Alignment questions

[aspevacek]

Ok I took my Ranger in and had it aligned. I have a skyjacker Class 2 with the extended radius arms and have just replaced all the balljoints and everything in the steering linkage with Moog parts. I have fully adjustable Caster camber bushings installed on the truck as well. After adding 1.5 inch spacers under the front springs I we were able to get the camber corrected to with in Ford specs. My steering wheel is straight and the wheels are straight ahead but I have a bit of a pull to the right as I go down the road.

Left front Rigth front
.2 camber 0.0
3.5 caster 1.5
.06 Toe .09

Front
Cross Camber .1
Cross Caster 2.0
Total Toe .15
Set Back -.21


My question is why is it we can not get the Caster set even and if anyone thinks that it is even possible for the steering gear box to be an issue? Lock to Lock turning of my box was about 2.75 turns and I am not 100% sure but it seems that the box is not rotating fully. I seem to have alot mor eclearance between the Radius arms and the tires then I did before.

My freind that did the alignment was concerned with the caster difference but was not 100% sure if it is enough to cause the pul to the right i am having.

Thanks in advance fo rany input anyone can add

Tony

 

[L454S]

Caster

Did alignments for years. Usually, You try to get appx. .5 degree caster more on the right to compensate for road crown. You are showing 2.0 degree more on the right. Your truck should have a left drift or pull. I would swap the front tires side to side to eliminate tires as the culprit. I don't have the Ranger specs in front of me, but the rest of your specs look ballpark.

 

[aspevacek]

the caster specs as per hunter are

Min Nominal Max
-1.15 -.75 -.35

That is what had my friend concerned but even using the fully adjustable bushing the truck is as close as we could get it.
My Camber had always been negative on my truck since the springs were installed on the front end ( / \ ) is what th etruck had looked like. The front tires are straight up and down now with the suspension settled. In the past I just swapped tires on the truck every 3 years because of the wear. Now that they are straight I am thinking I can put some good tires on it and get decent wear. My wife drives the truck and she is complaining about the pull, I intend on swapping the tires tonight after work to see if it is mabey radial tire pull, but at the same time the lock to lock turning of the steering wheel has me a little concerned something may be wrong in the gear box.

 

[Yellowsplash]

The spec for caster is 2-7* with 4-5* being optimum.

 

[4x4junkie]

The spec for caster is 2-7* with 4-5* being optimum.

^^
This is correct.

You need much more caster on the right side.
If the bushing has maxed out and you cannot get it into spec, then I would suspect something is bent under there (radius arm or beam maybe).

 

[aspevacek]

The truck has never taken a hard hit on the right side nor been involved in an accident in any way. the Truck has just over 80K miles on it and it is a 97.

and sorry that was the cross caster I showed.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Ideally you would want to get it to 3.5 on the left and 4.0 on the right to compensate for road crown.

Camber pulls to the most positive.

Caster pulls to the least positive.

 

[PrimerBlack]

I agree with sasquatch