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Well .... I'll be dogged .... all this time I was thinking it was toed in at 1/8". Today, knowing that I needed to check my toe precisely to be sure I didn't go too far yesterday (above), as all I did yesterday was shorten up the front ... but yesterday, I never actually measured across the rear. I just "assumed" that I had it right. Today I measured it all (I used a rubber mat on the wet ground) and I found that instead of going too far, I was actually only a bit over 1/8" total toe in when comparing front to rear. I was sure some disbelieving until I checked both front and rear twice more. So it looks like when I've been driving, I've had pretty much ZERO toe for some time.
Small wonder it had a little "wander lust".
Today I set it as near as my eyes and a magnifying pair of shop glasses will allow, to exactly 3/16" total toe in comparing front side to rear side. The slot in the adjustment sleeve is at about 1 o'clock as viewed from the driver side towards the passenger side.
Originally Posted by Ford book
1/16" is minimum and 5/16" is maximum and 5/32" is optimum or sought figure according to Ford back then. I know exactly where to put the sleeve seam if I need to return it.
3/16" is just 1/32" over the Ford "optimum", and some 1/8" shy of the Ford "maximum".
I made myself some alignment sticks to make adjusting toe-in easier. I wasn't about to pay what a shop wants for an alignment around here knowing there is only one adjustment they can make. I had to cut a half moon shape out of the steel so the would bolt to the hub without hitting. The alignment sticks with my trusty (and highly accurate ) Stanley tape measure got the job done. Was a bonus that I got to play with the plasma cutter that arrived the same week I did the alignment.
I tried aligning with a string and some stands, which got me close, but I later found out I was about 1/4" toe-out and it wandered a lot, and there was a lot of feedback through the steering wheel. Made the alignment sticks, and set it to 1/8" toe-in and it didn't wander near as much, I might try adding a bit more toe-in based on Ford specs you listed above. Still 70's steering tech so it will never be like rack & pinion, but with all new stuff, RHS on mine as well, it is night and day difference compared to what it was before I replaced everything.
I made myself some alignment sticks to make adjusting toe-in easier. I wasn't about to pay what a shop wants for an alignment around here knowing there is only one adjustment they can make. I had to cut a half moon shape out of the steel so the would bolt to the hub without hitting. The alignment sticks with my trusty (and highly accurate ) Stanley tape measure got the job done. Was a bonus that I got to play with the plasma cutter that arrived the same week I did the alignment.
I tried aligning with a string and some stands, which got me close, but I later found out I was about1/4" toe-out and it wandered a lot, and there was a lot of feedback through the steering wheel. Made the alignment sticks, and set it to 1/8" toe-in and it didn't wander near as much, I might try adding a bit more toe-in based on Ford specs you listed above. Still 70's steering tech so it will never be like rack & pinion, but with all new stuff, RHS on mine as well, it is night and day difference compared to what it was before I replaced everything.
I'll bet so! On a 4wd solid axle with the long parallel tie rod they do work great as long as one doesn't mind some jacking and wheel/tire removing. Not so well with independent suspensions though as the vehicle weight affects the suspension height and tie rod angles. I once had a set of angles like that, but I haven't seen them in years. I may have repurposed them. They do work.
I made a jig to set up against the wheel lips of 15 and 16" and 20" wheels, it has plastic tips so it will not mar the wheel lip. I use it with my cars and my '07 that all have alloy wheels. I have a level area, like my car port or the shop room. Pull in, and set the jig against each side, and place tape on the floor that I mark. Then back away and measure directly on the floor with a 6 foot rule I have, or a tape measure. Then I adjust and try again. I don't use it with the '07 as it has rounded deep dish beauty rings that I'd need to remove and those steel wheels would probably do OK. Very rigid and if by chance there is a twist in it, it self cancels out when used on the other side. The math is not needed unless relating inches to degrees.
On my '77, the tires on it have straight treads and very well defined straight grooves that run true when spun, so they make for reliable locations to measure from / to.
Took the old girl (truck) to the post office, the dumpster station and then to town for my Wife to get a M-gram at the hospital today, then to grab supper on the way home. Call it 35 miles, most was on 55 mph US 11 .... a 4 lane highway. That 3/16" toe in is a great deal better at "setting in a lane" than that zero was. Yeah, It's really nice.
Just a reminder, 1977 F-150 4x4 with 1978/79 type parallel steering and a little extra caster due to C-bushings and 2" rear drop .... and RHS box.
Got home, eat, then listened for a real low level knock sound I've been hearing at drive throughs or other situations where it might idle in gear stopped, and am 99.44% sure it's not timing chain (steady rhythm) nor fuel pump, but rather is the outer ring on the FP eccentric and the inner ring interacting when little oil is falling from the lifter valley hole above. I had her idling, in gear, brake set, tires chocked, really lowrpms .... and there it was ... faint, but there. Used my night stick, a screw driver, and my stethoscope all. Timing chain was smooth sounding, no slap.
..... low level knock sound I've been hearing at drive throughs or other situations where it might idle in gear stopped, and am 99.44% sure it's not timing chain (steady rhythm) nor fuel pump, but rather is the outer ring on the FP eccentric and the inner ring interacting when little oil is falling from the lifter valley hole above. I had her idling, in gear, brake set, tires chocked, really low rpms .... and there it was ... faint, but there. Used my night stick, a screw driver, and my stethoscope all. Timing chain was smooth sounding, no slap.
Still believe is the eccentric. Rythm is rock steady, not at all like a timing chain slap that is kind of random. Mostly noting it to myself, but if you've heard it with yours and care to comment, welcome. In the year since writing that, it has not changed on mine. I had thought I might replace my water pump by now, but it's not leaked. I thought it had, but it was a heater hose nipple up near the distributor, so I'm pretty sure that I will attack it in Spring/Summer 2026 as I've bought a new one which has it's own new nipple, then I'll lay hands on the timing chain and that fuel pump eccentric. If it ain't one of them two loose from wear, then I'll maybe replace the fuel pump.
Last edited by tbear853; Dec 28, 2025 at 12:06 PM.
A few posts back I showed a hitch crane, but this right here might be of greater use, for things like old appliances to be hauled off, etc. Looks like it is limited to 300 pounds. Hitch-Mounted Lifting SystemNo, not thinking of spares or jacks, but would work for some stumps, etc. If you had just one end of a item on it, would get that end up on the tail gate, then you could wrestle the other end up as you'd only be lifting part pf the weight. Back saver, if it saves it once it's worth it.
OK, found it on Amazon too, even with videos. It has square tube, but it has a swivel joint too, just above the horizontal bar going in the reciever so once platform is higher than tailgate, just swivel it in to the bed.
Today I measured it all (I used a rubber mat on the wet ground) and I found that instead of going too far, I was actually only a bit over 1/8" total toe in when comparing front to rear. I was sure some disbelieving until I checked both front and rear twice more. So it looks like when I've been driving, I've had pretty much ZERO toe for some time. 
) Stanley tape measure got the job done. Was a bonus that I got to play with the plasma cutter that arrived the same week I did the alignment.
