Narrow Track 30 To Gain Turning Radius?

The spring plates won't change caster angle. That is determined by the leaf springs, shackles, and the configuration of the axle housing itself.

 

Right. So the axle brackets on the 72 Dana 30 are at the wrong angle. Any idea how many degrees shim I need?

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong .
I “think” D30 spring perched were welded on for universal applications. That implies they are perpidicular to the knuckle pivot centers.
So that would explain why castor shims were a standard item.
Factory intermediates had a 5* shim

 

Drilling the spring plates will not effect the caster, it will just make the edges of your spring plates thin. Your caster will depend on everything else, is it correct now? My factory caster with my 2 1/2" lift and dana 27 was only 1*-2* at most. It never got better when I installed the dana 30, I had to install shims to make it return like its suppose to. A 71 with its Ross steering probably never had 3* caster from the factory.

 

Generally you want about 6°. Bolt it in and check with an angle finder on a level surface. Then order shims from Mcruff...

 

Another bolt in project, full of ceep.

 

Alright if I decide to grab this axle I'll swing it in and check the caster. Right now whatever the caster is gives me sufficient return to center or at least I can say I'm not complaining. For how little I drive the thing I should just add washers to the stops and run it the way it is for the next decade and then make any changes.

 

i feel your pain, bought a builder 30 two years ago and haven’t done anything but take it apart. Still driving the 27 with 11” brakes making wide turns.

 

if you can turn sharp, it anit a jeep. (please don't take this seriously, just joking around, don't want another fight. i for one got spacers to help with this, so i can't really talk)

 

Is that an absolute? I don’t recall shortening mine. Had to change the yoke on the differential though.

 

The Dana 30 pinion was longer and I didn’t have enough slip joint. It bottomed out.

 

I changed to a 30 just for that reason, to steer sharper...it turned out the wheel back spacing has more to do than axle width. I didn't want to do it but the only way...well one way that I chose was to add 1.25" spacers, I used the best quality ones I could find and installed as recommended, so far (4 years) I am very pleased! Check often and keep everything tight!

Another option would go to custom backspaced wheels...so do you go with 4-5-6 wheels so as not to have a funny spare???

Dale

 

As an add note I do have a wide track 30, but now that would go the other way...to wide??? I like the narrowness for maneuvering around in the woods \/ making alternate routs and such. but that's what killed the CJ line of jeeps in the '80's...V8s, narrow track and lack of driving skills!!!

Dale