After any lift over 1.5 inches, your JK needs a fresh alignment with caster pulled back into the 4.5–5.0° range and toe set to 1/16"–1/8" toe-in; ignore this and you get wandering, tire chop, and a faster path to death wobble.
Stock JK caster is around 4.2° at ride height. When you lift the front, the axle rotates down and forward, which drops caster. A 2.5" lift typically loses 1.5–2° of caster — leaving you near 2.5°, which feels vague on-center and lets the steering hunt. The fix is geometry correction: either adjustable lower control arms (push the axle back, tilt the pinion up) or cam-bolt / geometry brackets that re-rotate the axle at the LCA mount. Brackets are cheaper (about $90) and bolt-in. Adjustable LCAs cost more but give you tuning room and don't pinch shock travel.
Camber on the JK is not adjustable from the factory — there are no slots in the upper or lower mounts. If a stock 2.5" lift puts camber out of spec, you have a bent knuckle or worn ball joints, not an alignment problem. Confirm camber is between -0.5° and +0.5° before chasing other angles.
Toe is the one angle every owner can set in the driveway. Loosen the two clamps on the adjuster sleeve at the tie rod, rotate the sleeve, and re-measure. Target total toe-in of 1/16" to 1/8" (about 0.05° to 0.10° per side). Too much toe-in eats the inside of the front tires; toe-out makes the truck dart over expansion joints.
Caster pulls 4.5–5.0° after correction is the sweet spot for a 2.5–3.5" lift on 35s. Going higher than 5.5° can introduce driveline vibration if the front driveshaft angle is also steep — caster and pinion angle are linked because they rotate the same axle. If you go to a long-arm kit or a 4.5"+ short-arm with correction brackets, you can usually get caster back to 4.7–5.0° without driveline buzz.
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry correction brackets (caster fix) | JKS / Synergy / Teraflex | ~$90 |
| Adjustable front track bar | Synergy / Currie / Rock Krawler | ~$250 |
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.