1998 alignment issues.

[schaffer]

So I've have my 98 for about a year now, a 4.0,4wd,5 speed supercab.I drove it as a daily up until 4 months ago when I got a car for school and used the truck as an offroad toy.I find myself wanting to daily it again.its in great shape still but the front end is out of alignment pretty bad.


Its had a good bit of components replaced on both sides(cv joint,tierod ends,wheels bearing and an upper control arm) but the tires have a large amount of negative camber and the steering is off.

Could the negative camber be caused by the UCA's sliding inward or the torsion bars loosening? I can't think of anything else(to my knowledge) that would cause the tires to pitch the way they are.


As for the steering,can I disconnect the tierod ends,center the wheel and reattach the tierod ends?

One other thing I had trouble with when putting the front end back together was the lower balljoint nut,how tight is tight enough? It seems as if its too loose it will cause premature wear on the ball joint.


I understand a quaility alignment can take care of this,but funds are low at the moment.

 

[adsm08]

I understand a quaility alignment is the only way to take care of this.

Fixed that.

The upper control arm has adjustments on it that are for the camber and caster. If you replaced it and didn't get it on a rack right away, that is a big part of your problem.

No, you can't just disconnect your tie rods and center the wheel, it doesn't work that way. The ends are threaded on to the inner rods. The toe is adjusted by threading them in or out as needed to get the desired angle.

As for the lower joint nut. Tight enough is tight enough. Tighten it up until you just can't.



I get the whole funds being tight thing, but think about this. An alignment is $75, tops. How much are those tires you are shredding up by driving with the front end all out of sorts?

 

[Brandon Nootenboom]

I agree with adsm08, my 97 has camber wear and they need to tweak the adjusters on top of the upper control arm to get it right. When I did the tie-rod ends on my old Dodge I got lucky and was able to count the threads before I removed the old to set the new ones to it, but if you can't do that you have to have it put on a rack.

 

[shane96ranger]

I agree with adsm08, my 97 has camber wear and they need to tweak the adjusters on top of the upper control arm to get it right. When I did the tie-rod ends on my old Dodge I got lucky and was able to count the threads before I removed the old to set the new ones to it, but if you can't do that you have to have it put on a rack.

Is yours not a TTB?

 

[adsm08]

I think he probably has TTB, is talking about the camber bushings, and is assuming the 98 is the same.

 

[schaffer]

Mine is Ifs....tops of the tires are pitched inward.I assume its due to the control arms sliding inward.

 

[colby450xc]

If you replace suspension components, basically everything other than shocks, you will need an alignment. The local Ford/Lincoln dealer my shop uses only charges $60 for a front end alignment. Just make sure all your ball-joints are in good shape before you drop it off. Just be happy it isn't a TTB, lifted or lower, with the proper adjustable cams no shop could ever get my damn 93 ranger aligned properly. I eventually said phuckit, and I had a lifetime alignment on that truck.