Hi all, 1st post,
Short and to the point. I am trying to resolve a pulling to the right issue on my stock '96. I had an alignment done, toe was out a bit and they dialed that in but it made no change to the pull. Rotated tires around as you would normally try, brakes aren't dragging and the steering box isn't inducing any pull when I have the front in the air with the engine running.
I did get curious and took a measurement hub to hub, front to back on each side of the Jeep. I found that the passenger side distance is about 1/2" shorter or 1/2" longer on the driver, however you want to look at it. That would lead me to believe that the rear axle may be pointed or skewed to be driving the rear-end to the driver's side causing my pulling issue. My question is, is that enough to cause a pull? It's significant enough of a pull that I have to keep a constant 11'oclock steering wheel position to keep it going straight down the highway.
Any suggestions on solutions to try? I know in stock form there are no adjustments to the rear so I have toyed with the idea in my head of playing around with the spring perches to get that equaled out.
Thanks!
Brett

 

I had a main leaf spring that broke right behind the front hanger. It made the
rear end on that side come forward in the wheel well and if I remember right,
the Jeep pulled to one side. I have also had a pull to one side that was caused
by a bad front hub. Worth checking out.

Did this pulling just start? Did some event happen just before it started up?
Does the Jeep sag to the left or the right?

1/2 inch seems like a lot. There are adjustment screws for shims in the
lower control arm hanger that can adjust the front axle for fine amounts.

No adjustment provision in the rear, as you said. But there is a centering pin
passing through the rear spring pack into a hole in the plate above. If that pin is
sheared or missing, then the axle tube could slide backward or forward if the
u-bolts aren't tight. Has the rear end been dismounted recently?

 

Its a new XJ to me, so history is unknown.
There is no sagging. I don't believe a leaf is broken. I did loosen up all the u-bolts and try to jostle the rear end around but there was no movement so I think the pins are ok. This was with the weight of the rig on the springs though by lifting from the axle. I may need lift the weight of the body to drop the axle and take a closer look at the centering pins/holes.
The other dilema, I suppose, it could be the front as the culprit and is off even if the alignment shows the caster is on. I only measured the wheelbase. I don't know of a good reference point on the body to measure from.

 

If you had an alighnment done and it still pulls, take it back and say they didnt do the job right.

 

I would definitely start with a full inspection of all the control arms in the front. There are axle mounted bushings that are notoriously difficult to replace -- the P.O. of my 95 had replaced the easy one and NOT the hard one.. something to check for sure.

The hubs, as mentioned.

All the mounting points - where the control arms and leaf springs connect to the body - these can rust out, you might have had someone do a poor welding job to fix one of these and it's out of place a bit. Definitely ensure that all the frame points are solid and correct.

I would check all of these things before even considering trying to mickey mouse your leaf springs. The leaf spring replacement, if your Jeep lives in (or previously lived in) an area where you get rust, that job can be a real PITA and you don't want to damage something that wasn't ACTUALLY the problem just because you want to get creative.

 

Use the string method and recheck the toe yourself.

 

Swap the left and right front tires and see if it then pulls to the left. Sounds like a separated tire belt.

 

Here my alignment results