Alignment
#1
09-10-2016, 12:08 PM
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Alignment
I am 14 years old and in need of an alignment. I went in about a month ago and they said I needed a new upper ball joint on the drivers side. Just to have the upper and lower ball joints replaced was going to be $600. I ran down to O'reillys and picked up the bearings for $20 each. I replaced the bearings and headed back to the alignment shop now they said I need different camber bushings. I don't really know how to read the alignment printout to tell me what degree bushings I need. Do they make a ajustable bushing or just fixed sizes? Could I do the alignment my self? Thanks for the advice.
#2
09-10-2016, 02:01 PM
Cargo Master
Let me preface by saying I'm not a front end expert, but have played around with my alignment a fair amount. So, here's my non-expert thoughts:
It's not way off, but the negative camber on the right front is a bit much. The caster looks fine to me. Negative toe, or toe-out, isn't any good. Truck probably wanders a lot? I shoot for slightly toed-in. To do this, I use a tape measure with the truck parked on a flat surface, measuring distance between the front tires front/rear, looking for 1/16"-1/8" toe in (smaller distance on front side of tires). I typically use a tread block of the tire, though scribing a line may best.
You need to know which bushings are currently installed. For example, maybe you have 0.5 degree bushings in, you'd need 1.7 degree bushing on the right side to get camber spot on zero (they don't make that). I'd use a 1.5 degree bushing there. For the left front, again assuming 0.5 degree bushing currently installed, I'd try 0.75 degree to get closer to zero. Set the toe last, it changes as you change caster/camber bushings.
They do make adjustable bushings, that's what most of us run with leveling springs. If that's in you future plans, it would make sense to install the adjustables while you're in there.
It's not way off, but the negative camber on the right front is a bit much. The caster looks fine to me. Negative toe, or toe-out, isn't any good. Truck probably wanders a lot? I shoot for slightly toed-in. To do this, I use a tape measure with the truck parked on a flat surface, measuring distance between the front tires front/rear, looking for 1/16"-1/8" toe in (smaller distance on front side of tires). I typically use a tread block of the tire, though scribing a line may best.
You need to know which bushings are currently installed. For example, maybe you have 0.5 degree bushings in, you'd need 1.7 degree bushing on the right side to get camber spot on zero (they don't make that). I'd use a 1.5 degree bushing there. For the left front, again assuming 0.5 degree bushing currently installed, I'd try 0.75 degree to get closer to zero. Set the toe last, it changes as you change caster/camber bushings.
They do make adjustable bushings, that's what most of us run with leveling springs. If that's in you future plans, it would make sense to install the adjustables while you're in there.
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