Delta panhard bracket and did install a rear ARB panhard adjustable bar to center the axle for visual delights
 
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hey lumpskie,
thanks for all the help. noob status is not so easy if you are actually interested in understanding things. anyway - there i bared my neck.
so - i was researching what to put in. i was also trying to see if i could wrap my head around some of the geometry involved.
anyway, somehow i let the dobinson guy sell me 5” plates because it seemed like everyone was saying too much caster is better than not enough. so i just sent those back because it seems obvious now those are a bad idea.
<edit: your bottom line is you must be at —0.5 or 0 or +0.5 degrees caster and the rig runs great with 3” lift? and panhard adjustment?>

I get it. Just so there isn't confusion... I am at a little more than +2 degrees caster with the Landtank 2.5" plates... not 0 or .5 degrees. You can search @landtank thread on here where he describes the amount of correction (in degrees) associated with both is 2.5" and 4" plates. He corrects something like 1.7 degrees per inch of lift... he can correct me if I'm wong there. I have an adjustable front panhard. But, front panhard does not effect caster.
 
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I get it. Just so there isn't confusion... I am at a little more than +2 degrees caster with the Landtank 2.5" plates... not 0 or .5 degrees. You can search @landtank thread on here where he describes the amount of correction (in degrees) associated with both is 2.5" and 4" plates. He corrects something like 1.7 degrees per inch of lift... he can correct me if I'm wong there. I have an adjustable front panhard. But, front panhard does not effect caster.

THANKS. yeah. it is a bit confusing as a noob.
so they are 2” plates and an inch is 1.7 degrees caster per inch in the front so they are 3.4 degree adjustment plates?

so if i start at -1.6 L and -1.2 R i end up at about 2 degrees positive caster which is where you are at.

OK. roger that. thanks for the help lumpskie!
 
they are 2.5" plates as stated by Lumpskie
thanks rick.
my understanding from reading threads on this topic (if i recall correctly) is that it 1" of lift in the front = 1.7 degrees of negative caster. so 2.5" plates is 2.5 x 1.7 or 4.25 degrees of positive caster correction?
thanks
 
thanks rick.
my understanding from reading threads on this topic (if i recall correctly) is that it 1" of lift in the front = 1.7 degrees of negative caster. so 2.5" plates is 2.5 x 1.7 or 4.25 degrees of positive caster correction?
thanks
that is how I calculate my plates. And it's gives you a good idea of what to expect for results. It's not exact as there are countless other variables that will influence the final outcome, but it's damn close.
 

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