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I recently installed the Rough Country leveling kit on my 86 F150 4x4 and got it aligned today but the front wheels still lean out. How do you correct this problem? The truck looks great leveled.
Here the results from the alignment. It doesn't look like they touched the camber at at all
It's possible the tech that did your alignment didn't change out the camber bushings when they probably should have. A quick look at the upper ball joint area should tell whether or not it was done. I'm going to assume the leveling kit came with camber bushings. Another thing to consider, the new front springs you installed will most likely settle a bit after driving. I would verify that the bushings have been done and drive it for a day or two, see what happens.
It's possible the tech that did your alignment didn't change out the camber bushings when they probably should have. A quick look at the upper ball joint area should tell whether or not it was done. I'm going to assume the leveling kit came with camber bushings. Another thing to consider, the new front springs you installed will most likely settle a bit after driving. I would verify that the bushings have been done and drive it for a day or two, see what happens.
There was no bushings with the kit. Just springs. I'll look at the upper ball joints but I doubt they installed them.
As Fuzz educated me, the ball joint "eccentric" (not placed centrally or not having its axis or other part placed centrally).On mine, it looks like this :
They were used to bring the camber in-line after the PO installed 2" spring spacers for alignment purposes.
How much did you pay for the alignment? You did not get a "full" alignment, just a toe adjustment. I say that because your other adjustments are colored gray. All the adjustments should be green or red, I am thinking grey means they told the machine don't check it.
I ran into that when I called around, found a shop that would do a "alignment" for $30 where everyone else wanted at least $60. Went there to get it done and I already had the bushings installed, but they needed to adjust them. They did it and came out with a $60 bill. I was a little mad that they didn't inform me in the beginning, but I do realize all the work to do it so I paid them anyway.
They have to break the upper balljoints loose and try to adjust the bushings to get the camber and caster in spec all in one adjustment. I found out if I hadn't already had the bushings required, that it would have probably cost $150 for the alignment, so get ready.
The '82 I had needed the bushings in order to be fully aligned, even though it hadn't been lifted nor had the springs replaced. And it cost over $100 as they had to order in the bushings.
How much did you pay for the alignment? You did not get a "full" alignment, just a toe adjustment. I say that because your other adjustments are colored gray. All the adjustments should be green or red, I am thinking grey means they told the machine don't check it.
I ran into that when I called around, found a shop that would do a "alignment" for $30 where everyone else wanted at least $60. Went there to get it done and I already had the bushings installed, but they needed to adjust them. They did it and came out with a $60 bill. I was a little mad that they didn't inform me in the beginning, but I do realize all the work to do it so I paid them anyway.
They have to break the upper balljoints loose and try to adjust the bushings to get the camber and caster in spec all in one adjustment. I found out if I hadn't already had the bushings required, that it would have probably cost $150 for the alignment, so get ready.
Take it back. You are a little bit more informed now, and tell them to give you the full alignment you paid for. Get ready, they may hit you for some new eccentric bushings, and in the end they may not be able to get it totally in spec. You can't lift these trucks with just springs or spacers, though some have gotten away with about 1 inch or 1.5 inches. Any higher and they run out of adjustment.
Update: I took the truck back to the shop that did the alignment and they told me installing the camber bushings is not part of a normal alignment. They said they would install them but it would cost between 300.00 and 400.00. I said forget that and took it to a different shop and they installed the bushings and did the alignment for 257.00. I know now to not go to the first shop anymore. I feel the first 163.00 I spent was a waste of money but what's done is done. At least the truck is fixed.
I wouldn't call it fixed until you replace that outer tie rod end. Should have done it before you had it aligned.
What's wrong with it? They would not have aligned it if it had play in the joint(they shouldn't anyway).
If you are concerned about the boot he can replace that later without messing up the alignment. I would not worry about it myself. If it's greased each time he changes the oil, it won't get any appreciable amount of dirt or water in it.
What's wrong with it? They would not have aligned it if it had play in the joint(they shouldn't anyway).
If you are concerned about the boot he can replace that later without messing up the alignment. I would not worry about it myself. If it's greased each time he changes the oil, it won't get any appreciable amount of dirt or water in it.
Maybe where he lives is different. Where I'm at, no alignment shop would ever touch that truck with a broken dust boot. There's no way for alignment shops to know if a customer will regularly grease their tie rod ends, and they would rather not face the liability if the customer's tie rod end developed play due to lack of grease and caused some sort of accident going down the road.
06-03-2016, 06:38 PM
. How do you correct this problem? The truck looks great leveled.
