Progress is always satisfying! There is nothing worse than changing parts, and looking at a pile of "good" used parts, hoping the problem is fixed!

 

The alignment shop is probably a waste of time and money. Set toe to 1/8-1/4” toe’d in and see how it drives. Monitor tire wear and drive ability and adjust if necessary.

 

FYI:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...that-easy.html

 

Also FYI taken from the 7.3L PSD Tech Folder:

Alignment DIY Method - Tie Rod Adjustment - Toe In

 

I just figured the alignment shop could change out the upper ball joint alignment bushing if need be which is something I can't tell if I need. I have no way of telling if my caster and camber are set correctly. I know you can change out the bushing on top of the upper ball joint to change those adjustments which my truck already has an offset bushing in that hole. I just figured they would change it if need be and make sure everything else is lined up. I set my tow in the other day and it made it drive a lot better.

So is there really no point in taking it to the shop at all? Once I get my toe in set just see how the tires wear? Jason had mentioned to me that these trucks only have a tow in adjustment but, I read elsewhere that you can change that upper bushing to a more or less offset bushing. The bushings are like $30 a piece. But the only way to know if I would need it would be to have them put it on the table at the shop. But technically speaking if I'm not wearing tires I shouldn't worry about it. That's probay the route I will take them with all of you telling I shouldnt take it to the shop. No point in wasting money!

Also, thank y'all for the links. I appreciate it!

 

A tow-in adjustment is very different from a toe-in adjustment. Jus' sayin'.

 

And I used both in my last post!

I believe we were talking about toe-in correct?

 

I think so. Unless you have bigger issues lately you haven’t told us about?

 

Like what? Is tow-in actually a thing? I thought it was a joke. Wooooosh right over my head I quess

 

Are your ball joints sealed or do they have a grease fitting?

if a grease fitting, how was the fitment? I recently installed a set of XRF drag links and was not impressed with the grease fittings. I ended up chasing the hole and using different fittings

 

Yes, "tow-in" was a joke. It just means that if you had to tow your truck in, something must have broken.

 

Easy way that I use to measure toe in/out is to first jack the front of the truck up and then take a white rattle can of paint and spray the center of each tire tread while I spin them by hand. Once the paint has dried I spin each tire again and use a small screwdriver and scribe a line as close as possible on the center of each tire. This now gives me an accurate line to measure to that is also easy to see. Once the alignment adjustment is done the paint will wear off the tires quick enough driving on the road.

Rob

 

They all have a bushing for upper BJ. Yes, they make up to 5* offset bushing to adjust caster/camber. The only time I’ve used these is to improve steering wheel return-to-center and reduce ‘wandering’ on a few stubborn trucks (finicky owners?).

The shop will ‘set the toe and let it go’ for your $80-100. You can totally do that yourself.

 

It comes pre-greased from the factory and it comes with multiple different grease fittings including a cap. All of our 4x4 trucks don't have enough clearance for a grease fitting up top. The bottom ball joint comes with a straight 90° fitting and the clip that make sure it stays in place. The upper ball joint comes with a cotter pin, a clip, two grease fittings, one straight, one 90°, and a cap so that you can grease it and then put the cap in. From what I've heard you can actually do this with the hub on. You just have to turn your drive shaft to the correct orientation to get to everything. I didn't have any problems with the grease fittings though. They worked fine. Didn't see any issues with fitment other than of course hitting the driveshaft which is going to happen with any ball joint.

 

Wow, how did I not get that!? That joke whooooooshed right over my head lol! the only time I've ever actually had to have my truck towed was when my high pressure oil lines blew while I was going down the road. Of course as it turns out somebody else had already been messing with those lines before I got the truck and put them on with them rubbing together which of course, braided stainless on braided stainless is eventually going to rub a hole witch it did!

Luckily, every other time my truck broke down, it was still running half-assed enough to drive home. Actually I did get towed another time but the truck was still running while I was being towed. That was when I was having clogged up fuel line problems from my broken fuel pickup that caused my fuel pump to get starved and ruined. That was an intermittent running out of fuel kind of thing and the truck started knocking and sounded terrible and then I got towed and by the time I got towed to the shop that I work at, the truck was running fine again, figures!