juddspaintballs

1983 F150 with 300 and T18, 4x4.

I recently replaced all four ball joints and both inner and outer tie rod ends (or whatever they're called). I bought new tires and had the truck aligned at a shop that didn't really know how to work on a TTB. They adjusted toe just fine, but wouldn't touch the camber/caster bushings. The old front tires were wearing on the inside. The radius arm bushings are poly and fairly new. The rear end has "new" used springs from a '94 Bronco with all new poly bushings, new U bolts, and new rear shocks plus new front quad shocks.

At any rate, I have the printout of where my truck currently sits. I haven't (yet) looked to see what bushings are in the truck, but I can eventually. I assume that if given the correct specification range I can deduce what bushings I need between the old bushings and the specifications. If anyone could provide the caber and caster specifications, I would appreciate it. I've been unable to find them myself.

Currently:
Camber - Left = 1.8 degrees..........Right = 2.1 degrees
Caster - Left = 6.4 degrees..........Right = 5.2 degrees
Toe - Left = 0.04 degrees..........Right = 0.03 degrees
Total Toe = 0.07 degrees
Steer Ahead = 0.01 degrees

Pre-adjustment the camber and caster was exactly the same. Toe was left = -0.74 degrees..........right = -0.42 degrees with total toe = -1.16 degrees and steer ahead = -.16 degrees.


So, how far am I off for camber and caster and will it chew up my tires or be unsafe at where I'm at now? It steers MUCH better with just the corrected toe already, but it does seem somewhat lazy coming back to center. I'm also only driving this truck a realistic ~2000 miles a year.

RLXXI

Camber is way too high +, I'd bring it down to 0.00 +- 0.5. If the alignment tech is using the book specs it'll never be right. Caster is a little lopsided, it should be about .5 less on the left wheel to compensate for road crown, toe looks good.
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juddspaintballs

Thank you, Rnlcomp. The alignment tech was relatively new (I've had several alignments done at this shop and the old guy got fed up and quit, apparently) judging by how he had to ask someone else questions anytime I asked him something he didn't know. He didn't have any book specs for the truck, only what the Hunter alignment computer would tell him, which was nothing except toe.


I'll pop the upper ball joint nuts off and see what bushings are in there now. Do you recommend adjustable bushings or simply figuring out what I have and then getting the correct fixed bushing?

Steve83

It must be an old machine, not to have all the factory specs. Click this & read the caption:


(phone app link)

I prefer adjustable cams because you don't have to keep buying replacements.


(phone app link)

RLXXI

I've been doing alignments for almost 35 years now and I can tell you one thing is certain, those camber cams can be confusing at 1st, they sure as hell confused me when I first started seeing them, (bending I-Beams) was easy compared at least for me any way, yeah I'm old lol.

The only fixed cams I'm aware of are OEM. They have a tab that prevents rotation. Depending on the angles read, I would either grind off those tabs so I could adjust or install new cams to get the angles I needed. If the math is done properly you can also manipulate caster rather than manipulating the radius arm.

P.S. What ever you do, do NOT allow them to use a 2 piece cam (if they still make those living nightmares), only use solid cams.
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Steve83

All adjustable cams are 2-piece (like the ones I linked), and mine work great. They made it super-easy to align, and they've held the alignment for a few years of my brutal driving style.