ram1500rsm
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2018
- Posts
- 4,820
- Reaction score
- 5,286
- Location
- Trabuco Canyon, CA
- Ram Year
- 2014
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
Wanted to share my findings as they pertain to my truck, this doesn't mean it'll work the same same for everybody, i still can't believe the tire started to rub because i went a little low on caster though, but i've confirmed that was the case for my truck.
I've had 315/70/17 Falken AT3W for a couple of months now, mounted on 17x9 wheels with a -12 offset. i've never ever rubbed before, i went with this setup after installing a Rancho QL level with Zone UCA's, with the front aligned at 4.5* caster on the driver side, 5* on the passenger per my request. (i wanted 5* on both sides, but i was informed by the shop RAM's are supposed to have a little less caster on the driver side ?), in any case, i've offroaded the truck hard, and have had zero rubbing issues in the front, not even light marks on the plastic liners, nada.
Last week i slapped a set of Icon 1.5" rear springs along with longer Rancho shocks, and drove the truck for a week to let the springs settle in before getting her aligned again.
So yesterday i took her in for a shop appointment late afternoon and the aligment job was done, (not my usual technician, nor i didn't ask to keep my caster settings),i didn't pay attention to the numbers before and after right away as i was running errands here and there, but after the alignment, i started noticing rubbing every time i was making left turns, worst if i was turning left going into a driveway at an angle, or going in reverse at full lock, and as the steering was going back to center, the tire was rubbing hard onto something plastic in the front as judged by the noise present.
Basically what was happening is that the tire was now making contact with the corner at the pinch seam, or at least what i'd refer in a Jeep as pinch seam
, pic below, this is how she sits now that i've put the caster back to 4.5* on that side, but yesterday that gap was closed in full, so much i had to cut about 1/2" inch of that plastic to avoid the tire rubbing on that corner, passenger side was ok, but super close to that corner.
Rubbing by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr
I looked at the aligment sheet since it was the only thing that changed, and it's when i realized i had now 3.4* of caster on that side, 3.8* on the passenger, which is still under normal specs, but i'd have never ever imagined one single degree of caster could have done something like this, but what the heck, i took her to the shop this morning, and had her aligned one more time to 4.5* driver, 5* in the passenger, that opened up the gap once again, which is what you see in the picture above, at about 1.5" though the camera angle doesn't show it, i'd think i had about 1" before as i shaved about than 1/2" of that plastic.
This is my new alignment sheet showing yesterday and today difference, i still can't believe 1 damn degree of caster can make the thing rub, but oh well, it's was the rubbing culprit in my case.
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flick
I've had 315/70/17 Falken AT3W for a couple of months now, mounted on 17x9 wheels with a -12 offset. i've never ever rubbed before, i went with this setup after installing a Rancho QL level with Zone UCA's, with the front aligned at 4.5* caster on the driver side, 5* on the passenger per my request. (i wanted 5* on both sides, but i was informed by the shop RAM's are supposed to have a little less caster on the driver side ?), in any case, i've offroaded the truck hard, and have had zero rubbing issues in the front, not even light marks on the plastic liners, nada.
Last week i slapped a set of Icon 1.5" rear springs along with longer Rancho shocks, and drove the truck for a week to let the springs settle in before getting her aligned again.
So yesterday i took her in for a shop appointment late afternoon and the aligment job was done, (not my usual technician, nor i didn't ask to keep my caster settings),i didn't pay attention to the numbers before and after right away as i was running errands here and there, but after the alignment, i started noticing rubbing every time i was making left turns, worst if i was turning left going into a driveway at an angle, or going in reverse at full lock, and as the steering was going back to center, the tire was rubbing hard onto something plastic in the front as judged by the noise present.
Basically what was happening is that the tire was now making contact with the corner at the pinch seam, or at least what i'd refer in a Jeep as pinch seam
, pic below, this is how she sits now that i've put the caster back to 4.5* on that side, but yesterday that gap was closed in full, so much i had to cut about 1/2" inch of that plastic to avoid the tire rubbing on that corner, passenger side was ok, but super close to that corner.Rubbing by Wrangler RSM, on FlickrI looked at the aligment sheet since it was the only thing that changed, and it's when i realized i had now 3.4* of caster on that side, 3.8* on the passenger, which is still under normal specs, but i'd have never ever imagined one single degree of caster could have done something like this, but what the heck, i took her to the shop this morning, and had her aligned one more time to 4.5* driver, 5* in the passenger, that opened up the gap once again, which is what you see in the picture above, at about 1.5" though the camera angle doesn't show it, i'd think i had about 1" before as i shaved about than 1/2" of that plastic.
This is my new alignment sheet showing yesterday and today difference, i still can't believe 1 damn degree of caster can make the thing rub, but oh well, it's was the rubbing culprit in my case.
Untitled by Wrangler RSM, on Flick
