Discovery J Tech suspension too much camber.Can not be adjusted out.

BJM

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2018
485
549
93
Yamba
Thought I would go deeply !! into why one side of my 2015 Journey Outback has a lot more negative camber than the other.After an hour amongst the black ants I found the rear cross arm of the A arm was not parallel in a horizontal line to the front cross arm with the bushes.(other side OK)About 3/16 out ,ie up on the outside hub end.Had it wheel aligned by a truck alignment place who said just about every Jayco with this JTech suspension causes him a problem.May take A arm out and see if it can be straightened
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drover

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
12,723
19,450
113
QLD
Not like you can give it bend with a press like a beam, why didn't they fit an off centre bolt adjuster on the arm pivot points be able to sort camber and toe easy enough then.
The knee suspension on my Coronal has no adjustment, spring may sag after 80K km and tyre will scrub, so reset springs or buy new ones...
Following your exploits with this as its of great interest.
 

BJM

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2018
485
549
93
Yamba
Been talking to a guy I know at Pedders re making a camber off centre bolt kit .Not to keen as I think Pedders make the springs and supply shocks etc for Jayco.JTech Do not think it would take too much to bring the A arm back.Just time to pull a part etc.in between use.
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
Is the tyre wearing on one side? I would have thought a degree or 2 of camber would not be an issue - my ute had over a degree for a year before I got around to adjusting it...
My 2015 jtech suspension only has toe adjustment but I thought they quickly added camber. Doing toe adjustments is very easy at home - just need a $5, 1m long steel craft ruler and a length of straight aluminum angle from bunnings. Lay the straight edge across the tyre wall about chassis height and measure each side to the chassis rail. + or - 1mm is fine. I checked my adjustment with a laser aligner and it was spot on.
 

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
12,723
19,450
113
QLD
Been talking to a guy I know at Pedders re making a camber off centre bolt kit .Not to keen as I think Pedders make the springs and supply shocks etc for Jayco.JTech Do not think it would take too much to bring the A arm back.Just time to pull a part etc.in between use.

I suppose looking around various vehicles with a tape measure to find a bolt of similar size could be a mission then procure a few to mod, wouldn't be too hard as they would be using off the shelf bolt and bushes anyway ......................possibly have to make new hangers though, be a good project, not difficult just fiddly.....

I once made a slide rule of the large variety out of 1/2" square timber with an old tape measure stuck to it, was perfect for doing alignments on my old 4x4's, front wheels sitting on lino squares on smooth concrete so they would slip.......................no rock hopping now so hardly need to do it.
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
Can you elongate the inner bracket bolt holes (upwards I guess) then tack weld washers on each side. IE: replicate the outer toe adjustment bracket slot but for camber?
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
6,854
13,971
113
Mentone, VIC
Thought I would go deeply !! into why one side of my 2015 Journey Outback has a lot more negative camber than the other.After an hour amongst the black ants I found the rear cross arm of the A arm was not parallel in a horizontal line to the front cross arm with the bushes.(other side OK)About 3/16 out ,ie up on the outside hub end.Had it wheel aligned by a truck alignment place who said just about every Jayco with this JTech suspension causes him a problem.May take A arm out and see if it can be straightened
For what its worth, my 20.63 has only 1 of the 3 Jtec axles parallel to the ground, the wonky 3 being various degrees out of tilt one bad enough i took it back to Jayco fearing a imminent catastrophic failure. To my horror 9 of the 10 new Jtec vans on display were the same and a few worse. My caster is fine, my van has now done over 50k km; 30k km with the current tyres all km's with the leaning wheels. I dont have any obvious adverse tread wear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drover

