Terrible Steering SAS Ranger

[Hagan]

Ever since I've completed my SAS i've had terrible steering. Its all over the road and its unpredictable. Its not bump steer but I can't figure out whats causing it. I have not paid to get it aligned, I just aligned it myself in my driveway with about 1/8-1/4" toe in. I was using 7* "c" bushings but replaced them with 2* and nothing changed. I checked tire pressure and dialed it in using chalk on the tires. I'm running 26psi in all the tires. Its very hard to explain the symptoms...but its just hard to keep it in a straight line. Any idea's?

 

[RangerSVT]

Post up a pic of your setup. Is your linkage and tracbar both parallel and close to the same length?


SVT

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Could be your caster split is way off....could be many things.

Does it dart side to side or just wander?

Mine was wandering badly after getting mine together, it was toed out a touch. .25 toe in and it was good to go.

 

[Hagan]

I'm not 100% sure if the caster split is off...not sure what that is?

It darts from side to side a lot. I'm going down a straight road and its going back and forth. I look like an idiot going down the road all over the lane.

I'll check the toe again. The trackbar/steering arm are the same angle and length. I'm going to shorten the track bar because it sticks out of the driverside frame too far.

This is the best pic I have at the moment...

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Sounds just like mine was when it was toed out

 

[Hagan]

I feel like an idiot. I'm a one man rodeo so its hard to measure accurately...but I know i'm off. I measured using a string 57-3/4" distance between the back of the wheel. I measured 58-1/4" on the front of the wheel. I seriously have 1/2" toe out! I'm going to have my friend help me get the toe in set.

 

[Hagan]

You are the man Sasq! If it wasn't for you i would know what to do!

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Shoot for around an eighth to a quarter inch toe in. You'll be golden.

 

[RangerSVT]

Jack the front up, take and spin your tire around, while its spinning, take a marker positioned on a jackstand in front of the tire and mark the tire all the way around. The jackstand is to keep the marker steady. Anywhere on the tread is fine, it doesn't matter where. Do this on both tires. Set it back down, roll the truck forward about 10 feet, then set your toe using the lines you made on the tire...

SVT

 

[Ford78]

Just turn my toe in too, had a lttle wandering on the road and made a bige differnce. Thank guys for the info

 

[Hagan]

I got the toe set in but maybe I did too much. Is it 1/8" to 1/4" toe on the wheel or tire? I assumed the wheel. Would make sense to me.

Anyway, it still seems to "dart" off into its own direction. Its much better. But just seems to throw me back and forth. Does it matter if the axle isn't aligned. I haven't aligned or moved the axle but I think it needs to be moved back. I swapped to a 2* radius arm "C" bushing before I adjusted the toe. So maybe swapping back to a 7* would be better to get the right caster angle?

 

[bobbywalter]

knuckles look like the caster is too light.


the angles are good but the offset relationship is not always ideal for steering feel and a big reason i prefer over rail steering boxes.

 

[pillen140]

id vote caster aswell. also, its easier to make "toe plates" than using tire marks... more accurate as well. you can pretty much use anything straight and sturdy.

 

[Hagan]

I'm confused on toe plates and what caster is too light means.

 

[pillen140]

caster is the angle refering to upper balljoint location in relation to the lower balljoint location.... think of it as if you were rotating the axle as if you were adjusting pinion angle, then look how the angle of your balljoint relation changes. toe plates are just a piece of steel or (what ever) you just lean on the outside of the tire... put your measuring tapes on them aand measure toe that way.