Wandering on highway (2 Viewers)

[Heckraiser]

Not tracking perfectly straight would be normal with any lift and stock (non-adjustable) panhards. Other possibilities would be a bent suspension arm somewhere (fairly common on trucks that have been wheeled). Both of these are a lot more likely than frame damage.

All an alignment shop can do is adjust the toe-in. Nothing else on these rigs is adjustable without buying aftermarket parts. You should aim for about 1/4" toe in. This can also be done at home if you feel so inclined. Alignment Setting Toe

 

[Lumpskie]

Update. No real improvement. However, I drove behind my wife and it is pretty obvious the rig is not tracking down the highway straight. I am suspecting a frame issue? Maybe just needs a 4wheel alignment. My plan is to take it back to Alignment Specialties with this new information.

Any other thoughts?

How much lift? Measure hub center to fender. Stock panhards?

Edit: Didn't see Heckraisers post... he was thinking the same thing.

 

[LandLocked93]

Happened after the work. Shop said they never disconnected the tie-rods so alignment didn't change. Shop thought maybe the weight of the front end hanging might have stressed some bushings....alignment shop seemed to confirm that was not the issue. Previous owner replaced most/maybe all of the bushings at least in the front end. Will look closer at rear.

Rig is lifted maybe an inch w/OME, previous owner. 33" x 12.5" MT. Not sure what rim offset, but they stick out a little.

I will look around for a truck alignment shop. Previous guy seemed to know his stuff as relates to lifted rigs, but takes an expert to know one I suppose, so I might be wrong.

Also thought about taking it to Dealership, they've got an alignment camera that gives you a print out every time you drive through their service bay. Not sure I have the eye/skills/time to attempt to adjust myself...wife drives it everyday.

Your situation sounds just like mine, mostly. I took my 93 FZJ in for a tranny rebuild. Thereafter, I had a horrible drive line clatter on lift-throttle deceleration.

I've since deduced that the upper and lower rear control arm bushings (OEM originals) are absolute s***e. As such, under lift throttle conditions, the entire rear axle is rotating quite a bit and horking up the drive line angle to the transfer case flange.

The reason I didn't have the issue before and now I do is due to how the shop lifted the vehicle to work on it. They lifted the vehicle by the body ONLY. This caused the suspension to droop for an extended period of time. During this time, the 25 yr old bushings, hard and crumbly, simply tore themselves apart while at the limits of the droop. (edit) Given that bad rear c/a bushings cause excess play on the rear axle, AND given the full-time 4WD system that competently and unoticably moves power around all 4 wheels as you drive and turn, I suspect that your rear control arm bushings are allowing your rear axle to pivot under acceleration, braking, turning, and even going straight - causing the directional issues.

We have arrived at the same destination, regardless the path traveled. lol

 

[Red Merle]

I've since deduced that the upper and lower rear control arm bushings (OEM originals) are absolute s***e. As such, under lift throttle conditions, the entire rear axle is rotating quite a bit and horking up the drive line angle to the transfer case flange.

Wait, I thought the consensus was that OEM bushing were the parts to get, at least for stock vehicles. I bought the 20 ton shop press and I am planning on gathering all new bushings for my suspension as sort of a cherry on top of what will be my baselining build.

Are you just saying yours are shot, or are you saying that you know about a better, proven solution?

 

[mjosoba]

I think he was saying the OEM bushings he has are the original factory ones. So they lasted up until this point. May as well get OEM again, they’ll outlast the truck.

 

[Red Merle]

I think he was saying the OEM bushings he has are the original factory ones. So they lasted up until this point. May as well get OEM again, they’ll outlast the truck.

Whew. That's what I was hoping for. This is already a complicated project, but I do not feel like testing any aftermarket stuff beyond the rear most body mounts that I bought because those aren't available from Mr, T and honestly, I had the truck apart enough to have replaced those, but the OEM ones looked fine and the amount of effort that it would have taken to replace them wasn't tenable because I already had the truck half apart and mission creep was starting to take root.

I am just going to focus on the press in bushings and the hardware they are attached to for this project.

 

[LandLocked93]

Are you just saying yours are shot, or are you saying that you know about a better, proven solution?

Yes, original 93 vintage ~ 280kmi.
The OEMs are the best ones to use by far.

 

[aviador]

I’ve recently had an experience with which I believe I have uncovered another source for wandering or twitchy steering.
Mine (94 HDJ81) was wandering and finally decided to do something about it. With birfield maintenance I installled 3 degree knuckle bearings to improve caster. This solved my wandering and I loved how the truck was now handling ( 285’s with small lift).
Two months later out in a 4x4 area looking for a Xmas tree with the family I apparently was looking to hard for trees and not at the trail and hit a deep rut very hard with the left front. Yanked the wheel out of my hand hard enough that both thumbs were sore for a bit.....
Result was the steering wheel off center by more than 90 degrees yet the truck still drove fine.
So adjusting the steering relay rod and the toe (now thinking toe was fine) my steering was back to twitchy once again but different than before.
What has happened is of course a bent sector shaft. Adjusting the wheel back to center has moved the steering box off of its center and produced the wandering.
New sector shaft and pitman arm are on the kitchen table and once it warms up a bit I’ll get out in my driveway and pull the box and I’m sure she’ll drive like a dream again.
Check your sector shaft......