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The caster angle is the
imaginary line that the front wheels pivot on as they turn. This angle
determines how well a vehicle will tend to track a straight line without
constant steering correction, the front wheels tendency to return to center
after making a turn, and the amount of steering pressure required to make
the wheels turn. In short the caster angle is critical to a vehicles
steering and handling. Too little caster (our imaginary line approaches
straight up and down) and the front wheels will be very easy to turn, but
will not tend to return to center and will not track a straight line well.
This leads to wandering, and driver fatigue due to the constant necessity of
steering correction, and not being able to take your eye off the road for
fear of changing a lane without wanting to. Too much caster (our imaginary
line lays back towards horizontal) and the front wheels require more input
pressure to turn. This is due to the fact that as the wheel turns the
contact point on the tire moves up the side and the steering must actually
lift the weight of the front of the vehicle to turn. Too much weight and the
steering feels very resistant, and the steering components are overstressed
and prematurely wear. With the correct caster there is just enough angle
that the weight lift will make the tire want to return to flat contact
(straight ahead) but there will not be too much resistance or stress on the
steering components.
As an 80 series Land Cruiser is lifted, the front control arm swings down at
the front, but remains fixed at the rear. The caster angle approaches
straight up and down, and the resulting steering and handling is predictably
poor. There are numerous methods of dealing with this problem, some yielding
better results than others, and obviously some more expensive than others.
80 Series Caster
Correction Bushings
If the lift is no more than 2" over stock these caster correction bushings
will provide the necessary amount of caster correction to regain proper
steering control. The kit consists of four offset polyurethane/steel mounts
to replace the factory rubber mounts found in the front axle control arms.
Installation requires complete removal of the control arms, and an
automotive press to remove the old bushings and install the new offset ones.
This installation is best performed by a professional auto mechanic or
alignment shop. These bushings will not properly correct caster for lifts
over 2". Set of fourbushings.
OTHER RELATED LINKS:
OME Caster Correction Bushings
80 Series
OLD
MAN EMU/4+PLUS 80 SERIES 3-INCH SUSPENSION KIT
OLD
MAN EMU 80 SERIES COMPETITION SERIES COIL SPRINGS
|
PART NO. |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
|
|
Shipping/handling charges
are not included in the cost of parts and will be added when order is
shipped |
|
OMECA77 |
80 SERIES CASTER CORRECTION BUSHINGS |
$109.54 |
|
80 Series Front
Control Arm Drop 80 Series Front Control Arm Drop Brackets
In our opinion this is the best way to correct caster for the majority of
uses of the 80 series when lifted 3" or over. Not only will these brackets
correct the front caster angle, but they will properly realign the front
control arm to the vehicles frame. Why would this be important? Simple, the
control arms on an 80 series not only position the axles in relation to the
frame, they also transfer acceleration and braking force from the axles to
the chassis. This angle or geometry determines how the vehicle reacts under
acceleration, cornering, and braking. Trust us, Toyota spent a lot of time,
money, testing and engineering to determine the correct angles and geometry
for the 80 series suspension. Is this perfect for
everyone? No, if you're using your 80 series as a "rock buggy" you obviously
have other concerns than how the vehicle handles and steers, but for the
vast majority of us that use our 80 as a daily driver, suspension geometry
determines if our vehicle is a joy to drive or a pain in the rear. These
bracket kits are designed to drop the fixed end of the OEM front control
arms either 3 or 4 inches and bring the caster back to stock alignment and
into the center of the designed travel arc. On vehicles w/3-4 inches of
lift, stock bushings are retained. On vehicles w/5-6 inches of lift, caster
correction bushings can be used to properly realign the caster. One big
advantage of these bracket kits is installation requires no
drilling, the control arms can stay attached to the front axle, no press is
required, consequently they are much easier to install than any other caster
correction option. Sold in pairs as a set.
|
PART NO. |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
|
|
Shipping/handling charges
are not included in the cost of parts and will be added when order is
shipped |
| FRAB-3 |
3 INCH Front
Control Arm drop Brackets 90-97 FJ/ZJ80 |
$225 |
|
| FRAB-4 |
4 INCH Front
Control Arm drop Brackets 90-97 FJ/ZJ80 |
$225 |
|
| 805CASTERKIT |
5 INCH KIT
INCH Brackets w/ OME Caster Bushings |
$329 |
|
| 806CASTERKIT |
6 INCH KIT 4
INCH Brackets w/OME Caster Bushings |
$329 |
|
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MAN-A-FRE ORDERING TERMS
Upon placing an order, you agree to Man-A-Fre's
ORDERING TERMS

Copyright © Man-A-Fre, Inc.
Advanced Off-Road Solutions
All Rights Reserved.
TOYOTA", "LAND CRUISER" is a registered
trademark of Toyota Motor Corporation. MAN-A-FRE is not affiliated with, or
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Sales, U.S.A., Inc. or any of Toyota's affiliated companies. These terms are
used for descriptive purposes only, and not to denote affiliation or
connection with Toyota Motor Corporation.

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