Caster plates/ caster questions 1997 LX (1 Viewer)

[KDAWG97m3]

I have an issue I am trying to correct, replaced tie rods, had an alignment done, caster is -3.9 degrees, I was looking to buy the Ironman 5 degree caster correction plates, but if I do my math correctly, they will put me at +1.1 That isn’t within spec…..any ideas here or am I over thinking thisa. wanted to check with you guys prior to buying

i am trying to fix a bit of wandering the truck tends to do on the highway…not bad, but it will wander…thanks!!

 

[sxp]

What size lift are you running?

 

[KDAWG97m3]

OME 4 inch (I think, sad I know) with 35’s.

 

[sxp]

Not sure what your budget is like, but I'd buy the Delta arms. You'll get the right caster, and you will have proper tie rod clearance.

 

[george_tlc]

Your 80 doesn't have the ability to wonder (ECU is too dumb for that). Though it may wander

Without caster correction, 4" of lift can put you into a scary situation if you end up having to dodge something while braking hard, or with high crosswinds etc.

Not sure if any of the caster plates will be enough for a 4" lift. Maybe you'll need to add in caster correction bushings as well. Or spend the $$ and get new arms, Delta, Slee, etc. I went the delta path and our 80 is very nicely controlled now, not cheap, but a quality product.

cheers,
george.

 

[KDAWG97m3]

Not sure what your budget is like, but I'd buy the Delta arms. You'll get the right caster, and you will have proper tie rod clearance.

Yeah…I have been looking (and dodging) them…it seems it will be the best, but trying to save some cash….ill probably end up with them

 

[KDAWG97m3]

Your 80 doesn't have the ability to wonder (ECU is too dumb for that). Though it may wander

Without caster correction, 4" of lift can put you into a scary situation if you end up having to dodge something while braking hard, or with high crosswinds etc.

Not sure if any of the caster plates will be enough for a 4" lift. Maybe you'll need to add in caster correction bushings as well. Or spend the $$ and get new arms, Delta, Slee, etc. I went the delta path and our 80 is very nicely controlled now, not cheap, but a quality product.

cheers,
george.

Haha..autocorrect..totally on me..


yeah I think the arms are the way to go….

 

[Mtntopper]

I used these radius arm drop brackets. Fixed the wandering, no complaints so far.

Radius Arm Drop Box Brackets Suited for Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450

Ironman 4x4 America offers off-road parts, accessories, and equipment for the off-roading enthusiast. Check out our website for more information.

ironman4x4america.com

 

[mudgudgeon]

LandTank 4" caster plates would get your caster within spec for about $2-300

I believe LandTank has designed based on about 1.7⁰ caster correction for every inch of lift, so plates for 4" lift should change caster by about 7⁰, bringing you back to about 3⁰ positive caster

 

[DivByZero]

I'm sure others will disagree here, but I don't believe caster has to be super precise. At 1.1 you'll be just fine. Spec is supposed to be 3°00' +/- 0°45', but just because it's outside of that range doesn't make it dangerous or undriveable, just measurably different from the original factory spec. But getting a lift at all puts various aspects of the suspension out of original factory spec and we don't lose sleep over that.

Full disclosure, I'm running at -2°, love it. Asked the guy where I get my alignments done, he said it handles well and not to worry about it. The guy who did the compliance check said he loves the way it drives too. There's no objectively "correct" caster setting. All vehicles used to have negative caster. Running a different angle affects the tyre wear and strain on the steering system, but if you know how it handles and you know how to drive it, I don't believe there's a magic number that's demonstratively "better" than another. I like my steering light, so the negative caster suits me. I also drive another vehicle with positive caster. The wheel self-centers quicker, but if you like that kind of thing, there are steering dampeners you can fit that'll do the same thing even with negative caster.

 

[Njck22]

I used these radius arm drop brackets. Fixed the wandering, no complaints so far.

Radius Arm Drop Box Brackets Suited for Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450

Ironman 4x4 America offers off-road parts, accessories, and equipment for the off-roading enthusiast. Check out our website for more information.

ironman4x4america.com

View attachment 2821487View attachment 2821488

I brought a set of these too, couldn't find any reviews. Did they install easily?

 

[Mtntopper]

I brought a set of these too, couldn't find any reviews. Did they install easily?

The brackets bolt to the frame easy enough. I thought the only tricky part was bolting the radius arms to the new brackets. You have to disconnect both arms at the same time from the chassis, as the brackets push the axle forward about an inch.
It corrected the wandering and stopped the rumbley vibrations from the front drivesahft as it is now in a straight line.

 

[cvenom96]

I'll throw my $.02 in. I've got Dobinson springs in mine and first used the Dobinson plates. I was at about 2.5*. The tie rod link rubbed the control arms and it was pretty dodgey on the highway. Part of that was also the worn out steering box but that didn't changed the fact that it was trying to go all over the place. Swapped in the Landtank 4" plates. It now clears the control arms but I'm down to 1.0*. I also replaced/upgraded the steering box at the same time. With the tires at 35psi, it's more stable than it was by far but still twitchy. I left them at 25psi on the way back from the trails Saturday and honestly that was the most tame that truck has ever been. Minimal steering correction needed. A few harder stops and it tracked pretty straight. Do I think it could be better? Probably. I've got some Eimkeith drop brackets I could install to add a couple more degrees but honestly it's really nice where it's at now so I'm not sure if I'll use them in the near term. The easy end-all seems to be going with new arms based on your lift so see what your budget allows.

 

[KDAWG97m3]

Yeah I need to figure out the brackets or arms. Of course I want to save money, but want to do it right. I guess my question is this, if I buy new arms (delta Is my Choice) versus brackets will it fix my issue? hard to say I know.

 

[baldilocks]

Yeah I need to figure out the brackets or arms. Of course I want to save money, but want to do it right. I guess my question is this, if I buy new arms (delta Is my Choice) versus brackets will it fix my issue? hard to say I know.

The answer is yes. Buy the 6” delta arms if you plan to stick with your current lift height and put this behind you. There is zero mystery surrounding this subject anymore. Castor plates are a band-aide but will work with a small lift. I’ve been through this like many others and it’s all recorded here. Another option is dropping your 80 down and installing leading arm drop brackets which I think were previously mentioned but they’re not a fix for a 5” lift.

There is miles and miles of reading to do on every aspect of every Land Cruiser model on these here mud pages.