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When I got my 1995 F150 XLT 4x4 a few years back it had with 160k miles on it and had a number of issues from minor engine problems to brakes, suspension, and drivetrain. I fixed minor engine problems like surging; gave her a tune-up; fluahed the transmission; and put on new brakes, bearings/races, and seals at all four wheels. Then, I replaced the tie rods and drag links with Mevotech brand parts. Had it aligned by Firestone, but steering was slightly off due to gear box looseness and ball joints. After only 3 years and 12k miles the mevotech parts had all failed last month. Mid-July I got them warrantied through RockAuto and replaced them, but since I was doing them I decided to replace the gear box and pitman arm. I kept the same measurements from the old tie rods measuring from the center of grease fittings to end of the showing threads. This threw my steering off by 90° at the steering wheel when wheels were centered, but it drove straight as an arrow.
Well, one thing led to another and the whole front end has been rebuilt. The list aside from tie rods and gear box includes: Ford OEM radius arms, Moog radius arm bushings, Moog F250 coil springs, Energy I-beam bushings, Yukon front upper/lower bj; Moog adjustable camber/caster bushings; Spicer front axle u joints, Timken and National axle seals and bearings, and swap from Trac-Lok to open Diff for an Aussie Locker install. The truck pulled hard to the right after this rebuild at a neutral camber/caster bushing setting. BTW they are Moog K80108 camber/caster bushings that allow +/- 3.4°.
Now 2 alignment shops can't get the truck aligned correctly. I know the TTB is biatch, but should still be able to get in the green. The first shop was in a small farming community were my parents live. I assume that shop would have had experience working on full size Ford trucks of all years die to working on farm trucks. I was sadly mistaken. The tech didn't know how the adjusgable bushings worked, and I had to explain to him that the top nut is adjustable and to adjust the lower portion it gets separated from the ball joint enough to turn it and then pressed back in to lock it's ears into the knuckle. The guy claimed the spindles and all have to be removed and ball joints pressed out to do that. I told them to forget about it and would take it elsewhere.
I got my truck from dad's and eased back to Des Moines to the same Firestone who did aligned it initally. I got my truck back today. They claim they had to charge an additional $45 per side for labor on top of the $79.99 alignment charge. This was due to the extra work of the bushings. They did 3 alignments in 1-1/2 hours and claimed the steering wheel was 180° out of rotation. Claiming the coupler must have been rotated when installing it. The are wrong steering wheel is still only 90° off.
You have heard what I have, what I have done, and what I am up against. I am learning but am merely a novice when it comes to steering and suspension. Any suggestions as to what I should do. I feel like Firestone is trying to give it to me pretty hard.
Last edited by Z3T3C; Aug 12, 2014 at 04:02 PM.
Reason: More info
Sounds to me like you need to find an alignment shop that knows these front ends. What part can't they get right, just the steering wheel off? Do you have a printout of what they set it to?
Typo in my earlier post... my steering wheel is off about 45 degrees to left. IIRC the input shaft of the gear box is splined or flat when I installed it so in order for steering wheel to be off about 45 degrees in either direction from center it would have to be due to the tie rods being maladjusted in either direction? See it below in the pic...
Yea that ain't right, give it back with the wheel like that. That right there is enough show it was poor workmanship.
Even if out beyond your bushings, doubt it and does not appear that way in your last picture (front on view would be best), the steering wheel should be straight its center spoke level when running straight down the road.
Make drag link shorter (right side) and tie rod longer (left side) both equal amounts would center steering wheel while retaining toe setting.
Whould need list of 1996 F150 4x4 alignment specs and where each bushing is set now to know if can be properly adjusted or not.
3.2deg bushing appear to allow for the most amount of correction, I didn't find any offering more in my quick search.
Possible its too much but only say that because I don't have them in hand, would think they'd offer "neutral" or very near it regardless. And if too much the tech should have been able to tell you that too.
Look at both bushings and using instructions see where both are set, appears set to beyond camber limit "bushing" wise, last attempt gained little more caster but lost little more camber doing so.
Again without ford spec sheet and where the bushings are set now couldn't say to much for sure, other than of course no the steering wheel should be straight and regardless of other settings out of range or not.
I just argued with Firestone about it over the phone. They still stand by that the steering wheel is 180 degrees out not 45° to the left. They still claim they couldn't do anymore to center the wheel by doing it with tie rods and drag link... it is at the gear box. They said they should have never even aligned this old of a truck to begin with and there is no way to get it right. They claim their alignment tech spent 4-6 hours on it last night and time this morning. They wouldn't address why the initial alignment check reads 9:07 AM and the final reads 10:24 AM which is clearly less than 4-6 hours. Now they did change my valve stems, rotated, and balanced the tires last night, maybe they barely know how to do that.
Unfortunately, there are not much for actual 4x4 service shops here, so my options are limited. Any luck with the Ford dealers with alignments for our trucks? I am digging their new slogans.
You can get an exact location of the wheel by counting number of rotations from where straight ahead is now that are required to hit full lock in each direction from that point.
Should be equal and IIRC it is 2 full revolutions to full lock in each direction.
btw - I just did my 90 in jan/feb timeframe - every single front end part. you absolutely MUST have a driver in the seat when camber is measured and toe/cross steer is set. The truck has up to 19 gallons of fuel and a driver on that side and it DOES make a difference on the rack.
