Need to fix rubbing--has anybody adjusted truck's caster themselves?

[Lamarsh]

Just put 285-75-17 BFG KO2s on my 2018 Ram. Still waiting (another week likely) for my Fox 2.0 shocks come, which will lift the truck 2 inches. But, even without the lift, these tires should fit on my truck with OEM geometrics and NOT rub. Nonetheless, after the tires were installed, my front drivers side tire rubbed when turning. Obviously it's strange when only one side rubs. I figured out my caster on the front driver's side is off by 1/4", you can see it visibly. Not sure when or how this happened, could have come that way from the factory, could have been knocked off while driving in the 7 months I've owned the truck.

Anyways, while I plan on getting a full alignment after I install my Foxes in the next week or two, I'd like to try to get the caster back to decent alignment so the tire doesn't continue to rub on the liner.

Anybody adjust the caster on their Rams at home? Just wondering if anybody has, how easy it was, and if they could offer any pointers, etc.

Thanks!

 

[BWL]

285 does have a tendency to rub a little on some trucks. I would just take it easy on the hard right turns until the lift is in and have the alignment shop sort it out for you. People don't generally turn as hard left as they do right so you may not have noticed the other side rubbing yet simply for that reason.

 

[Lamarsh]

285 does have a tendency to rub a little on some trucks. I would just take it easy on the hard right turns until the lift is in and have the alignment shop sort it out for you. People don't generally turn as hard left as they do right so you may not have noticed the other side rubbing yet simply for that reason.

Thanks. Yeah I'm sort of going back and forth with myself as to whether to have it fixed before I put the shocks on. I did check both sides, turning the wheel both sides all the way, it is totally obvious that one side rubs and the other does not, and the caster is visibly off on the drivers side, you can see it even without measuring. But I did measure it, it's a solid 1/4" off compared to the passenger side.

 

[BWL]

It's a 2018. Can you take it to the dealer and complain and see if they can adjust it before you lift. Still stock suspension. Putting bigger tires on doesn't change the suspension alignment.

 

[Lamarsh]

It's a 2018. Can you take it to the dealer and complain and see if they can adjust it before you lift. Still stock suspension. Putting bigger tires on doesn't change the suspension alignment.

You would hope, but I've already had enough slam dunk issues with this truck that dealers have told me to fly a kite on that I just don't have enough confidence that an alignment issue 7+ months into having the truck, after putting new tires and wheels on, would work out for me, regardless of the merits. Thinking about just driving it carefully and only locally for the next week until I get my shocks on and a real alignment done, unless I find out slightly adjusting the caster on my front drivers side is an easy enough job to do before hand.

I live in Detroit, we have potholes here that can total the front end of small cars. Wouldn't surprise me if I had just rocked one this past spring and it knocked it off a bit, but who knows.

 

[Gary2]

You have a hell of a set of eyes if you can see your caster is off. Camber is pretty easy to check and to see but caster with naked eye , you r good .

 

[Lamarsh]

You have a hell of a set of eyes if you can see your caster is off. Camber is pretty easy to check and to see but caster with naked eye , you r good .

Buddy of mine noticed it first, as we were trying to figure out how in the heck one side rubbed and the other did not at all. Once he pointed it out, believe it or not it is easier to tell just by looking at it than you'd think.

In any event, my Foxes came yesterday, so I'm going to put them on this weekend and get an alignment Monday, so this whole DIY caster adjustment has become irrelevant. I had only worried because I ordered my shocks from 4WheelParts.com, and they are just about THE WORST company to order from and deal with, and it was unclear when I'd be receiving my shocks. All is well now though! (Never buying anything from them again tho)

 

[quietpeen]

Buddy of mine noticed it first, as we were trying to figure out how in the heck one side rubbed and the other did not at all. Once he pointed it out, believe it or not it is easier to tell just by looking at it than you'd think.

In any event, my Foxes came yesterday, so I'm going to put them on this weekend and get an alignment Monday, so this whole DIY caster adjustment has become irrelevant. I had only worried because I ordered my shocks from 4WheelParts.com, and they are just about THE WORST company to order from and deal with, and it was unclear when I'd be receiving my shocks. All is well now though! (Never buying anything from them again tho)

it most likely came from the factory that way. I say this because on my truck only the drivers side wheel rubs at full lock to the left - I have seen others say they only rub on drivers side

 

[hotrod45]

You have a hell of a set of eyes if you can see your caster is off. Camber is pretty easy to check and to see but caster with naked eye , you r good .

Not really. If you think you can see caster with the naked eye, you're delusional.

 

[Lamarsh]

2" lift solved the rubbing problem. Truck is at shop now getting alignment. Foxes installed nicely. Took 6 hours for all 4. Most of the time was spent taking apart my front end to get the coil over in and out, and then carefully torquing everything back on. Reaching a small enough wrench on the other side of the top bolt on the rear shock was a pain too, had to remove rear wheel well liners, which wasn't a big deal.