axle alignment (D44)

[viperar15]

alrighty... getting my 99 ranger ready to be back on the road.
we measured up the wheel base and did cross measuring to get the dana 44 up front centered right to left and front to back.

the setup is coils and shocks (not leaf sprung).

the problem we are running into right now... 1 of the radius arms lines up with the ranger frame just fine (the passenger side radius arm looks good)

but the drivers side radius arm sits further inside of the frame some rather then under the frame. (this is the end of the radius arm i'm talking about where the rear brackets will be going).

any ideas on why this would be like this?
would this be normal under a 99ranger 4x4?

this truck will be used primarily as a daily driver, so it does need to be done right.

thanks!

 

[RumpRangerSTX]

bent rad arm maybe ?

 

[1badexplorer]

Maybe if you are using the 79 style arms the C busings could not be seated correctly in the arm causing it to be off.

 

[viperar15]

Maybe if you are using the 79 style arms the C busings could not be seated correctly in the arm causing it to be off.

ya know... that could be a possibility. the axle is a 76 f150 d44.
but the rad arms came from another junkyard.
never thought they would have changed that also in 79...
will have to check it out.

now... i do know i did try pulling on the arms today when i got home from work and i could kinda move them back and forth a little.

bent rad arm maybe ?

i dont think its bent. neither look like they are, but i will try and give a closer look just in case.

 

[4x4junkie]

How far off is it?

 

[NMB2]

if its close just pull that arm over to it, the flex in the bushing will allow you to do this.

 

[Nemisus]

curious? Not really on topic, but

I don't suppose your have any positive camber in this setup? I used the same axle as you (full width) with Duff Long arms and both sides are very positive in the camber? I'm trying to figure out what caused this? As I was under the impression straight axles didn't have any camber adjustments!

sorry to highjack... Good luck with your Rad arm issue!

Nem

 

[fordtrucknut77]

camber adjustments in the 44 axles are in the ball joints there is a ecentric nut threaded into the housing and you turn it and move the ball joint as needed

back on topic carry on!

 

[viperar15]

How far off is it?

it's off by about 2 - 3 inches

 

[4x4junkie]

You should be able to pull that over and shove it into the bracket. I think most likely it's just the bushing is in a slightly different position than on the other side, or it's from a combination of tolerances between the radius arm, C-wedges and/or the bushings themselves. If nothing else looks bent or out of position, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[NMB2]

agreed. 2-3" isnt a big deal.

 

[AKBroncoII]

There is a wedge type spacer that fits behind the spindle on those axles to adjust camber if it's not too bad. I wouldn't recommend running the balljoint as it doesn't last as long and is rather weak.

 

[viperar15]

thanks for the help guys. it looks like thats all it is, we've pulled it over and looks like it'll be just fine, so my brother has the steel at the shop today so we can start creating the radius arm mounts.