Need a little help here guys.
Backstory is. 1965 F100 rwd long wheel base.
You can skip this paragraph if you want.


Got it aligned a few three years ago to fix the caster. Tech was a twin I beam lover and set it up with plenty of caster, like nine degrees. Camber and toe set where they needed to be for it to track like a Lazer, 100 mph on the freeway with no hands on the wheel.
He said at the time that I would need new tie rods, which was the only thing in the front that i hadn't replaced.
​​rods.so it drove great like that until about a month ago I started getting thr death wobbles around sixty mph, steadily getting worse so I finally. Ordered a drag link from a brand i cant recsll and two tie rod ends and the adjustment sleeve from moog. Knocked out the old ones and put in the new with no issues, eyeballs the toe, and drove it to the tire shop to set the toe. I obviously had it toed out on the ride over as it would want to go one way or the other. Found the spec here and told the guy to set the toe 1/8" in. I picked it up and it was different but no better than when I dropped it off. English wasn't his first language and not in a hurry to become his second but I used my hands and had used him to set up cars from work so I know he knows what he is doing but figured he misunderstood. I got down there and brought the toe in and it seemed somewhat better. Took it back and gave him a second shot at it. Came back even worse so I put it up on the drive on hoist at work and using improvised turntables, plastic grocery bags work great, I set the toe with a string, jus a little in so the string just barely broke on the rear if the front tires. A method I've used for years to get cars driveable pre alignment and it works pretty ok. But I have a bad pull still.
End of backstory. The steering wheel is off about 45 degrees to the right. It pulls left like it wants the steering box to be centered where it used to be. If I overcorrect the left pull it goes right. I'm about to go out and give it more toe in to try to get it to track straight again.
The front was rebuilt by me three years ago with new kingpins with bronze bushings, new springs, shocks, urethane pivot and thrust bushings. All of which i have confirmed are still good. No play. No binding. Brakes are free. And don't change anything when applied. I rotated the front tires from left to right with no change.
my thoughts are, do I need to increase the toe in with the extreme, nine degree, caster? Is that steering box capable of producing a pull to what it considers center? Do I need to get the (new?) Three piece drag link so each wheel is adjusted separately? I don't really want to pay another alignment shop. Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks
Dan TK65

 

I’m no alignment expert but it sounds like only two things changed, toe in and the box is no longer centered. You’ve already messed with toe in several times without results. I’d get the box centered again to were it was before.

 

Are you sure the parts you replaced matched the old ones? The only way to center/clock the steering wheel is to pull it and reposition since only left side is adjustable via the tie rods. I don't think centering the box is the issue as the pitman arm and gear are both splined and can't be misaligned and the caster is what returns the wheels to center not the gear. Basically, point the right wheel straight, adjust the left one to it, then re-clock the steering wheel. Is it actually pulling left or just that with the steering wheel centered it wants to pull?

 

It pulls. After driving it again the wheel is closer to70 degrees off. If I put the wheel straight I would be going around in a large circle to the left. It is definitely a pull .
Im about to crawl under it now, never made it yesterday. Thanks

 

can't center the box because of the one piece drag link from the box to the right wheel, then the left inner and outer is where the adjustment is. So if I put the wheel, and box. Back to where they were the right side toe will be too far in.

 

It sounds to me like the drag link is too long. Wouldn't explain why it pulls but if you're overcompensating at the tie rod it would throw the steering wheel off kilter. After a fresh alignment I would expect the steering wheel would need to be re-clocked but def not 70°. Unless things were really bad before.

 

I got back under the truck and brought the toe in one turn of the sleeve, drove it. Then another half turn. And it got much better. Maybe not perfect, but it's not trying to change lanes on me. Only had to clock the steerinsteering around about 15 degrees after adjustment. Might be another half turn will get it where it was. Thanks for your help with this.
Dan. TK65

 

I want to close this post out.
I went on a road trip the other night up to San Berdoo from San Diego and found that the truck was not driving as straight as i had thought. Luckily I had the tools needed to change the toe. So I stopped and gave it a half turn on the adjuster, then a whole turn, and finally two and a half turns of the adjustment sleeve before I got neutral steering out of it.
What I am thinking is that with the extreme amount of caster I have it requires more toe in than stock which I believe to be 1/8 " in.
I appreciate any input or opinions.