I agree.

Pop..I see what you're saying.

If he had nicely just repeated his original question, no one would have taken offense.

It was the repremanding tone he took and the disrespectful way in which he told us to "keep the crap to ourselves" and "sit back and learn something" that we don't approve of.

Some of the guys he was saying that to are some of our most knowledgable, and members who truly contribute to the forum. He has no place taking such a tone with those particular people..just my .02.

Now we're off topic even more.

 

Yeah, we do tend to get off topic on occasion, but when that happens, we are usually steered back in the right direction without any name calling or insulting. Good post Pop!

 

X2

But dont we need a new OT thread since the other ones so big??

 

i'm just gonna sit back and laugh at this one.... No help here tho, i don't know how to an alignment (back on topic haha)

 

I understand most positions. All too often a thread that could be technical and short and sweet explodes... Happens all the time. When I search I find myself paging through several pages just for an inling of information. I would rather a tech thread stay a tech thread and we all get the better from it. Thats my position. I understand you all know eachother and know a lot more than I about "Our" trucks, and only ask to learn.

So anyone with good methods to center up the steering wheel and keep these tires rom scuffing or wearing otherwise poorly please chime in, We're all, all ears.

PS. Good to meet you son...

 

You to Dad..

 

Scrambler,
I set the toe in on my 350 4X4 by measuring halfway up on front of tires and same on back of tires. Pick same location on tread. Also center your steering wheel. For the camber, you can find camber inserts for the top ball joint. They also can be rotated a small amt.

 

You can center your steering wheel by adjusting the drag link

 

Welcome to FTE, Dad - you're stuck with a new name, now! (the welcome being intended only due to your low post count, not length of years as a registered member).

Sorry I'm wasting your time by writing stuff you don't want to read, but I just wanted to be polite and give you an official "WELCOME".

Now, back to the topic at hand.... and let's not waste any more of Dad's time folks.

 

To set the toe raise the front wheels with pressure on the springs ,,blacken the tires with an acetalene torch while spinning

use a scratch all set on a block & scribe the center of the wheel while spinning ...after setting the truck wheels on the ground ,a tape measure will work to set the toe 1/16 to 1/8 neg ,,(narrower in the front) ..Best to be done on tables ,,but it will be close.Tables allow the tires to relax.. If the wheel is off ,,turn the drag link to set it straight .

If the caster or camber is off ,,then you will need special measuring tools for that ,,along with excentric shims( they go in the axle) for the top ball joint ,,,

not really something you can do at home ,,unless you have the equipment to do it ..

BTW , if you are planning to shim ,,also plan on 4 new ball joints , they won't survive R & I...

 

if your so good at doing this type of work then you should already know there is a oval type washer on the top ball joint that can be turned for caster camber, the tie rods take care of toe in..and drag link will straiten the wheel out....i think most all rigs with ball joint are about the same..even though i know how..i still pay the 50 bucks to have it right and have a computer confirm it..these trucks are not a 2,000 pond toy going down the road..there 7 to 8,000 lb PSD built to work....id welcome you to the family ...but thats not the subject at hand and this family don't talk to each other that way...with the free answers you get..a little respect is all we ask for...

 

i dare you to go to any other site and see if you get any help in the first hour you post....he!! you would be lucky to get an answer the same day on most of them....chill out and enjoy the ride...every thing worth while needs a little work to accomplish...nothing is free...unless your a rich kid and mom and dad hand you things all the time....so what if you need to read a couple pages to find the answer....do it....

 

And I second that!! Thank You.........

 

Sooooo.. Ya, um camber and caster can be adjusted with the upper ball joint eccentric, however they need to be set within a 1/4 degree to make most people happy. basically an alignment rack is need to get that accuracy. I did find a place that sells eccentrics in any flavor you want, including adjustable types, but I ended up taking it to a shop. price goes up with big tires. I have always done my own alignment on lighter vehicles, but heavy 7.3 is another story.

I think bad alignment can cause wheel bearing failures, as there is a horizontal load on the bearing as the driver steers against the pull.

 

Man, I'm glad I never crossed you folks