Which camber alignment bushings should I get?

[Eddo Rogue]

I installed the skyjacker leveling kit on my dana 35 ttb and now need to adjust the camber, the tires look like a "V" (positive caster?)

I found a plethora of options, considering the bronco graveyards or a superlok type.

What are the best brand and type of adjusters?

 

[Bgunner]

The biggest concern with camber adjusters with a lift is the amount of degree's that each one can adjust. There are multiple different ones ranging from under one degree to 4° degrees but the stock adjusters come with a lock tab that prevents them from being adjusted to far causing the V look. For just a leveling kit, 1- 1.5 inches a 2.75° degree camber adjuster should give you enough adjustment to get back into spec.

IF you are planing on a lift later in life then I would recommend the 4° degree adjuster allowing for more adjustment once the lift is installed other wise a 2.75° to 3.25° degree will do you just fine. In my case with my front springs sagging, which is fine for me because of height, I used the 2.75° camber adjuster to allow for the upside down V, it looked like this " ^ " in my case, to get the adjustment necessary plus have extra for when they do sag to much and I need to replace them. I've dropped a good 1.5 inches or so from stock height over the 26+ years of them being installed.

These are a simple cam style adjuster and there really isn't much tech involved in them so a major brand isn't necessary. It is basically a bushing with a off set hole drilled though it to allow for more adjustment. It uses a pinch bolt through the upper part of the knuckle to lock it into place once the adjustment is set so no complicated locking mechanism is involved. These I have found pretty cheap, price wise, on Rockauto where as my local shop charged me 35+ per side for my set. Hind sight I got screwed on pricing.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

The biggest concern with camber adjusters with a lift is the amount of degree's that each one can adjust. There are multiple different ones ranging from under one degree to 4° degrees but the stock adjusters come with a lock tab that prevents them from being adjusted to far causing the V look. For just a leveling kit, 1- 1.5 inches a 2.75° degree camber adjuster should give you enough adjustment to get back into spec.

IF you are planing on a lift later in life then I would recommend the 4° degree adjuster allowing for more adjustment once the lift is installed other wise a 2.75° to 3.25° degree will do you just fine. In my case with my front springs sagging, which is fine for me because of height, I used the 2.75° camber adjuster to allow for the upside down V, it looked like this " ^ " in my case, to get the adjustment necessary plus have extra for when they do sag to much and I need to replace them. I've dropped a good 1.5 inches or more from stock height over the 26+ years of them being installed.

These are a simple cam style adjuster and there really isn't much tech involved in them so a major brand isn't necessary. It is basically a bushing with a off set hole drilled though it to allow for more adjustment. It uses a pinch bolt through the upper part of the knuckle to lock it into place once the adjustment is set so no complicated locking mechanism is involved. These I have found pretty cheap, price wise, on Rockauto where as my local shop charged me 35+ per side for my set. Hind sight I got screwed on pricing.

Thanks B! exactly what I needed to know. Would 3 degrees be too much? I found some of those.

I do plan on a lift later, but it will be the cut and turned arms kind.

 

[Bgunner]

3° degrees will still allow back to 0° degrees so you can't have to much in this part, the same goes for the 4° degree adjusters.

 

[Locotomb]

If you can find a good price on 4's grab em. But 3's will be enough. Depending on what kind of lift you go for later, 3's should still be good. Drop brackets will make up for the camber.

 

[4x4junkie]

The correct way to find the exact degree you need is to first insert a 0° bushing and then get some readings. After that, you reference a chart in the Ford service manual that will tell you what amount of degree is needed and how to orient the bushing. Just guessing beforehand will most likely still allow you to get things dialed in to where the tires won't wear funny, but is likely to lead to some remaining error in the caster angle that you won't be able to eliminate (this affects self-centering of the steering when you let go the wheel).

I prefer to use the fully-adjustable two-piece concentric bushings such as Moog K80109 (these are especially helpful if you DIY, since the above procedure can be a bit arduous with fixed-degree bushings if you don't own an alignment rack). These give you full adjustability without having to replace the bushing each time you change something since they can be adjusted to any amount of degree (up to 4°, IIRC).

