I did a fair search but didn't find what I would like to see. My 01 Ford SCab is ready for a front end alignment. It was done by a less than great garage a few months ago after I had installed all 4 new ball joints - tie rod ends were good as were all bushings. The truck wanders a lot more than I think it should (bumpsteer as well). A return visit to the garage after a few days of driving it got me a response and a print out that says it was OK - and according to the specs I was given, it was. Pulling my trailer seems to make it a bit worse - but the leveling bars seem to trim it to the correct height but that is not the real problem.

With that being said, has anyone come up with an optimum set of alignment specs that allow the truck to drive without constant correction? The truck is a 2001,
4x4
5.4
F150SCab
shortbed(6')
with Kumho 265 65x17 tires and alloy wheels
It is driven probably 80%+/- of the time with nothing in the bed and no trailer

 

you can do some checking yourself in 30 minutes if you got a buddy handy.--- first park the truck on level ground and let it roll straight forward prior to shutting off. dont move the steering wheel sideways.--- next, get a 24 inch level and put on the front tires, top to bottom . dont set on the bulge at the bottom of the tire where it touches the ground, move forward a couple inches, make sure the level is straight up and down. see that the top of the tire is about 1/8 or a little move tilted inward toward the motor, than the bottom of the tire.-------- next, set a 8 inch cement block on the ground outisde of each wheel (front). laly a 2 x 4 about 4 ft long on each block and push it up aginst the tire so it sticks out a foot in front and a foot behind the tires. get a buddy on one side and you on the other. use a 12 foot ruller and measure outside to outside the 2 x 4 in front of the tire, and behind the tire. run the ruler under the truck. the difference in the numbers should be about 1/4 inch, maybe 3/8 inch. that is the toe in. it should be less at the front. i do this every couple years as a quick chekc. if the numbers dont look right, then you have a problem. you can actually adjust the alignment if you wish using this method, but at a minimum you can check someone elses work.---------- last, i would jack up the front end so the tires are 3 inches off the ground with a jack under each A frame--- no jack on the truck frame. now stick the 2 x 4 under one wheel and yank it up and donw. look for movement in the lower ball joint. see that it has very littel movement - that proves it is a good ball joint. last, lay under the radiator and look at the tie rod, stabablizer bar, and especially the idler arm connected to the frame. have your buddy move the drivers wheel back and forth about 1 inch so the passenger side just barely moves and yo look at all the stuff inbetween to see if anything has any slop.

 

[QUOTE=steve(ill)]you can do some checking yourself in 30 minutes if you got a buddy handy.--- first park the truck on level ground and let it roll straight... QUOTE]

Thanks Steve - I'll give it a try - my guess is that toe is out causing my wander. The "mechanic" that originally did the alignment after new ball joints had to have his boss redo the alignment because he admitted one of his rotating plates were stuck. My guess is that they did one step better than an eyeball (maybe).

 

you could have the ball joints too tight or damaged causing wander and bump steer

 

Thanks - but very much doubt that as I greased them(MOOGs) and moved the whole assembly before reattaching the tie rod - smoothern' a baby's bottom