two part question. Just got the front end redone. Need to know where i can get camber nut and where in san antonio can i go to get it aligned? Guy told me that only 4wheel parts can do it. for 150$ that is steep. something about all four tires need to be aligned. any answers will help. No lift just standard ttb front end

 

A thrust alignment (4 wheel) is much better (and expensive) but not necessary.

I would just let the shop that performs the alignment supply the necessary pieces to do the job right.

 

Um, how the heck does the rear axle end up out of alignment? I mean seriously guys... what kind of shop is trying to sell people with a solid leaf-sprung rear axle a 4-wheel alignment? OMG, the axle may have shifted on the springs! No, no, wait, the spring bushings are so bad that the axle is free to shift from side to side under the truck...yeah THATS it! Sorry, maybe I'm missing something critical here but until someone points it out, I'm gonna giggle at it. I might put some credibility into it if we were talking about an old Chevy Nova since they rolled off the factory floor dog-legging down the road. But not in this case. I would be willing to concede that if the truck had been subjected to some sort of accident or serious punishment that could have bent something as strong as a leaf spring then it might be worth checking out.

The only axle that you are going to adjust if things are out of alignment is the front one anyway and with the TTB there is very little to adjust even then.

 

McLeod thats how i felt too when they told me that. the guy at the shop was telling me after the replacemtn parts i needed an aligment and four wheel parts told him they are the only ones who can do a four wheel alignment. thanks for the help.

 

Les Schwab charges about $70 for it.

A 4 wheel alignment would help correct a crabwalking situation.

I live in an area that gets extremely windy, making handling an issue in these Fords, as well as rutted roads.

I spend the extra $$ in the off chance that it might help in the vehicle control department, but is it necessary, I don't think so.

 

The few 4 Wheel parts centers I've been in do not have 4 wheel allignment machines.. They only have 2 wheel allignment machines. Also there's no adjustment on the rear axle of the bronco so it's impossible to do a 4 wheel allignment. Whoever tells you otherwise is an idiot and I wouldn't let them touch your vehicle.

Allignment shops suck.. 95% of the time they just set your toe and send you on your way.. Never touching the camber/caster of your setup. Make sure you get a print out.. It will show the before and after settings so you can see if they messed with anything.

 

There is a difference between a thrust alignment and a four wheel alignment.
A thrust alignment simply aligns your front end with the thrust angle of your rear axle.
This link has some info that defines the difference:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=4

 

Just like a school girl.

 

[qupte]On all vehicles with four-wheel independent suspensions, or front-wheel drive vehicles with adjustable rear suspensions, the appropriate alignment is a four-wheel alignment.[/quote]

So I stand by my original statement. Whoever said he needs a 4 wheel alignment is an idiot and should not be touching his car.

If someone doesn't know what their doing they'll never get a good allignment. Let alone a TTB allignment. The TTB on a lifted bronco is a trick SOB.. By far the hardest allignment to do.

 

Thats fine, and I would agree with you.

I was just clarifying what I was refering to and wanted to make sure that the definitions of types of alignments were understood. Some folks refer to one type when they mean something else.
I even made the mistake myself of refering to the "thrust alignment" as a "four wheel" alignment on my second post above.

Where I get my alignments performed, there is only a $10 difference between a plain jane front alignment and a thrust alignment.

What makes me cringe is when someone pays $150 for an alignment, lifetime or not.
My vehicles retain thier alignment for 10 years or more. What a waste of money.

By the way, a rig that has rear ended another car could have one frame side rail pushed back just enough to throw the thrust angle out by at least several degrees. The damage would be so minute that most wouldn't even know it. Many of these vehicles have that pushed down front bumper.
Even a weak spring on one side, front or rear, can throw thrust it off.
Vehicle tracking is then less than ideal, especially on grabby roads.

I've had nothing but problems with tracking and handling issues associated with these TTB's and I keep mine in excellent shape.

I'll bet many on this site are not the original owners and therefore have absolutely no idea what the past life and "minor" accident history of thier trucks are.

But, I'm not an alignment expert so I'll shut up now.

 

Yeah pretty much. And I too must agree with Spectre here... even a thrust alignment on a vehicle with the rear axle rigidly mounted is a moot point unless, as I mentioned, the vehicle has been severely damaged in some way so as to bend or break some rear axle mounting components. And if that's the case, replacing the bent or broken parts would rectify any thrust alignment issues.

The only vehicles I know of that had thrust alignment issues right off the factory floor were the old Chevy Nova and Pontiac Phoenix (same car essentially). My buddies and I used to make jokes about them all the time.

 

You are simplyfying the cause and effect.
Even a mild hit to a corner could rack the frame enough to cause problems that are visually undetectable to most people.

If you show me your engineering degree you might convince me otherwise.

Opinions are like $*/-holes, everybody has one.

 

Add all the chevy halftons from 91 till about 05 to that list.

Also new GM mid size cars like the malibu. Ford trucks like 90's rangers. Explorers. Especially explorers.

Most were just stupid camber adjustments not quite right.

If you get a 4 wheel alignment vs a thrust alignment and your rear end is tweeked the least little bit you will leave with a crooked steering wheel. It's almost a guarantee.

On every alignment machine I have ever used since they started using computers, it's a different setup for 4 wheel vs thrust. In most cases they don't even mount the rear wheel heads for a thrust alignment.

I ALWAYS did 4 wheel whether the customer paid for it or not FWIW. I have a pet peeve against crooked steering wheels and I kinda like doing the job right. With a standard thrust the computer cannot account for any weirdness in the rear axle so you get what you pay for.

Any alignment job under 200 bucks that includes caster and camber changes on your truck is a steal in my experience too. After figuring an hour a side just for the alignment bushings which is pretty much standard that is just a steal. Even if you figure the labor at a half hour per side it's a bargain.
My experience is mostly at dealers but I worked at a few tire shops doing alignments too when I had to. I don't think I ever did a good alignment for that cheap. Going out on a limb here but that price in my experience gets you a set the toe and let it go job as one old boss of mine called it.

I've always heard good things about that company you mentioned though so maybe they just have outstanding prices and don't pay attention to labor rates in the rest of the state.

 

You are underestimating the strength of the truck frame. I have no engineering degree and don't need one to rest comfortably knowing that as long as the truck hasn't been involved in an accident, it's not only unlikely, it's damned near impossible for such a vehicle to need a thrust alignment. We aren't talking about a cheesy uni-body vehicle here.

Yes, I have an opinion... that holds as much weight and validity as any engineer's or rocket scientist's on this forum. My sincerest apologies if you feel you are right and I am wrong.

 

Actually, after reflecting on the topic a bit, I concede to your point and really question my thought process about it.

About the only benefit to a thrust alignment (in these types of vehicles) would be the centering of the steering wheel. (which does drive me nuts if off center)

In the future I will question if I want to spend the extra $10 on it.

I guess I get to squeel like a school girl too, now! (or is it a giggle?)

Regards
Ken