Wheel alignment woes
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From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
Wheel alignment woes
I currently have an 80 F100 2wd...the wheels are tilted out towards the top(too much positive camber)...the only part that I replaced was the steering bar(drag link?) that runs from the driver side spindle to the long steering bar...the truck has kingpins....I've tried to do the wheel alignment myself like I have always done on these old girls,but I just can't seem to get the wheels to stop from tilting outward at the top....could it be that the part I replaced was the wrong part,maybe something on a different angle or ???????
What it looks like to help you visualize a bit easier is that the front coil springs are too heavy......my truck has an inline 6....nothing else has been changed on it other than the above mentioned steering component...before this,all was well,no tire wear,steered great other than slop from a bad tie-rod end........
Would shocks cause this problem by being worn out or ??????
Thanks for any help fellas
Bob
What it looks like to help you visualize a bit easier is that the front coil springs are too heavy......my truck has an inline 6....nothing else has been changed on it other than the above mentioned steering component...before this,all was well,no tire wear,steered great other than slop from a bad tie-rod end........
Would shocks cause this problem by being worn out or ??????
Thanks for any help fellas
Bob
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From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
Been driving it all along, and keep trying to figure out what is causing this...never had this problem ever before on any truck I've owned...I may just go and buy all new steering and try that....there is nothing that you can do to "set" in the front end to change camber/caster, according the alignment shops around here
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From: wisconsin
Has it been like that our just since you replaced the steering parts. Those shouldn't have any impact on to much positive camber. Are the bushings all good? less likely but if it has been like that does it ride rough like it possibly has F-350 springs ( 3/4 ton springs are about same height as half tons but one tons are taller) when you have the wheel off the ground can you move the wheel like the king pins are worn. If nothing else and the bushings are all good you could take it to a a shop that has the equipment to work and semi trucks to have an alignment done ( on these trucks the I beams have to be bent to fix camber problems)
FORDS_FORLIFE
FORDS_FORLIFE
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From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
Originally Posted by fords_forlife
Has it been like that our just since you replaced the steering parts. Those shouldn't have any impact on to much positive camber. Are the bushings all good? less likely but if it has been like that does it ride rough like it possibly has F-350 springs ( 3/4 ton springs are about same height as half tons but one tons are taller) when you have the wheel off the ground can you move the wheel like the king pins are worn. If nothing else and the bushings are all good you could take it to a a shop that has the equipment to work and semi trucks to have an alignment done ( on these trucks the I beams have to be bent to fix camber problems)
FORDS_FORLIFE
FORDS_FORLIFE
...this has been the problem ever since i changed the one tie-rod...no slop in the kingpins whatsoever...not a big deal,been like this for a few months,just was wondering what some thoughts were as to causes...
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Post Fiend
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
supertruck, I had the same problem with my 81 F150 2WD truck.
But my alignment problem came with the truck when I bought it new.
Went through front tires real quick. Kept on wearing on the outer edges of the tires.
Brought it to a specialized alignment shop and they had to put my truck on the rack and use a 50 ton bottle jack to bend both twin I-beams.
Had that done around 1982. It's been perfect ever since.
Alot of alignment shops can't do that on a standard alignment rack like a Hunter or that type of rack.
Hope this helps.
But my alignment problem came with the truck when I bought it new.
Went through front tires real quick. Kept on wearing on the outer edges of the tires.
Brought it to a specialized alignment shop and they had to put my truck on the rack and use a 50 ton bottle jack to bend both twin I-beams.
Had that done around 1982. It's been perfect ever since.
Alot of alignment shops can't do that on a standard alignment rack like a Hunter or that type of rack.
Hope this helps.
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A good front-end alignment guy could spot the problem easy enough. Like posted above, bending the I-beam is easy if they have the simple tool to do it with. Around here, I had to search out an old guy that has been in business for a long time to do it. It was a simple thing to do and he only charged $12.50 in 1995 for each I-Beam. Geez, he might charge $20 now, I dunno. But search out an old business that has been around a long time. They most likely can solve the problem or know who can do it.
Last edited by F3Beam; Oct 17, 2005 at 07:12 AM.
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From: Mid-Missouri
Try taking it to another alignment shop. I had a front end with castor that was out of wack. There is some adjustment allowed to the camber/castor. It will cost slightly more if there is a camber/castor adjustment required.
I've run into a couple of shops that won't touch an alignment on a for TTB frontend if it involves a camber / castor adjustment. It does take some skill, but not anymore than you would expect from a good shop / mechanic.
I've run into a couple of shops that won't touch an alignment on a for TTB frontend if it involves a camber / castor adjustment. It does take some skill, but not anymore than you would expect from a good shop / mechanic.
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From: Fleming Ga
One thing to becareful about when you find a shop to bend the I-beams. Make sure they do it the right way by chaining and bending with a bottle jack and not bending with a torch. Seen some alignment shops help the process out by heating the I-beams with a torch while bending. Makes the alignment go quicker but weakens the I-beams.
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
Originally Posted by ronclark
One thing to becareful about when you find a shop to bend the I-beams. Make sure they do it the right way by chaining and bending with a bottle jack and not bending with a torch. Seen some alignment shops help the process out by heating the I-beams with a torch while bending. Makes the alignment go quicker but weakens the I-beams.
Chains and 50t bottlejack.
Heat? Bad. Chains-n-bottlejacks? Good.
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The thing the guy used on my I-Beams was small enough to fit in a shoebox. It had an arm on each side of it which allowed it to hang from the I-Beam with hydraulic pressure applied from a jack-like centerpiece. Really nice, small, and simple effortless device.
Last edited by F3Beam; Oct 18, 2005 at 09:44 PM.
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From: Cranbrook,BC Canada
Thanks fellas for all the tips and advice...I guess things can just go "out of whack" just like that....the wheels were all fine,I jacked it up to replace the steering/tie rod end....everything just went for a big turd right after that.....I'll keep ya posted on any results I may find...thanks
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From: virginia