I have a 1978 f150 that looks a little off. How would I go about determining if my problem is body alignment or axle alignment. First post, be kind. I’m a senior citizen.

 

My '77 was off like that, only the other way. Was 3/4" difference, the passenger side tire was outward more. It was great for near 30 years, then a "buddy" pointed it out sitting in a parking lot. That night I made a 3/8" spacer to go between trac bar mount and frame, centered it about perfect.
I noticed the same thing at the rear of our Mustang, it's a '08. I lowered the rear a little. I couldn't move the trac bar mount, but I could move the hole, so I did.

If you lower the front, the trac bar will swing that out. Or, you could measure the difference, and add half that to the track bar.

 

Couple ?'s... did you recently lift it..? Have you rplc'd the track bar bushings lately? If you lifted it, then you might need to get an adjustable track bar to "center" the axle back under the truck. If you haven't changed the track bar bushings, more than likely they have some slop in them, my 77 did that a while back, if I had it running, sitting still and turned the wheel you could physically see the front of the truck move in relation to the tires...

 

I bought it with a skyjacker lift on it. It has a drop bracket for the track bar and I replaced the bushings not to long ago when I did the gear box and ps pump. Twice now in the past 2 weeks I have gotten the death wobble also.

 

Lay down in front of the truck, have someone sit in the truck to just vigorously wiggle the steering wheel left - right just a couple inches, as you observe the track bar at each end where bushings are. Engine does not need to be running. Also watch close where the track bar mounts to the frame with two bolts. You can even grab safe areas to feel for movement. Extended trac-bar brackets used with lift kits on trucks running oversize tires puts added strain on those bolts and the truck's frame.

 

Your track bar drop bracket isn't long enough or the track bar isn't long enough.

the lift is pulling the front axle to the driver side.

Get an adjustable track bar and square the front and rear axle at an alignment shop on a rack (and get a new front end alignment as well) and drive it wobble-free.

 

He said it had so I figured "the real hillbilly" knew what was there, but you could be right.

If "the real hillbilly" looks from the front, the trac bar and the drag link should be very near parallel end to end, going by the bolts as the trac bar has a bend out at the wheel end. If not, good chance the extended mount wasn't used. Not lifted, it's just up on a lift.

 

It definitely has a drop bracket for the track bar. I would guess that the po bought an all-inclusive kit as it has the extended brake hoses, drop brackets for radius arms, pitman arm etc. but like you , I am not a fan of the brackets for the track bar. All great info. It is much appreciated and I am going to look into the adjustable track bar. Has anyone made their track bar? My neighbor has an extensive machine shop and does this sort of thing. I appreciate everyone’s help and advice.

 

So, your trac bar and drag link are parallel?

A good reliable absolutely trust worthy experienced welder / fabricator (not "Johnny Jackleg") could make short work out of lengthening the track bar. Measure the difference, in tire wheel set out from fender, you'll want to add exactly half that.
One way involes finding another one, cut both and weld part of each back to make one longer. Once it's right, it'll not likely change unless it gets wrecked.

Before doing any of that, examine the frame close with bright light and magnifying glass with the bracket removed.

 

Here is a pic of front end. What will I be looking for behind the bracket? Cracks I presume?

 

https://skyjacker.com/shop/track-bar/ftba76-adjustable-front-track-bar/?srsltid=AfmBOorUZkKTnipoBDIu00u1tvVGkQ-KX0gvSyp4Ys0cMddW6UIseJ9_

if you want to be sure the bar is what you need any alignment rack can tell you cross wheel distance to show if front and rear are square or not. (Diagonal measurement between front and rear)

 

Yes, cracks, and try to determine if the frame rail is twisted or not when compared to the other side rail. The outside of the frame rails should be plumb with each other. Hard to see that bracket, how it's made.


Here is a stock bracket, only the bushings were changed.

 

Everyone is right, and somethingclever is spot on with his linked part. Truck has a lift, truck has a trac bar drop bracket, but it looks like it does not have a adjustable trac bar. Because the complete axle is off set to the dvr side. It looks to still have a stock/OEM trac bar. Quick, simple and faster to just purchase a proper adjustable trac bar and not make home made steering components.

Buy one, and take it to a reputable 4wd shop/front end shop (that does that level of work) and have them install it and adjust it. And then while it is there have them double check the front end alignment. That new adjustable trac bar will recenter the axle and stop the bump steer...AKA death wobble, caused by the lack of the proper trac bar installed. Sorry up front, I am just talking to get the point across very matter of factly. I am not meaning to be mean, just honest.

Very nice looking truck for sure. Interesting that they added the lower steering stabilizer instead of putting it back in the OEM brackets, that are still there. I recon the amount of lift made them to far outa line to reuse.

If you are not a fan of a trac bar drop bracket you can get a trac bar riser bracket that attaches to the top of the axle in place of where the OEM trac bar attaches (on/to the passenger side of the axle). It does involve reworking the OEM lower trac bar bolt and welding the riser bracket to the axle. But then you can go back to a OEM trac bar coming off the frame.

Trac bar riser for 1/2 ton/F150. https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/78-79-...hoC9BsQAvD_BwE

X100 trac bar and drag link "should" in a perfect world, be parallel to each other, for best steering geometry. The riser is what early Bronco folks do to deal with the even narrower (width) axle and lots of lift.

 

But I did say

But is because while I know a bunch of guys that can weld, there is only two I'd trust to do that, and I ain't one of them. An adjustable store bought one likely does bring more certainty.

 

A lot of great things were said and you are right also. When it comes to building steering components, IMO if had better be a very high level Pro fab shop that understands all that is required in building proper adjustable trac bar linkage. And has done it more than once. $159 and zero guess work, install and go. Winner.