alignment

ashleyroachclip · Oct 23, 2007

A little background
94 Ranger , STX supercab , 4.0 , 5 speed ,4x4.

I installed the f-150 spring spacers , got rid of the rake .
I installed new 31-10.50-15's , ProComp mud terrain tires , very nice tire .
Now I can see that the driver wheel has a bit of positive camber .
And the toe in is probably off because of it .
I don't want to have to take it in and have the front end aligned , So I
wanted to ask if any of you guys align your own after this simple mod,
I have new ball joints , so all the worn parts have been replaced.
I understand there are camber bushings available , but I am not sure , weather there is some adjustment , or if you have to replace the bushing to achieve any adjustment ...Follow ?
thanks .

F150hybred · Oct 23, 2007

Yeah, there are "camber" bushings available. Once you know how much offset you need, you can just go to napa and get them. If you can't figure out the degree you need, just get the ones that will max out your camber. Once installed, you can rotate them to the point where your camber is at zero degrees. Don't worry, all the maxed bushing will do is increase your caster. That's a good thing. it helps get rid of that death wobble. Once you get your camber set, you can then adjust the toe in. I believe the spec is 1/16".

4x4junkie · Oct 23, 2007

Yeah, but if the caster isn't the proper amount (which isn't necessarily the same amount on both sides), it'll pull to one side (TTB isn't prone to Death Wobble either).

If you're doing it yourself, the best bushings to use are the Ingalls 594, Specialty Products 24180, or Moog K8986. You don't need to know the degree amount beforehand, you just dial the bushing in until you have both the caster & camber correct (they usually come with an indexing chart as well).

ashleyroachclip · Oct 23, 2007

Yea , no death wobble .
I appreciate the replies.
Any one have a link to such a procedure ?
Any one know what the socket or wrench size is for the bushing ?
Thanks Ashley

F150hybred · Oct 23, 2007

Odds are if he did the work properly, there is no frame/suspension damage and replaced both springs with a matched pair, using identical bushings for both sides will work fine. As for the "death wobble", not everyone gets it. it usually comes about when someone has excessively large tires and improper caster setting. The lack of a steering damper when needed also comes into play with it. As I said, some get it, some don't. Either way, a little more caster is better than not enough!

4x4junkie · Oct 23, 2007

DIY Do It Yourself Alignment

The pinch bolt is 15mm IIRC.
To adjust the bushing a large Crescent wrench and/or Channellocks may be needed (it sometimes may be easier to pull the bushing out to adjust it).

As for the procedure, Spec Prod offers this.

What I do is just set the bushing to minimum ("A" lined up with the slot) and stick it in with "F-G" toward the passengerside wheel and "S-T" toward the driverside wheel, and adjust it however it's needed from there (if you know you already need some negative camber correction, then you can start somewhere on the neg side of the chart if you want).

You'll want to use a roller plate (steel plate and a couple round metal rods) under one front tire and a similar thickness piece of wood or something under the other so there's no binding or tension between the front tires after you let the jack down (any binding or tension between the tires can act on the suspension height, causing false readings). Alternatively you can roll the vehicle back & forth about 20 feet to settle the suspension, although if the toe is off by a lot, it still may not fully settle (2-3 times checking the toe, then rolling the truck may be needed if its way off).

Camber is pretty easy to see by sighting alongside the vehicle.
Toe can be checked by using a tape measure on the front & back of the tires, or you can use a telescopic rod between the inside of the wheel rims as well to check it (works better with AL rims than steel though). I always set the tires parallel (0 toe), although many set it for 1/16 - 1/8" toe in). Be sure your tires run true if you use a tape on them though (My Goodyear MT/Rs have almost 3/8" of wobble in them :no2:

)

To check caster, a drive up the street is needed if you don't have a gauge or rack at home. If it pulls right, add more (+) caster to the right side (OR less (-) to the driverside).
If the vehicle pulls left, then vice-versa.

Hope that helps

ashleyroachclip · Oct 24, 2007

So is there no adjustment of the stock bushing , or should I say , which ever bushing the is in it .The alignment was good for the last 4 years , until I added the spacers , and changed the bad ball joint .
Thanks again .

F150hybred · Oct 24, 2007

Factory camber bushings USUALLY are not adjustable. The bushings 4X4junkie listed are of top quality and will allow for proper asdjustment. If I had known these ones were available previously, I would have gotten them myself. The bushings I got through Moog were for just camber. But through adjustment, you could get some caster with them. These bushings allow for seperate caster and camber adjustment. Far better than the ones I purchased.

4x4junkie · Oct 24, 2007

You can adjust the orientation of the stock bushings in the axlebeam, but not the degree amount (offset).

Stock fixed-degree bushings are a PITA, even if you DO have a sophisticated alignment machine to measure it on. :no2:

alignment

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