Strange alignment

[94STXRanger]

Alright so i put my 5.5" lift on about a month ago, since then have been trying to align it. The other day we finally buttoned it up as close as we could get it, which isnt really close. We started on the left side, just because the eccentric was so knarled and needed replacing. We figred out that we needed the largest degree of eccentric i can get for this truck which i think is 3.25 degrees. So once we got that in we could get the camber and caster basically perfect.
Next we moved to the right side and when we popped out the eccentric we realized it already had the 3.25 degree cam in it, so all we could do was put it back in.
The best thing we could do by suggestion of my teacher was to just get the left and right even, so here are the specs and what we ended up with:
Camber: .8 to -.3*. Left final setting is -.3*
Right final is -.3*
Caster: 6.0 to 2.0*. Left final is 1.0*
Right final is .9*
Toe is close as well. So basically we got the tire wear angles close enough, and tried to get both sides even so it would at least go down the road straight. So I guess im asking if there is any more adjustment for those eccentrics? is 3.25* the farthest they go? I know that my rad arm brackets dont go down far enough, destroying my caster, but without long arms i cant really fix it. Is there any other type of trick i can try?

Thanks for the help
sorry if this is the wrong forum

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

most lift kits come with a set of radius arm drop brackets. your caster is way messed up and the truck is going to drive like crap. i wouldnt do anything until you get those arms fixed (extended arms or drop brackets).

 

[4x4junkie]

Something isn't right with the ride height on your suspension if you need eccentrics that big.

If the axle is in the lower pivot bracket holes but the camber is too negative, see if moving the axle to the upper bracket holes helps.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

im sure i dont have to remind you junkie...but remember that with TTB, changing one setting changes both the other settings. his caster being so far off could be giving the illusion of his ride height/chamber being all fubar..when really it could be his TOE that isnt set right.

 

[4x4junkie]

You're saying that the bushings being set for so much caster is leaving little range left for adjusting the camber?
If that's the case, then something certainly needs to be done to get those arms down lower.

Why are the arms not down low enough anyway? Did you not put the RA drops on?? (guess I should've paid more attention to that part, I just assumed the kit was properly installed)

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

im saying that with that little caster, it sure sounds like his radius arms/brackets are coming up short...thus "rolling" the axle forward. with the axle positioned this way, his toe now effects his camber.

i guess to see if this is really whats happening, you could adjust toe on the machine and see if your camber changes.

 

[94STXRanger]

wow sorry forgot i made this post. But i did get drop brackets and installed them, and i know they are just too low. With the lift, i could get all the drivers side settings perfect w/ a 3.25* bushing. But when the truck was stock i had it aligned and it needed the 3.25* even then, and now its even worse. The only reason the camber is so bad is because the caster was as close to spec as we could get it. So on the pass. side we tried to equal it out and get both semi close. The drivers we simply matched, even though we could get it perfect. We only did this to have caster close on both sides as not to cause a tough pull to one side. The toe was fine. And really considering the truck drives good. I know the problem is the rad arm brackets. They just arent low enough, and when i can ill get ext arms. But until then i guess ill deal with it.

 

[4x4junkie]

The RA brackets are too low? or not low enough?

I s'pose either way it still needs to be fixed so you can put more reasonably sized bushings in there (such as the 2-piece adjustable ones).


WS, I see where you're going now. It'd have to be rolled WAY forward (negative caster) to have the toe significantly affect the camber reading like that. In '94's case, it's just almost straight up/down.

 

[94STXRanger]

Yes sorry they are too high. And yes the pass side is almost 0* just barely pos. The Driver side was only adjusted to match, and could be within spec. So Are RA brackets the same size for say 4" and 6" or is there actually another two inches for the 6 inch kit? And would longer arms solve this problem?

 

[Loanranger]

Is it possible that something is bent in your suspension to warrant a 3.25 bushing at stock height? I would look into that first.

 

[rickcdewitt]

With the lift, i could get all the drivers side settings perfect w/ a 3.25* bushing.

you might have a bent passenger side arm.one trick to getting a little bit of caster out of that side might be to loosen the two bolts that mount the radius arm to the beam and rotate the beam with a pry bar.theres usually some wiggle room.
you could also put washers under your coils to bring up camber so you can swing the bushings towards caster a little more.
if you know someone who is a good welder you might consider cutting and adding a half inch to your drop brackets until you get ahold of some extended beams.
a picture of the front of your suspension might help

 

[94STXRanger]

I cant put spacers under the coil. They already push the beam down farther then the RA brackets can handle. If i had 4" coils, then yeah, but with the 5.5" it would just make caster worse i believe.

 

[rickcdewitt]

I cant put spacers under the coil. They already push the beam down farther then the RA brackets can handle. If i had 4" coils, then yeah, but with the 5.5" it would just make caster worse i believe.

yes i should have thought of that

 

[94STXRanger]

Lol yeah, basically i have the opposite problem most people do.

 

[np205]

Other problem is duff brackets need 2 holes like skyjackers and only have one. Still need to take mine off and redrill the axle pivot bracket holes.