With all the wiring done I thought I’d take the 58 out for it’s first test drive. Holy crap! It scared the stuffing out of me when I got up to about 45MPH. It got squirrely and I thought I would end up in the ditch. Now I was sitting on a five-gallon bucket at the time. But that’s because the seat won’t be back until next week and the exhaust was scheduled to be installed on Saturday. I though I would just drive it the five mile to the muffler shop instead of putting it on the trailer. I slowly drove back to the shop and parked it. Now I need to start to figure out why it took me for such a wild drive. Where do I start? I did lower the truck. Axel flipped both the front and rear, new bushing on the springs, and a stabilizer on the front. Help!! This is going to be my wife’s truck and it has to drive right (safe).

 

Was the exhaust going straight into the cab? And I always use an old cut down lawn chair for my temporary seat. Less scary than the 'bucket seat'. These are the adventures that make old truck stories. After it has a seat and a proper exhaust, you can work on the handling aspects. I'm sure you'll tame the beast soon. Just don't get hurt in the meantime. Good luck!

 

Mine was squirly as you say until I got it aligned. Toe was bad. Wheels we toed out and gave me bad bump steer.

 

Have you checked the Toe in? It should be 1/16th". Use the two pieces of wood method.

 

Back when I had bias tires, if anyone remembers those, I ran 1/16 toe in. After switching to a taller 31" radial I had to increase to 1/8 to get proper steering. I don't know if thats caused by more side wall flexing in the radial. Just wondering if anyone else experienced that?

 

"Have you checked the Toe in? It should be 1/16th". Use the two pieces of wood method."

Can you explain the two piece of wood method to me?

I may need to add the tires are 30 years old and in bad shape. I'm looking for some Mustang rims. Then new tires.

 

I tried sitting on a milk crate once to yard drive an old '55 Fairlane I had in my own yard. I got stuck on a hill where I was pulling my weight on the steering wheel while pushing my body back as I depressed the clutch, then was unable to steer. I had to yell to a friend to stick a chock behind the wheel so I could get going again. I'll never drive on anything that's unstable again.

 

Take a couple thin pieces of wood sort of like a yard stick in shape but longer and put them in between the front side of the front wheels. I use the rims as my measure point as I feel they are more acurate. Anyway, hold them together and where they overlap, make a mark across where one ends on the other. Then go to the back side of the front wheel and do the same measurement and make a mark where the sticks overlap. The difference between the two lines you made is either the toe in or toe out. I try to hold them close to the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to get the most accurate reading I can. This is prolly clear as mud. Really, you are just using a couple of sticks as a guage. Kind of old school but it works well.

 

What he said, works every time!

 

A long time ago I used to the same method. I would use a couple of hose clamps, leave them loose enough so you can slide the sticks back and forth. It makes it easier with the clamps so you don't have to hold the sticks and loose your measurement. Mark the front measurement. Then do the rear, then measure the difference.

 

I'll add one improvement to the two stick method taught to me by a friend.... He takes a sheetrock screw (or a nail) with the point protruding through a board. With the front wheel off the ground, spray paint the tread with light colored spray paint as you spin them. Then introduce the nail very lightly somewhere near the center of the tread by tipping the nail end of the board upward. This scores a well defined line around the perimeter of the tire tread and true as the wheel bearings. Bent rims, lumpy tires dont matter. Also the mark is way farther out from center, increasing accuracy. Now factor in that you aren't bent over way under the front end with your two sticks. I like the hose clamp idea, I have always used c clamps, but hard with one hand fumbling under the truck.

 

Or just go to Les Schwabs and have an alignment done. Just kidding. But actually your post was fantastic, because now I know what the red lines on my new Maxxis Bighorn 32x11.5 R15 tires are for.
Unfortunately my tires are installed with the white letttering in so the lines are on the inside of center. I think you can see them on my "Spring sag" thread.

 

inside of center, outside of center. It makes no difference as long as they are marked while the tire is spinning. This is the true mark to measure both ends from for your 1/8th inch. Right now I have 2 tires, my side mounted spare and my right rear with the white letters facing out. That's because I had a flat a couple weeks ago and havent had time to switch them out. Not a big fan of 'ROWL"......