I-Beam alignment...
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Joined: Sep 2015
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I-Beam alignment...
No one around here does I beam alignments, the outsides of my front tires are wearing, I am thinking I can lower the front end 1/2-1" and solve the problem. There used to be clamps that your could bolt onto the coil springs and pull them down. Are there any other options for a "home remedy"?
Thank you, F O T
Thank you, F O T
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 615
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From: Smithville TX.
We are lucky here. There is an old man that does aliments and he is really good at older stuff. He don't mind getting ahold of a twin I beam at all. He can bend the axles and get it perfectly aligned. He does all of my work on my old stuff and my new stuff.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,697
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From: Vancouver
It's a funny thing that almost nobody can do an alignment on a twin I-Beam today. (I paid about $150 fifteen years ago to the last shop in my town that did it.) I wonder what happened to the tools...
Eric
Eric
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Iowa
Have you had the alignment checked yet? having the front toe-in to aggressive can squeeze the front tires together as you're driving forwards lifting the front of the truck and wear the outsides of the tires. Is it feathering the tire at all and does the front and drop and tip the tires in on top if you back up on concrete?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,113
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From: Iowa
Well that's a bummer, it fixed my 94 F150, 89 Ranger and Dad's 88 E150.... did you by chance replace the front springs?
And this is just my opinion for what it is. modern tire shops cannot correctly adjust literally anything on twin I beam front ends correctly, as the truck moves the tires push on the suspension and change the dynamics of everything. If you don't know how it works and how it's affected it's going to be wrong when driving vs on the rack. The best way I've found to get it perfect my self is drive forwards and measure the toe-in and repeat until it's perfect than start over checking the camber.... the old guys knew what the front end would do if they changed anything and didn't necessarily need to do that.
And this is just my opinion for what it is. modern tire shops cannot correctly adjust literally anything on twin I beam front ends correctly, as the truck moves the tires push on the suspension and change the dynamics of everything. If you don't know how it works and how it's affected it's going to be wrong when driving vs on the rack. The best way I've found to get it perfect my self is drive forwards and measure the toe-in and repeat until it's perfect than start over checking the camber.... the old guys knew what the front end would do if they changed anything and didn't necessarily need to do that.
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This truck had and engine swap, front disc swap and no telling what else. I'm still working the bugs out of it and can't find any mech's in the area that can or will spend the time on it. It gets frustrating, as I have no garage or place to work on it myself. I gues I'll try to squat the springs down somehow.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,651
Likes: 60
From: Hemet ca.
Keep looking for older shops. I had one 65 that needed aligning. Took it to several shops before I found "Mr Miagi" (Not real name)
This guy was as old school as you can imagine.
He put my truck on a rack with under ground work area. lifted my front end and with a marker he marked how the wheels rotated. (He was teaching his son who was about 35-40 how to align old vehicles.) He rotated the wheel while keeping marker perfectly steel. With that he started his alignment. Within 20 minutes my truck ran true and smooth. I sold that truck to a guy who could not believe how true it was. Keep looking, there are still old timers out there that know how to align. Of course if your I-Beams are bent, you need to take them to a truck shop. Be patient, pay less. Want it now, pay more. And it might not be done correctly. Main thing is be patient, you'll never know who you'll meet, or who will want to work on something they cherished, "THE PAST" Just be patient.
This guy was as old school as you can imagine.
He put my truck on a rack with under ground work area. lifted my front end and with a marker he marked how the wheels rotated. (He was teaching his son who was about 35-40 how to align old vehicles.) He rotated the wheel while keeping marker perfectly steel. With that he started his alignment. Within 20 minutes my truck ran true and smooth. I sold that truck to a guy who could not believe how true it was. Keep looking, there are still old timers out there that know how to align. Of course if your I-Beams are bent, you need to take them to a truck shop. Be patient, pay less. Want it now, pay more. And it might not be done correctly. Main thing is be patient, you'll never know who you'll meet, or who will want to work on something they cherished, "THE PAST" Just be patient.
