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Dealing with this same same issue as you right now. My issue is definitely with the alignment and not with an off center steering wheel. Installed the exact same setup and tires last week. I ordered the bushings. They sohould be here by Thursday and I’m going to get them installed. I’m in South Carolina, if anyone has any advice on where to go for my alignment, please let me know.
Im fighting issues on my Carli kit. What area you in? I had mine installed in Lexington, then had it re-aligned at a shop in Georgia. They both make adjustments and call it good. I’ve been debating taking it back to Lexington again and have everything looked over again.
Which shop in lexington? I’m in Columbia area on lake Murray
Originally Posted by Wdhigh
Im fighting issues on my Carli kit. What area you in? I had mine installed in Lexington, then had it re-aligned at a shop in Georgia. They both make adjustments and call it good. I’ve been debating taking it back to Lexington again and have everything looked over again.
My 2.5" leveled truck pulls to the left slightly in the left lane, tracks perfectly in the right lane. I told the shop who installed the kit that I wanted the truck within factory specs - of course it wasn't when I picked it up. The shop they use for alignments says the caster is not adjustable - we know that's wrong! The shop then called their main shop who said that they have only installed the caster bushings once and the customer didn't like them so they removed them. I'm thinking of trying a couple different bushings myself just to see if I can change the track. How hard are these things to change on a new truck? Anyone have a link to instructions on how to do it? I really don't trust anyone around here to do it.
My 2.5" leveled truck pulls to the left slightly in the left lane, tracks perfectly in the right lane. I told the shop who installed the kit that I wanted the truck within factory specs - of course it wasn't when I picked it up. The shop they use for alignments says the caster is not adjustable - we know that's wrong! The shop then called their main shop who said that they have only installed the caster bushings once and the customer didn't like them so they removed them. I'm thinking of trying a couple different bushings myself just to see if I can change the track. How hard are these things to change on a new truck? Anyone have a link to instructions on how to do it? I really don't trust anyone around here to do it.
Now this might be a situation to find another shop... I might have to be doing the same.
My 2.5" leveled truck pulls to the left slightly in the left lane, tracks perfectly in the right lane. I told the shop who installed the kit that I wanted the truck within factory specs - of course it wasn't when I picked it up. The shop they use for alignments says the caster is not adjustable - we know that's wrong! The shop then called their main shop who said that they have only installed the caster bushings once and the customer didn't like them so they removed them. I'm thinking of trying a couple different bushings myself just to see if I can change the track. How hard are these things to change on a new truck? Anyone have a link to instructions on how to do it? I really don't trust anyone around here to do it.
It's not hard, just a pain in the ***. Jack up the front, remove the wheels, and you can see the caster bushing. If you look at this photo, follow the coil spring down and at the bottom you'll see a castle nut. Remove that and you can access the bushing...it's like trying to remove a fat kid in a candy store on the everything-is-free day sale. That little **** in in there tight. You can get a puller for it, I ended up using an air chisel, pry bar, heat, and a lot of expletives.
I think a lot of shops just BS people and say it can't be done because it's such a pain.
I hammer on the ear of the knuckle. Kinda like how you hammer on the side of a socket and it'll spit a stuck lug nut out.
But I haven't done that in a loooong time. It's pretty poor that shops don't know this. That axle has been the same for as long as every one of their careers. I wonder if they can fix thrust angle. That's for sure, non-adjustable. But you can adjust it.
It's not hard, just a pain in the ***. Jack up the front, remove the wheels, and you can see the caster bushing. If you look at this photo, follow the coil spring down and at the bottom you'll see a castle nut. Remove that and you can access the bushing...it's like trying to remove a fat kid in a candy store on the everything-is-free day sale. That little **** in in there tight. You can get a puller for it, I ended up using an air chisel, pry bar, heat, and a lot of expletives.
I think a lot of shops just BS people and say it can't be done because it's such a pain.
thanks for that. So just to be clear, you are saying the stock ones can be adjusted or this is how you remove them to add the new caster bushing?
thanks for that. So just to be clear, you are saying the stock ones can be adjusted or this is how you remove them to add the new caster bushing?
The stock cams are not adjustable. I believe they are 1* from the factory. Carli offers 2* cams with their 2.5" lift. So you remove the OEM cams and replace with these. You can also buy adjustable cams made by Moog that allow you to to vary the degrees from right to left to account for road crown and what not.
Cams can only get you so far, once you start needing more caster or you get further away geometrically from the stock setup you need to start altering things to bring you back. Radius arms that are longer/change the angle of the axle, can be adjusted, etc. Or arms that lower the stock RAs.
There's also 4 link systems! Lots of adjustability (and sway) there!
So many options to play with...one of the penultimate bonuses to owning the most popular lines of trucks ever made sorry to go on a little educational rant, hope it clears up something for you, the dear internet reader, reading this probably years from now...(so did the 2020 Raptor actually get the 7.0L motor?)
The stock cams are not adjustable. I believe they are 1* from the factory. Carli offers 2* cams with their 2.5" lift. So you remove the OEM cams and replace with these. You can also buy adjustable cams made by Moog that allow you to to vary the degrees from right to left to account for road crown and what not.
Cams can only get you so far, once you start needing more caster or you get further away geometrically from the stock setup you need to start altering things to bring you back. Radius arms that are longer/change the angle of the axle, can be adjusted, etc. Or arms that lower the stock RAs.
There's also 4 link systems! Lots of adjustability (and sway) there!
So many options to play with...one of the penultimate bonuses to owning the most popular lines of trucks ever made sorry to go on a little educational rant, hope it clears up something for you, the dear internet reader, reading this probably years from now...(so did the 2020 Raptor actually get the 7.0L motor?)
Ha.
no I appreciate it. It definitely cleared it up. So with my picture above I need a 1* caster to fix my issue correct? On both sides or just one?
no I appreciate it. It definitely cleared it up. So with my picture above I need a 1* caster to fix my issue correct? On both sides or just one?[/QUOTE]
You are pretty far off, you are on the inside of that caster valley and you really should be over on the other side. The Moog adjustables might be the right option for you? I've never used them myself but they would allow you to put 2* on the left and 1-1.2* on the right. Honestly, a good alignment shop should be able to do this for pretty cheap. Just let them know you want the left to be around 3.6* and the right for whatever they do for crown around your parts.
changed mine in my garage you can leave the ball joint in place and pry it out mine came out pretty easy with a punch / hammer / pry bar / pb blaster sill pretty new though 500 miles i got the bushings from my lift kit (carli) +2 degrees not a bad job i think the shops are scared and lazy! tires 35 12.50s truck tracks just as good as stock i didn't even align it steering wheel is straight . i was expecting the worse and it was much easier than i thought it would be. i guess every once in a while things work remember 500 miles thou very clean and new.
I finally figured out my alignment issue after a 2 inch bds level and Deavers leaf springs... drum roll please.... the dumbest thing.... loose bolts on my track bar drop bracket. Loose mounting bolts AND most importantly a loose bolt where the bar actually mounts to the bracket. It’s a 400 plus ft lb bolt and I don’t have anything that can measure torque that high. So I ripped it as hard as I could with a crescent wrench when installed. After a couple months it came loose and caused my alignment issues. This week I climbed under to check everything and found all the loose bolts. Re torqued them.... now the truck drives straight. However I still need to figure a way to get it torqued to 400ftlbs.... cause it came loose again a few days later. Just re-torqued today after work. I’m going to add locktite to it next.
sorry to go on a little educational rant, hope it clears up something for you, the dear internet reader, reading this probably years from now...(so did the 2020 Raptor actually get the 7.0L motor?)
