Alignmet Issue

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02-25-2011, 10:09 AM
strokeZ

Alignmet Issue

So after my last off road trip where the front swaybar link busted on me the Jeep has been tracking kinda funny so I went to get the alignment checked and it was way off as expected. Question I have is if most people need an alignment after off-roading or not. It's never happened to me before, so this might just be an anaomoly. Could it be from the sway bar link breaking? It was +.20 on drivers front and -.90 on passenger front. Ive only driven it like 300 miles since the trip (abt half of that to drive home) since I have been uber traveling for work so no tire damage done (I think).
02-25-2011, 10:20 AM
Sal-XK

Nope my alignment is straight as an arrow, never had an issue.
02-25-2011, 10:32 AM
superacerc

Normally the sway bars have nothing to do with the alignment. It's more than likely from haveing the superlift installed and either a correct alignment wasn't done or something was left loose and it changed the setting when we went off road.
02-25-2011, 10:50 AM
Matt

Quote:

Originally Posted by superacerc

Normally the sway bars have nothing to do with the alignment. It's more than likely from haveing the superlift installed and either a correct alignment wasn't done or something was left loose and it changed the setting when we went off road.

/\ x2

Granted offroading often doesn't help and you should have your alignment checked more frequently if that's how the vehicle is used... but it wont result pulling unless something bent (or one of the joints wasn't fully tightened and moved)
02-25-2011, 11:37 AM
Adondo

If you install a lift kit, even a mild 2'' kit, things change... you need an alignment job.

If you smacked something hard enough to break the sway bar link, then something may have been knocked out of alignment. Even in a typical car where you run up on a curb hard, it should be checked. Normal off-roading won't hurt it, but a session of serious boony-bashing might knock something off kilter.
02-25-2011, 04:01 PM
strokeZ

So the alignment was done when I got the superlift installed. I have a sneaky feeling that they never quite tightend things down when they did the alignment in the first place.
02-25-2011, 07:51 PM
superacerc

Don't underestimate the power of their Sneakyness!!
02-26-2011, 08:52 PM
07JeepXK

After having a lift installed, I like to drive a round for several miles to let the suspension settle and then retorque everything back down before getting an alignment. I'll find places where I can articulate the suspension really good just to make sure everything is working like it should. Once alignment is done its good to go.