Alignment issues!!!
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Alignment issues!!!
HI guys, I have a 1990 Bronco. It has the dual shock kit up front. I lifted it 6" and put on 35" tires. I already had it to the alignment shop twice in the past 6 months. I'm taking it to a new place on Monday (Desert Rat Off-Road). The last time, I took it to a dealership, the alignment turned out pretty good. Now, the truck still drives as straight as an arrow but, the wheels are tilting in again (the front wheels form an A when looking at the front of the truck). I don;t want to keep spending $150.00 every 3 months. Can someone tell me what I should ask the store to look at when I take it in. ANy suggestion will be helpful. THanks!!
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 8,547
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From: MA
Well, have you thought about purchasing the Superlift Superunner steering system? That should help youre truck in the handling department, as well as the alignment dept. I dont know much about aligning lifted vehicles, sorry.
Rich
Rich
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
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From: Gateway to the West
bronco351,
You are dealing with a camber issue. Lifting these trucks causes inherent difficulties with this adjustment. The ball joint shims that provide a combination of caster AND camber adjustment can be changed to aid in bringing the truck into alignment. There are about two or three different shims available to suit different alignment requirements. Since you can only gain so much adjustment from the ball joint shims, there sometimes comes a point where you are just stuck. Might try checking your ball joints for play unless they have been replaced recently. This can be accomplished by jacking one front wheel at a time and taking hold of the tire at the top and bottom. From there attempt to move the tire as you would if you were going to try and correct your camber problem by hand. If you get any kind of movement out of the tire/wheel with that movement (up/in or down/out), you most likely have a balljoint problem. (In some cases it can be a wheel bearing problem but then it will do the same thing if you try to move the tire left to right as well).
If none of this helps or it still cannot be aligned, you may look into Tuff Country's axle drop brackets. Tuff Country incorporates an adjustable axle pivot bolt assembly into their brackets that will gain 2.25 degrees of camber adjustment either side of zero.
You are dealing with a camber issue. Lifting these trucks causes inherent difficulties with this adjustment. The ball joint shims that provide a combination of caster AND camber adjustment can be changed to aid in bringing the truck into alignment. There are about two or three different shims available to suit different alignment requirements. Since you can only gain so much adjustment from the ball joint shims, there sometimes comes a point where you are just stuck. Might try checking your ball joints for play unless they have been replaced recently. This can be accomplished by jacking one front wheel at a time and taking hold of the tire at the top and bottom. From there attempt to move the tire as you would if you were going to try and correct your camber problem by hand. If you get any kind of movement out of the tire/wheel with that movement (up/in or down/out), you most likely have a balljoint problem. (In some cases it can be a wheel bearing problem but then it will do the same thing if you try to move the tire left to right as well).
If none of this helps or it still cannot be aligned, you may look into Tuff Country's axle drop brackets. Tuff Country incorporates an adjustable axle pivot bolt assembly into their brackets that will gain 2.25 degrees of camber adjustment either side of zero.
Last edited by greystreak92; Oct 10, 2003 at 06:43 PM.
