3rd Generation Ram - Non Drivetrain - All Years Talk about the 2003 and up Dodge Ram here. PLEASE, NO ENGINE OR DRIVETRAIN DISCUSSION!.

adjusting caster?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 13, 2010 | 03:13 PM
  #1  
1985cucv's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: wisconsin
adjusting caster?

ok guys i have been reading alot about adjusting the caster on your truck what im wondering is can each side be different? my drivers side is set at 5 degrees i believe (it is on the 5th notch from the front) and my passenger side is close to 3? the issue is that i cannot move my passenger side one but my drivers side moves easily do i have an issue?. i think the bolt may be rusted in there quite a bit so i sprayed it down we'll see how it goes. i was able to move it a little bit about half a degree but that was it.

i have a leveling kit so i was wondering if this would help my wander issue and apparently it has with many others thanks
Reply
Old May 13, 2010 | 06:48 PM
  #2  
1985cucv's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: wisconsin
no one knows ?
Reply
Old May 13, 2010 | 10:13 PM
  #3  
txarrowhunter's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 778
Likes: 0
From: North Texas
On my truck one is all the way forward and one is all the way back. Some guys said thats probably cause the axle isnt welded perfect and may be a lil twisted...which i find hard to believe!
Reply
Old May 13, 2010 | 10:18 PM
  #4  
.boB's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,409
Likes: 2
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Caster, camber, and toe should be almost the same, left to right.

The only way to check caster is to put a caster gauge on it. You can't look at notches, bolt position, arm length, or anything else. You must have a caster gauge. If you've changed anything without a gauge, then you need to have it re-aligned.
Reply
Old May 13, 2010 | 11:29 PM
  #5  
05 CTD2500's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
From: Bremerton, WA
Mine is set the same, one forward and one back, one side is easy to turn and the other I can turn just not easily. I know this doesn't help, but believe the only way to get it accurate is to use a caster guage as mentioned. When I messed with mine I put a chalk alignment mark on both, ended up putting it back where it was from the factory because I didn't get the results I was looking for (trying to cure a pull to the right due to tires).
Reply
Old May 14, 2010 | 05:20 AM
  #6  
1985cucv's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: wisconsin
i moved mine equally on each side and i have no issues with it thus far it drives a little bit better and i did mark the old spots so i can still go back to them we'll see thanks guys
Reply
Old May 14, 2010 | 05:02 PM
  #7  
Lost Lake's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,694
Likes: 6
From: Lost Lake, Wis
Caster should be a hair more on the right to compensate for crown in the road.
I would only adjust those while on a rack.
Reply
Old May 14, 2010 | 07:24 PM
  #8  
1985cucv's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: wisconsin
i adjusted mine equally on each side and the truck drives the same! i can see the axle move forward when i move the bolts. i spun the axle forward so positive on the bolts and it does help the steering wheel recenter better. so i dont think i have an issue if not i have the original marks marked so i can put it back.
Reply
Old May 15, 2010 | 08:20 PM
  #9  
Highway 4x4's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 645
Likes: 0
From: La Verne, Ca
Not enough caster will give you the wobble of death.
Reply
Old Feb 21, 2019 | 08:43 PM
  #10  
bigpig41's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Common difficulty interpreting all these threads on various boards is defining what is a positive caster movement and a negative movement . It's described both ways even in this thread. Seems to me that when getting down on your knees and looking at the driver's side front wheel that a rotation of the whole axle(and thus the two ball joints) COUNTERCLOCKWISE(moving upper ball joint towards the front of truck and lower joint towards the back of truck) would provide more caster affect and thus improve recentering of the steering wheel coming out of a turn. I must have my thinking mixed up as both Wikipedia an the dodge factory service manual describe positive caster as moving the bottom ball joint forward.

which way actually gives more caster affect or action?.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2019 | 10:11 PM
  #11  
torquefan's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 47
From: Calgary, Alberta
Positive caster means that the upper ball joints are tipped rearward compared to the lowers. To increase your positive caster, you would rotate the axle to make the uppers further rearward.

And, to clarify some of the earlier posts on this thread, with a solid axle, you cannot adjust the caster on one side only, in relation to the other side. All that will accomplish is making your front axle no longer square to the frame of the truck.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Txwelder
HELP!
8
Jun 12, 2005 02:33 PM
Txwelder
12 Valve Engine and Drivetrain
1
Jun 9, 2005 11:58 AM
243
2nd Gen. Dodge Ram - No Drivetrain
12
Dec 9, 2004 04:34 PM
xp8103
2nd Gen. Dodge Ram - No Drivetrain
1
Nov 8, 2004 10:59 AM
030303
3rd Generation Ram - Non Drivetrain - All Years
4
May 28, 2004 11:19 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:47 AM.