 

[franklin2]

I agree with the previous post, these bushings are not as simple as you would think. They adjust both camber and caster at the same time. There is some latitude in the factory specs, but what if you do buy a bushing with too much adjustment in it? What do you do with the extra? The only thing you can do is turn it front to rear and put all the extra in the caster direction, most likely giving you too much or too little caster. You don't really know. A alignment shop will know. They will put the truck on their machine, go through the setup, and the alignment computer will tell them what bushing you need to install to get both caster and camber in spec. More than likely, if you change things later, that bushing may or may not work and you will have to buy different ones later. But you will not know, the alignment machine will tell them what bushings you will need. Of course alignment services are not cheap, but besides guessing I don't know of any way to get it in.

And don't be surprised with this leveling kit they come back and tell you they will not be able to get it totally in. That is the problem with lifting or lowering the twin I beam with the springs only.

 

[lvwill]

I have a new never installed set of adjustable bushings for dana 35 I'll look and see what the range is.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Awesome good info guys, I thought this thread was dead and am still trying to deal w/ this.

There's an alignment shop down the street I can take it to w/ bushings in hand.

Or take it to a 4wheelparts center for an alignment, but that would cost an arm and a leg and be an all day mission.

I wouldnt mind getting a variety and taking it to my local alignment guy, then return whatever doesnt get used.

I'm thinking maybe just put in some adjustable 3 or 4's, then taking it to the shop for fine tuning on a rack.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

The correct way to find the exact degree you need is to first insert a 0° bushing and then get some readings. After that, you reference a chart in the Ford service manual that will tell you what amount of degree is needed and how to orient the bushing. Just guessing beforehand will most likely still allow you to get things dialed in to where the tires won't wear funny, but is likely to lead to some remaining error in the caster angle that you won't be able to eliminate (this affects self-centering of the steering when you let go the wheel).

I prefer to use the fully-adjustable two-piece concentric bushings such as Moog K80109 (these are especially helpful if you DIY, since the above procedure can be a bit arduous with fixed-degree bushings if you don't own an alignment rack). These give you full adjustability without having to replace the bushing each time you change something since they can be adjusted to any amount of degree (up to 4°, IIRC).

Whats stock? is it not 0? or does it vary?

 

[Shran]

Buying bushings and installing them just to take it to an alignment shop afterwards to have them put bushings in is a total waste of time. Just have them do it all from the get go.

TTB alignments are one item on a very, very short list of things that I have a shop do... it's money well spent to have it done right by someone with experience than monkey with it yourself. Camber, caster, and toe all play a big part in how it turns out and it takes a good alignment tech to get it right.

 

[4x4junkie]

Whats stock? is it not 0? or does it vary?

It does vary, yes. My '94 I recall originally had something like 1° on one side, and ½° on the other (they will not always be the same on both sides).

If you can find a good shop truly versed with TB suspensions, then certainly that would be the easiest way to go. However I have found they are extremely few & far between ("mom & pop" independent repair shops and/or a 4x4 shop that also customizes suspensions are likely where your best chances are, but it's still pretty bleak IME. You can forget about it entirely at places like Pep Boys, Firestone, America's Tire, etc).

I just DIY it. Wheel alignments are not rocket science, in spite of what some people (shop owners?) want you to think. Their big expensive racks do make the job go a lot faster (which is important when you're working on the clock), but they are not an absolute requirement to be able to get a good alignment.
Read here how I do it (starting about halfway down):

TRS Magazine - Steering Tech - An in-depth discussion about TTB Steering and Alignment

www.therangerstation.com

 

[franklin2]

I will warn you also, the alignment guys moan and groan when it comes to aligning these frontends. Busting the balljoints loose to do an alignment is a pain and they do not like doing these things. Make sure you look at the readout from the alignment machine. Some of these alignment guys will only do toe adjustments on these trucks, ignoring the rest which is the hard part.

 

[Bgunner]

My 94 went back 2 times to get it correct because the shop just towed it and never said word one about the camber being way off till I went back and bitched that it was eating a tire. I had to teach the tech how to check a TIB suspension for bad parts because my radious arm bushings were bad and they never checked the suspension for tightness before doing the alignment, twice. I didnt pay for the other 2 times the truck went back but that's because I proved it was on them.

Go to a reputable shop with an older person doing alignments as the younger guys were only taught the new stuff and these are a pain at times. Midas AND Monroe are good ones to also stay away from IMO.

 

[lvwill]

If interested I have these new in box. I'll send them to you for 40.00 .
Not trying to make money just don't have a use for a lot of stuff that I bought over the years.