Caster question.

[SoFloT4Run]

As i have read in multiple threads, there are numerous members with lifted trucks in here that request for the caster to be pushed out to as close as 4 as possible. Those with stock ucas obviously not reach this target.

My question is for those that do (mild) lifts such as .85 or 1.75 lifts...what would be the adequate caster setting for the truck to have a comfortable everyday ride?

Also..since the trd pros have approximately a 1inch lift over the sr5 and trail off road, what would be the oem caster settings for these trucks when they are aligned?


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[TEujunga]

Caster doesn't affect how "comfortable" the ride is. It's about how strongly the steering wheel centers itself after a turn and how stable the vehicle feels when traveling straight. It's mostly a matter of driver perception. There's no exact magic caster number above which the vehicle will feel stable and below which it will feel unstable.

FWIW, with my 2.5" front lift and stock UCAs, the best the alignment tech could get was 2.4º L / 2.8º R. To me, the vehicle feels very stable, and the self-centering of the steering is more than adequate. You might feel differently if you drove it.

 

[mrblah]

As i have read in multiple threads, there are numerous members with lifted trucks in here that request for the caster to be pushed out to as close as 4 as possible. Those with stock ucas obviously not reach this target.

My question is for those that do (mild) lifts such as .85 or 1.75 lifts...what would be the adequate caster setting for the truck to have a comfortable everyday ride?

Also..since the trd pros have approximately a 1inch lift over the sr5 and trail off road, what would be the oem caster settings for these trucks when they are aligned?


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After your lift/tires/wheels, do you have rubbing on the body mount after your suspension has settled? If your answer is no rubbing on the body mount, then take it to the alignment guy and have him do his thing.

If you are having issues with body mount rubbing, ask the alignment guy to see if he can get +4 caster, so he has an idea of what number to shoot for. Keep in mind, this number is arbitrary, don't focus so much on the number but whether or not you have rubbing after alignment.... Reason I say this, is your alignment guy might not be able to get +4, depending on your lift/oem or aftermarket UCA/wheels/tires combination.

Changing the caster will affect handling, now whether or not that is a positive affect or negative affect on handling is pretty subjective. I had to do multiple alignments to move caster to be more positive. To me, it had a negative affect on handling the more positive the number I got, but I got use to it. If I had more time to mess with alignment, I would get enough positive caster just to fix my rubbing issue and be done with it.

I'm pretty sure a internet, armchair expert will chime in shortly and say that I"m wrong, but hey, this is my experience, so take it for what it is.

 

[SoFloT4Run]

After your lift/tires/wheels, do you have rubbing on the body mount after your suspension has settled? If your answer is no rubbing on the body mount, then take it to the alignment guy and have him do his thing.



If you are having issues with body mount rubbing, ask the alignment guy to see if he can get +4 caster, so he has an idea of what number to shoot for. Keep in mind, this number is arbitrary, don't focus so much on the number but whether or not you have rubbing after alignment.... Reason I say this, is your alignment guy might not be able to get +4, depending on your lift/oem or aftermarket UCA/wheels/tires combination.



Changing the caster will affect handling, now whether or not that is a positive affect or negative affect on handling is pretty subjective. I had to do multiple alignments to move caster to be more positive. To me, it had a negative affect on handling the more positive the number I got, but I got use to it. If I had more time to mess with alignment, I would get enough positive caster just to fix my rubbing issue and be done with it.



I'm pretty sure a internet, armchair expert will chime in shortly and say that I"m wrong, but hey, this is my experience, so take it for what it is.[/

So do you think that people do the a caster adjustment mostly because of rubbing issues that cant be fixed by the fender liner mods??? Or is it something that is "required" for all lifted trucks?

I just read some stories where someone will do lift and then their truck rides like shit because they couldnt set the caster specs close to 4.


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[TEujunga]

I just read some stories where someone will do lift and then their truck rides like shit because they couldnt set the caster specs close to 4.

A degree or two of caster will not make that much difference in the ride. Think of caster like the angle of a bike fork. The more angle, the more tendency to self-center. That's all caster does, at least when you're talking about the difference between 2º and 4º.

Oh, and yes, it does affect how much certain tire/wheel combos will rub.

 

[SoFloT4Run]

So im aiming to do a .85 bilstein leveling lift and will mostly likely be installing 17x8 wheels with 0 or -10 offset and b 265/70/17 ko2s....should i tell the alignment tech to align the truck to oem specs if i suspect little to no rubbing or should i tell him to take it as close to 4 as he can with the stock ucas?


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[JSparky]

Really subjective, some prefer more caster than others. I'd just have them put to spec and if you're unhappy go from there.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

A degree or two of caster will not make that much difference in the ride. Think of caster like the angle of a bike fork. The more angle, the more tendency to self-center. That's all caster does, at least when you're talking about the difference between 2º and 4º.

Oh, and yes, it does affect how much certain tire/wheel combos will rub.

I will point out that the higher in caster you go, the more tendency the steering might feel more "Sensitive". What I mean by that is that unlike a low caster condition where the wheel feels like it's wobbling left to right (like a shopping cart wheel being dragged along the parking lot), it will more readily follow imperfections in the road such as road crown and such. This is different from a pull because it will self-center and remain centered on a straight & level patch of road. This is fairly true of a perfectly aligned suspension as well, the difference is that the higher the caster I've noticed the more this tendency seems exaggerated, wider tires and such also contribute to this. Most people conflate that with "wandering" (assuming it's an alignment issue rather than an exaggerated behavior of a modified vehicle.

 

[mrblah]

I will point out that the higher in caster you go, the more tendency the steering might feel more "Sensitive". What I mean by that is that unlike a low caster condition where the wheel feels like it's wobbling left to right (like a shopping cart wheel being dragged along the parking lot), it will more readily follow imperfections in the road such as road crown and such. This is different from a pull because it will self-center and remain centered on a straight & level patch of road. This is fairly true of a perfectly aligned suspension as well, the difference is that the higher the caster I've noticed the more this tendency seems exaggerated, wider tires and such also contribute to this. Most people conflate that with "wandering" (assuming it's an alignment issue rather than an exaggerated behavior of a modified vehicle.

this is what i experienced as well.

 

[mrblah]

So do you think that people do the a caster adjustment mostly because of rubbing issues that cant be fixed by the fender liner mods??? Or is it something that is "required" for all lifted trucks?

I just read some stories where someone will do lift and then their truck rides like shit because they couldnt set the caster specs close to 4.


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changing caster is used if you have body mount rubbing issues, because if you can't fix the body mount rubbing with caster, your only other option is doing a body mount chop, and some of us (including myself), that isn't a option. Rubbing in the fenders is easy fix, and requires minor trimming and pushing the inner fenders.

People's cars ride like poop its because they lifted it...lol. Lifting it will typically make the ride stiffer, and some lifts make it worse than others (i.e. spacer lifts). Lifting a truck is all about compromise. I run kings, and its as close as OEM as an aftermarket suspension can get, but make no mistake, its still stiffer for the most part (subjectively).

Also, some tires are notoriously hard to balance, and that also plays a part in wobbly suspension or a truck that drives like poop.

basically, with suspension mods, you never know what road block may occur. As many have stated, do what you want to your suspension, and go from there.