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
2,651
3,817
113
Australia
I have unevan wear on my rear wheels tread becomes very lumpy and wears on one side had it alighned once still looking if its improved maybe after a while there tyres are just crap ???????
That they put on
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drover

carco

Member
Jan 20, 2019
58
21
8
Gympie
Mine came with Adventuro A/T GT Radials. Very hard to find a tyre shop selling these tyres, they have a woeful reputation.
But the Jayco suspension adjustment is simply rubbish.
Toe or camber adjustment, take your pick. Altering one will alter the other.
Can you imagine any car manufacturer selling a vehicle that has such a crap design?
I think Skoda did back in the 60's, and remember how few cars it sold. (Totally different vehicle today of course)
The number of vans running 1 or 2 really crook alignment figures is alarming.
Clearly Jayco's jig setup has been off for a long time, probably still is.
They need another eccentric on the outboard pivot to get any sort of adjustment happening.
And that may still not be sufficient to correct their built in error.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bluey

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
Have you tried any caravan service places? I'm in WA and had an alignment check as part of a 'brakes and bearings' service which I think was around $250 for 4 axles. Remember it's a simple process to do with simple tools so should not be the rip off prices some charge
 

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
12,723
19,450
113
QLD
@Macca_75 look for a truck alignment centre and ask them, they have the gear to adjust stuff like that, a tyre shop or van dealer doesn't, some things need more than guess work.
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
I found a youtube video on how it's done. My laser aligner is pretty accurate and confirmed it's really not that complicated (assuming some competency with spanners of course!). Cruisemaster uses a different tool to adjust the cam whereas it's a regular spanner/socket for jayco. I didn't need toe in on the front axles as mine tracks fairly well at 0' and the tyres are wearing evenly. For camber I use a regular short builders level, and a straight edge cut to the rim size. The trick is to make sure the straight edge is perfectly vertical (front to rear of car or van) before checking. Builders levels can be a bit unreliable so rotate it 180' to check the bubble is in the same spot...


even if you don't adjust it yourself, it is a good method to confirm an alignment is required
 

carco

Member
Jan 20, 2019
58
21
8
Gympie
Jazz mate that's all well and good if your suspension has eccentric bushes on both arms where they swing from the chassis.
Unless I need even stronger glasses, mine only has eccentric on the inboard arm.
The outside arm is just a plain bush, no adjustment.
I just checked Jayco's propaganda youtube which shows the eccentric adjuster on the inboard arm but nothing on the outside arm.
outboard arm.jpg
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
Yep mine is the same - only toe adjustment - so only the first few minutes of the video applies if you want to adjust things. Just trying to show what is really involved in a wheel alignment for those keen to try it themselves. As I mentioned, camber seems to be far less critical for tyre wear than toe (even for my ute I have to ask if the aligner checks the camber!) so that may be why jayco try to save a dollar on an eccentric washer...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bluey

carco

Member
Jan 20, 2019
58
21
8
Gympie
In a perfect world you might go this cheap way, but the suspension components are quite simple RHS and bar items welded together on a jig.
Manufacturing tolerances would be typical of structural steelwork, in the range of +0, -2mm.
To allow for this and welding shrinkage etc, adjustment should have been built into the suspension.
I hate the way most van's wheels look like they've had a big night on the grog.
To the poster up a few lines looking for an alignment, don't expect miracles.
The best you can aim for is correct toe, camber is luck of the draw.
Or in Jayco speak, 3 out of 4 ain't bad.
 

Glen Bundesen

Active Member
Jan 12, 2014
336
212
43
Perth WA
Have you tried any caravan service places? I'm in WA and had an alignment check as part of a 'brakes and bearings' service which I think was around $250 for 4 axles. Remember it's a simple process to do with simple tools so should not be the rip off prices some charge
Hi Jazzeddie
Where did you get the alignment done - I'm also in Perth?
 

jazzeddie1234

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2016
606
729
93
Mandurah
Hi Jazzeddie
Where did you get the alignment done - I'm also in Perth?
This time was in mandurah http://www.mdhcaravanrepairs.com.au
but used to go to pda caravan repairs who I think charged $100 ish to check. In both cases the owners are pretty helpful.
The mandurah crowd didn't mention the brakes and bearings service included an alignment and I only spotted it when I set up in the drive to do it myself!