First off hello to all first Post here. I have a 96 2wd CCLB pretty much stock.
The troubles I'm having r my tires camber like /...\ but they are wearing on the out side. I've replaced ball joints upper and lower and the pivot bushings all with Moog. I also replaced my shocks. The guy I got the truck from had every other joint replaced in the front tie rods drag links all that. And an alignment. My tires still camber like /...\ the only thing left to replace would be the springs but will they cause the tires to camber in at the top and wear on the out side??? Its wearing them very quickly too I went from OK tread to wire showing onthe our side in ~ 1000 miles


By the way this is my first powerstroke I've always wanted one and got a once in a lifetime deal on this one so I jumped on it. Now I think I know why he wanted to rid of the truck...

 

If you have negative camber and your tires are wearing both on the outside then your truck must have excessive toe in. Twin I beam and TTB trucks require different alignment settings than other independent suspension vehicles, if the alignment shop is just using their general guidlines of what should be OK then you are screwed. Normally a Ford truck will have higher than normal POSITVE camber and very little toe in. Also the Ford Twin I Beam and TTB front ends are not known for great tire life- that is one of the reasons that the Dana 60 swap is so popular on the 4X4s.

 

If all the parts in the front suspension are tight (not worn out) there is a good chance the springs have sagged , with the weight of the powerstroke there is a pretty good chance of it..

A qualified alignment shop "should" be able to check ride height and check camber to be sure.. You can look at the bump stops, if there is little or no space between the bump stop and the axle your springs are shot.

If you are seeing the / \ thing after backing up, it really doesn't mean much.. All of this era trucks exhibit this after backing up, be sure to check the condition AFTER pulling forward 15 or 20 feet or so..

Good luck with it, and Welcome to FTE!!!!!

 

There s only about an inch between the bump stop and beam

 

Call around to local alignment shops and ask them if they know how to align a TTB and twin I beam. They have no clue call another one.

I had a twin I beam aligned by a special shop years ago, who actually bent the beam into place properly and I never had an issue again. I dont think they do it anymore b/c ford came out and started to stamp do not heat/bend on the beams.

 

They don't do it anymore because Ford changed from a forged beam to a stamped beam that uses an eccentric at the ball joint to adjust caster/camber. I used to work in an alignment/frame shop and have aligned many Fords and tweaked ALOT of I beams.

 

I really wish someone on here could direct me towards a good shop around here in nky... 99% of shops around here r nothing but a bunch of crooks... I've don't replaced everything the last shop told me was effd up and well I'm still chewing thru tires... Ive been fighting this issue since I got the truck and honestly I'm about to just go back to a rice burner... I called in a huge favor and got my moog ball joints. Shocks. And the moog I beam bushings everything lifetime warranty for 174... And now ppl r telling me I didn't need to replace any of it... Wtf?

 

Sorry, I can't recommend a shop, but I can tell you this much.... Look for an older alignment shop, preferably one that don't use computer alignment equipment... Most of the places with computers are like the kids at autozone or some other parts houses, if the computer don't show it they have NOT got a clue.. You need an experienced man with know how, not a computer crutch.....

If the shop has computers you need some one who has worked on front ends and has experience at what he needs to look for, the computer won't tell him that, it takes training and experience...

 

If front end parts are worn out, they need to be replaced, but if they're not worn out, they don't need to be replaced. This can easily be checked. Jack up the front axle, grab the wheel at 6&12, rock it, if there is play, ball joints or wheel bearings. Now grab at 9&3, play here is either tie rod ends or wheel bearings. You can see the difference between wheel bearing & joints by watching behind the wheel as you rock it. Its easiest to just stop going to shops...

Front springs will lose their temper, especially with lots of weight on them (ie a diesel), so yours could be old & sacked out. I would expect the inside edges of the tires to wear with sacked springs though.

The fact that the outer edges of your tires are wearing excessively suggests that the tow in is set wrong (too much). Have someone give you a hand, and measure the distance between the front tires at the front of the wheels and the back of the wheels (use the same spot on the tire; some guys jack up the wheel, spin it, and scribe a mark/use chalk to draw a line & use that: . I usually just measure off the same edge of a tread block). If the distance between the front tires is smaller than the distance measured at the rear, you have toe in. A small amount of toe in is good, I usually set my truck with 1/8-1/4" toe in (people will argue this, but whatever), and have had great luck with tire wear. If the difference in measurements is, say 1/2", that's the problem. Here's a vid of a guy checking toe on his VW:
You don't need an alignment shop to set toe in, despite what some will say, its really easy to do yourself. Must be on a nice level slab of pavement. Set the steering wheel straight. Measure the distances like I mentioned above. If toe in is excessive, turn the tie rod adjusters to lengthen the rods (can't recall which way that is now, been a little while).

This is an iterative process: adjust, check, adjust, check. If you turn each tie rod adjuster the same amount in/out you keep the steering wheel centered. I usually make adjustments 1/2 turn at a time until I'm close, then go to 1/4 turn.

Oh and before making the measurements, push the front edge of the wheels outward. It mimicks road force.

If that all fails, slow down on the corners; she's no ricer!