2003 Rubicon Camber problem? or local shops?

[XJRubicon]

I am having a hard time with my local alignment shops.


They state that my 2003 rubicon axle needs adjustable upper balljoints to correct camber and that noone makes adjustable balljoints for a 2003 rubicon axle yet.



Aren't the dana 44 axles that are in the rubicon using the same exact balljoint as a dana 30?

Can't Dana 30 adjustable balljoints be used in a dana 44 rubicon axle???

Why are they telling me that I have to wait a year for manufacture's to make adjustable balljoints for these axles before I can get an alignment?!!

My jeep has 6 and a half to 7 inches of lift.

This never was a problem before when I had the Dana 30 with the same hight.

Why would my camber be off negative 1 degrees by simply putting a dana 44 axle in??

Is negative 1 degrees even that big of a deal? it goes down the road fine, it just wears the tires faster right???!

they tell me that my truck will not go down the road because that axle is not suposed to be there
They talked to me like they did not want to work on my truck with a 10 foot pole.

I am on my third shop that says they can not align my truck no matter what I do.

I believe it is all bullshit since the people at all the alignment shops around here seem to all be drinking buddys and share storys.


alignment or not, I'm still gettin to the moab. I'll burn the tires the whole way who's got swampers for sale?

I wanna hook my winch to the alignment machine through the window.

ok, well again, thanks in advance for ANY info, I am off to the website of the better Busness Bureau.

 

[juicexj24]

I have heard the samething from a lot of places. We can't, willn't. So the local NTB around my parents in Baltimore will do it if the one guy is working the day that I stop by. Or I go to another shop to have it done. But the alignement can be done. I don't know about the ball joints, but I do remember someone saything that they are the same as D30's. But mine isn't set factory for caster and rides great. 6.5-7". So your just going to have to find a place to do it. But tell them that it CAN be done. Juice

 

[Lucas]

I thought one of the main complaints of the rubi axle was the fact that it took the same balljoints as the D30. Call up the stealership and ask them to check part numbers.

 

[XJRubicon]

part numbers are differnt. but they look the same.

 

[Ghost]

Why not get them both and compare them?

 

[XJEEPER]

Sounds to me like lazy alignment shops........not uncommon. On the other hand, you could do what I did and take it to a guy that I have used previously for alignments, and my Jeep still pulls to the left, and my pass side coil is bowed forward about 1" more than the driver's side.........I'll be taking it back in, for either a fix or a refund. I think that my LCA's/UCA's aren't adjusted properly, but haven't had time to check it out closely. I've done my own alignments in the past......looks like I'm going back to trusting myself.
Try this site out......good luck.

http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoAlignment.htm

 

[XJRubicon]

Thanks for the info, I guess, what I am wondering..... is if camber is not adjustable.... how the hell is it wrong?

 

[Eagle]

Rats --

I relocated this thread thinking it was about a Rubicon, not just a Rubicon axle in an XJ.

Now I gotta get someone else to move it back. Sorry.

 

[XJRubicon]

No prob eagle...

XJeeper yes, I have found out that if you want something done right, you have got to do it yourself.

 

[small pederson]

the rubicon 44 front isnt a real 44 in the first place.

 

[XJEEPER]

No prob eagle...

XJeeper yes, I have found out that if you want something done right, you have got to do it yourself.

Sorry to hijack the thread, this may help you out though........I went and paid the alignment shop a visit yesterday, asking about my Jeep pulling slightly to the right........"any time you lift a solid axle rig with a 4 link, this is going to happen. We can't adjust it out.".....how's that for an answer??

To this, I call Bull. I started to debate this, but decided to just inform them that I don't agree and they would not get another reference from me. I'm sick of the level of customer service that shops have degraded to.

We've found that the XJ's bracketry is not indentical from side to side which as I understand, was designed that way to compensate for the crown in the road so the Jeep will track straight on the majority of US roads.
Due to the fact that my pass side coil is bowed forward, and my Jeep also pulls to the pass side at speed, it's a safe assuption that the UCA's and LCA's are not adjusted far enough forward. After re-reading the Alignment article I linked from the Go.Jeep site, this is confirmed as a 10mm difference from one side to the other. I'll be getting out the protractor and tape this weekend to make things right.......and wish that I'd just done it this way instead of doubting my own accuracy and spending $55 on an alignment that I'll wind up tweaking anyway.

Hope sharing this helps you out.

 

[XJRubicon]

the rubicon 44 front isnt a real 44 in the first place.

It Is now!

Link