Stock 1990 ext cab 4x4 alignment

[rcknrog]

To alignment shops have tried to align my pick up with no luck it pulls to the right hard. This was my dad‘s truck who passed away it’s a beautiful little truck in perfect shape but it pulls to the right. Anybody have any idea what type of shop I could take it to to potentially fix this problem? Thanks in advance Roger

 

[adsm08]

You need to find an old alignment guy. Not late 40s old, I'm talking about a chain-smoking, bent in half grey old man who thinks an alignment machine is some rebar under a metal plate and two pieces of string.

Seriously though, aligning a TTB front end doesn't have a lot in common with these rack and pinion systems used on everything these days.

Frame angle has to be measured accurately. I've found that 1/2 degree of frame angle is enough to mess it up.

Second, camber and caster must be set correctly. They can both induce a pull, but the factory specs are set up to make the vehicle naturally go to the right, so that if something happens to cause you to loose control of the steering, like driver incapacitation, the vehicle goes off the road instead of into on-coming traffic.

Third, when setting the toe don't use a steering wheel holder, leave it free, get one wheel to zero degrees toe with the steering wheel straight, then move the other wheel to zero degrees toe while bumping that first one back to zero with your hand if it moves. I've had the steering wheel holders screw me over many times on these trucks, and that zeroing method has worked every time.


You can also try flopping the front tires across the truck and see if it starts pulling to the left. Tires can cause a nasty pull that all the alignment in the world will never fix.

 

[rcknrog]

Thanks for all the great information, swapping the wheels to the other side hasn’t made a difference. But I agree traditional hook it up to alignment machine isn’t getting it it’s been tried twice. I just don’t know how to find this old dude that you speak of I wish I did I’m in Oakland California. Again thanks for the reply I appreciate it Roger

 

[adsm08]

Thanks for all the great information, swapping the wheels to the other side hasn’t made a difference. But I agree traditional hook it up to alignment machine isn’t getting it it’s been tried twice. I just don’t know how to find this old dude that you speak of I wish I did I’m in Oakland California. Again thanks for the reply I appreciate it Roger

The type of person I speak of left California at the end of the Regan administration. Try looking in east across the border with the US instead. I don't think you need a passport to travel from Cali into the US yet.

 

[bobbywalter]

Late 40,s old is fine. That is me.....you live in desert racing central. Plenty of ttb guys out there to get you right.

 

[bobbywalter]

I would argue the best ttb guys are in Cali and desert sw.,..

4x4 junkie lives there for shits sake.....

 

[rcknrog]

I would argue the best ttb guys are in Cali and desert sw.,..

4x4 junkie lives there for shits sake.....

Well for shits sake, thanks for your time.

 

[bobbywalter]

Likely with a heavy pull the caster is inverted left to right.


Sometimes guys will concentrate on just camber and end up with positive caster on one side and neg on the other....which gets you a horrendous pull. Say even 1 deg neg and 5 deg neg still nets pull.

I have gauges to get relative numbers....a simple angle gauge may give you enough data to figure out if that is an issue. Or at least know if there is a serious caster differential.

 

[bobbywalter]

Well for shits sake, thanks for your time.

That was referenced to Adsm

 

[rcknrog]

Likely with a heavy pull the caster is inverted left to right.


Sometimes guys will concentrate on just camber and end up with positive caster on one side and neg on the other....witch gets you a horrendous pull.

I have gauges to get relative numbers....a simple angle gauge may give you enough data to figure out if that is an issue. Or at least know if there is a serious caster differential.

Thanks brother. I’m going to need to find someone like you in my area. Thanks again.

 

[Josh B]

are you sure the frame hasn't been bumped somehow along the way ?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My brother did mine, he is a sr master tech at the local dealer. I had him do it because I knew he wouldn't pass it until it was right.

From my understanding is that everything has to be set each time. You set the toe and camber you bounce (correct term is jounce I guess) the crap out of the truck to zero out the suspension and then the machine checks it. Then you adjust it, reset toe jounce it and try it again. Once that is dialed in then you set the caster.

Finding a tech to stick it out and get it right is going to be tough.

@4x4junkie

 

[Curious Hound]

There is an excellent article in the "how to tech" section of this website that explains the ttb design, how it works and how to set it up. Between that article and what bobbywalter explained, you can probably get it corrected yourself. Once you understand the geometry and what adjustments are available, it isn't difficult to work with.

Follow this link. About half way through the article it gets into alignment procedure.
Ttb steering info

 

[bobbywalter]

yeah.....making some jounce plates is easy enough with some plastic or metal and grease.....roll up sleds cut up work pretty good.....

usually i just roll it along in a big empty lot.

 

[rcknrog]

are you sure the frame hasn't been bumped somehow along the way ?

It was my Fathers truck and he never mentioned any accidents. Everything’s original even paint right down to the pin striping.