Also, the caster shims did not help in the slightest.

 

What is your lift height, and what degree of shim did you use? Popping sound could come from your wheel bearings

 

I got 4 degree shims. I’m unsure of the total lift, but I believe it’s around 4 inches. I’m not extremely mechanically sound but I’ll look into the wheel bearings. Thanks for the reply

 

Which direction did you mount the shims? Post a photo of them.

 

Lift your front end off the ground and spin the tires, if it is your bearings you should hear the noise when you spin it. But... sometimes your wheel bearings will only make the sound when turning because it puts added pressure to the wheel. As far as your 4" lift you may need to go with a 6 degree or greater shim. Lets hear what others say about your question.
Good luck, hope we can help you get it figured out

 

Also, try this.
(53) DRY STEERING TEST PROCEDURE | Jeep Wrangler Forum
As above, good luck

 

I’ll send pictures of the front end tonight. I definitely put the shims in correctly with the thick side facing the front. I did however reuse the center pins, which from what I’ve heard could be a cause for concern. Thanks for all the help!

 

Well, if your lift is all spring (as opposed to a shackle lift), then you just exacerbated the pinion/driveshaft angle on your front axle. The spring lift makes that angle more severe, but a front shim (on a spring-under) with thick end facing to the REAR of the vehicle rotates the pinion upward to reduce the severity. Technically, that angle and the angle at the U-joint on the front output of the transfer case should be similar, but on a front driveshaft people frequently ignore that, especially if the front drive shaft is not spinning all the time and when it is, it's typically at slower vehicle speeds.

 

Defiantly correct your shims, fat end toward the back, start there then proceed to work on other things, "Do Not" start trying to fix things without correcting the placement of your shims, and I would also get the correct shims for your lift height. You say you have a 4" lift, I still think you ought to have 6 degree shims maybe even more than that. Get your castor correct "First" then move on to other things.

 

More caster should allow steering to return to center more easily


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I was ASE cert. in Suspension and Steering (among many others) many years ago. There is nothing wrong with finding a 4x4 friendly shop that has an alignment rack. It will be worth the cost for professional diagnosis and to get actual caster numbers. As @Warlordsix recommended, rule out the remaining front suspension and steering components. A competent shop would go through your Jeep in about an hour.

Popping noises typically indicate a potential u-joint or wheel bearing issue. I'm not a fan of spacers (they are actually illegal here in Mass) and their use could exacerbate existing issues as they change the leverage placed on those components. This coincides with you believing the popping was there before and is now louder after the modifications. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!

 

I was ASE cert. in Suspension and Steering (among many others) many years ago. There is nothing wrong with finding a 4x4 friendly shop that has an alignment rack. It will be worth the cost for professional diagnosis and to get actual caster numbers. As @Warlordsix recommended, rule out the remaining front suspension and steering components. A competent shop would go through your Jeep in about an hour.

Popping noises typically indicate a potential u-joint or wheel bearing issue. I'm not a fan of spacers (they are actually illegal here in Mass) and their use could exacerbate existing issues as they change the leverage placed on those components. This coincides with you believing the popping was there before and is now louder after the modifications. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply, I guess you hit it right on the nose 😂

 

Update- I went to a shop for an alignment. They said they couldn’t do the alignment because there were too many issues with the front end, so they were supposed to write up a quote and send it to me for everything. They never sent anything, and after calling there was still nothing. I like the idea of someone who actually knows what’s going on to take a look so i’m going to take it to a different shop 😂. Thanks for all the support and advice everyone.

 

Took the jeep to another alignment shop for a diagnosis. If anyone has any input as to if these problems match the symptoms I explained earlier, please share.

I need a new track bar, front axle U-joint, leaf spring bushings front and rear, wheel bearing / hub assembly, axle seal, and after all that, an alignment.

That all sounds pretty reasonable I think. Also after doing a bit of research, a lot of it doesn’t look impossible for me to do myself with basic tools. I’m still worried about the return to center though. Thanks for any advice!