How long should I wait before getting an alignment?
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
How long should I wait before getting an alignment?
I just replaced center pivot bushings, trailing arm bushings, coils (moog 844s), spring seats, shocks and sway bar bushings and links all around, steering stabilizer etc and it rides like a new truck. I have a noticable positive camber now, it steers straight , but how long should I wait to get it aligned to give the suspension a chance to settle out? Is it even adjustable or do I need to get one of those ball joint bushings?
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Charles Town, W bygod Va
Id do it right away. If your camber is out some your toe is way out and that is what eats the tires. Look for an alignment shop that knows these trucks. When I did alignments I never used the adjustable bushings because they are impossible to remove down the road without destroying them. There are fixed bushings with different offsets available. You need to get your caster and camber readings then see what bushings you have in there now so you can calculate which bushing you need. You could just have the toe set now but you should be good if you set the camber a little on the positive side of spec so it will settle in just right. I set all tib and ttb trucks to +.5 deg + -.5, so if you set it to .8 or .9 you should be good for a while.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
Thanks! I just drove it about 40 miles and it is pulling slightly to the left, about 8 seconds to cross centerline so i scheduled an alignment for Wednesday morning, that was the earliest i could get a shop that would fit the truck on their rack. I've been soaking everythnig in kano, and i'll keep spraying them each day just to make sure they can free up whatever they need. I'll pass on the information to the alignment shop, hopefully they know what it means haha.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
Some pictures of how it sits, i think the new springs lifted it almost 2 inches, they were exactly the same height when removed but i think they were just worn out. It rides so much better now.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
I guess it just looks worse than it is. To my eye it looks bad but in pictures not so much.Thanks again!
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Post Fiend
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Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
Is it common place for alignment shops to be able to pull these caster bushings and have the correct ones? I am going to be using Mr Tire but they are also paired with a heavy diesel repair shop so I'm hoping they can handle it. Am I best off breaking these bushings loose first or are they generally not too bad on 2wds? I've bee soaking them in kroil, and I did order the Raybestos adjustables so I'll have them just in case they don't have bushings. And if they install them I'll make sure they paint them in nickel antiseize.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,437
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From: Charles Town, W bygod Va
Years ago it was common for alignment shops to stock them but I k i nda doubt it now. Last shop i did alignments for was next door to a napa and I had to talk the manager there into stocking some.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
I got the old bushing out, pretty easily actually, i put truck on lift, took wheels off, took out clamping bolt and drove a small steel chisel between knuckle to hold it open, then i pryed each right out without much effort with a large flatblade. They look like they were pretty far offset. I set the new adjustable bushings to be at zero for when i take it to the alignment shop. I also painted them with with some nickel antiseize. I think the camber is actually worse haha. I didnt have a protractor but using an angle calculator the hub circle where i measured with level on level concrete is 4.75", one side is 0.25" from being level at bottom of hub circle and that comes out to about 3 degrees, the other is 5/16" out which is about 3.76 degrees. The bushings are advertised to correct up to 4 degrees but i noticed that it says maximum -2 degrees camber on passenger side? Why is that? that's only going to get me to like 1 degree of positive camber at best.
Here are some pictures of the instructions and bushings i removed plus one of the adjustable i installed
Here are some pictures of the instructions and bushings i removed plus one of the adjustable i installed
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
Could worn rear springs be making this worse? Plus having a heavy utility body? It doesnt have factory wheel wells so i cant really tell how much the rear is sagging. I was planning on installing air helpers in the rear, i have them on a few other things and like them. I woldnt think it would make that much of a difference though.
Does anyone have a an IDI f350 dually that they could measure the distance of the rear of the frame to the ground for me?
Does anyone have a an IDI f350 dually that they could measure the distance of the rear of the frame to the ground for me?
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Felton, Delaware
Well i took it to the Ford dealer today as i called and verified with the service manager that a crew cab long bed dually would fit on their rack "yeah we do them all the time" Winner Ford, which is a very large dealership where i live. I get there they pull it on and it barely even fits on the lift, they said they can't align it and send me on my way. So i took it to 3 other alignment shops and have one scheduled for Friday with Mr. Tire again who physically saw the truck and verified that it will fit but it's an "exotic" alignment and is going to be $130.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Madison, WI
Is this truck a former pickup or a C&C? It almost looks like a C&C, which would explain why the dealer told you they could fit it on their rack when they couldn't. A C&C with a frame made for a 9-foot utility is longer than a long bed (8-foot) pickup. They probably have done CCLB pickups before, but not CC C&Cs with 9-foot frames (whatever wheelbase that would be). That's also quite possibly why Mr. Tire (is there a Mrs. Tire?... ) considered the job "exotic".