Do they make an adjustable caster/camber bushing for a 1989 E350? If they don"t are the 1992 and later models compatible? Thanks

 

You'd have to just check availability.
I have them in my 07.

 

Thanks I can't find anything for a 89 E350 and was told the only way was to tweak the frame.

 

Does the 89 use king pins?
I didnt think it did.
Are you doing this just for alignment reasons??

 

WiskeyVI, I believe 1992 was the first year Ford used used ball joints on the Econolines.. I think their F series were already using ball joints long before 1992.

I remember seeing some kind of bushing kit that was designed to work with the radius arm bushings that allowed you to adjust the caster a minute amount. If you could find one of these kits and installed it then it would throw the rest of the specs out of wack..
D5UZ-3111-B 1975-1991 E250/E350 king pin set.

If none of the parts are damaged then besides toe in or out, the ride height is what is most important. That determines the factory engineered caster and camber. AS the front springs get old and sag a little, that changes the ride height. Ford did make a kit to correct slightly low ride height. It is basically a big 1/4" thick washer that went under the lower spring perch on the I-beam.

D5UZ-3111-B 1975-1991 E250/E350 king pin set.

I could see the ride height getting way out of spec on a RV with all the extra weight. extra weight or sagging springs in the rear of the RV will cause the front end to raise causing positive camber. Too much weight up front and the front ride height lowers causing the wheels go into negative camber.


So if this is for alignment reasons then one of the first things to check is the ride height. There is a formula in the service manual to calculate the caster camber according to the ride height dimensions.

Finding a shop that still knows how to align our older vans is a problem. Think about it, Ford stopped using the king pin set up on the vans 30 years ago. How many young techs know how to check the alignment? 30 years+18 years to become an adult+ work years gaining experience. I had to help the guy who did my last alignment because he was at a loss of what to do. My van has 1 adjustment sleeve and that is it.
I think JWA recommends taking our vans to a big truck shop for alignment as they deal with king pin set ups daily.

Here is one page from my manual about ride height.

 

I think annaleigh summed it up pretty well!

 

Thank you guys,lots of info. I think I need to find a old school shop to figure out my problems.
Thanks again for all the info.

 

What kind of problems you are having with the steering/suspension? Is your RV a cutaway or class B? Either way a E350 is pretty heavy and I would recommend a tractor trailer shop as they deal with king pins daily.

 

Seems ok until it gets up to 55 or 60 then it gets very loose feelng. Constantly having to correct but not over correct. If that makes sense?

 

POPULAR MECHANICS MAY 1973:
START QUOTE:
If too little caster exists, the car will wander and weave,
thus necessitating constant corrections in steering.
END QUOTE:

 

I agree with Harvard that caster can be an issue. BUT the older Econolines with king pins have no caster adjustment. The caster settings are engineered into the steering/suspension system. While our Econolines will never steer like a luxury car, like the older trucks with the same basic suspension, they should not wander and weave from side to side unless something is worn or out of spec. One of the more serious issue that has been known to happen is that the frame rail can crack where the steering gear box bolts on. Though I doubt this is an issue here...
There is a TSB about the steering gear box on my 1988. The TSB says to adjust the steering gear after so many miles. I forgot how many miles it stated but I have adjusted mine and that helped greatly. Another issue I had was that the drag link had just a very little play on one end. Because of the play the toe was set to 0. This stopped the tire wear but sometimes on crowned roads, the van wanted to drift to the side and on highways little dips could cause the van to drift a little to one side or the other.

So it can be a combination of issues and should be checked by a reputable experienced shop. There are many videos on youtube about checking the front steering/suspension on fords with twin I-beams. i have never seen one video that covers everything though so you might have to watch several.

From the Ford service manual: