I'm almost done getting this 4inch lift kit in and am planning on heading to the coast on Sunday, but I wanted to get an alignment done on this thing before I drove 5 hours on it and no shops around me are available. Isn't it a pretty simple thing to do, just turn the tie-rod adjustments until the front of the tires are a certain distance apart and the back of the tires are a certain distance apart? Anybody got any advice on how to do it/know the difference the front tire gap should be from the back tire gap? It's an f250, extended cab, long bed, and i put the 4inch lift on and am now running 35inch bfg mud terrains. Thanks for any help.

 

You know what it wasn't but a couple weeks ago that I asked that very same question. Out here in Germany nobody has the know how to do the aligment right on my truck well to say the least the ruined a brand new pair of tires and I still dont have a good aligment. Its not just bad it real bad. I hope somebody helps the both of us.

 

start by starting the engine then centering the steering wheel.
Next, get down on your hands and knees and eyeball down the left side then the right. It's hard for me to explain becuase I have done it so many times without thinking but when you are sighting along the edge of the rear tire you should see the front of the front tire toeing in slightly, about 1/8 of an inch.

adjust the toe by turning in or out on the tie rod adjustment sleeve. After each alignment adjustment hop back in and with the engine running recenter the steering wheel.

A good way to judge the proper amount of toe is when you are looking directly across the edge of the back tire you should just barely be able to see the lettering on the outside of the front tire. Total toe should only be about 1/8 of an inch, That's 1/16 in on each side.

Caster and camber is another story altogether. There is no way to do that at home. Even if there was since you had to ask this question I'd never be able to explain how to set it. Especially the caster setting. It will have to be done and my best recommendation would be at the ford dealer. Any of them should be able to do it. If your local one has a moron that says the truck won't fit on his rack then tell him to take the turn plates off the alignment rach and set them on the floor next to it. It's what I always did. Some mechanics are either too lazy or unwilling to lay on their back to do the work these days but it works jut as well as putting it up in the air.

For the actual alignment specs, tell them to use the factory settings. Also I hope whatever tires you put on it are rated as high as the truck calls for because they need to be aired up to the door sticker prior to the alignment.
If I can be of any more help feel free to email me. Alignments and front ends are my thing. I work on guns for the military now but only because being a mechanic anymore is not a good way to put food on the table unless you like ripping people off.

 

What is the toe in ANGLE for a F-350 4x4 CC 1997 model?