needlenose
Full Access Member
My truck's been pulling badly to the right and the tires were going bald. So I replaced all the tires and took it to NTB because the little shop I always go to went out of business. The NTB guy had it for about 15 minutes then called me back into the shop. He took a crowbar and started prying on the i-beams and said there was too much play in the bushings. Then he said all the joints in the steering were bad as were the radius arm bushings. I told him I would replace everything myself so he charged me $90 and gave it back to me and said that he had "toed it in a little to help with the pull", but that "nothing else can be done until you replace all the components". I have 6 months in which to install all the components and get a "free" alignment "unless I have to set the camber; which is another $150".... 
When I drove it home...... there's no difference. Pulls to the right like always.
So I purchased all new steering components, ball joints, and bushings; but I haven't put them in yet.
This evening I tried the string-method and, believe it or not, it works awesome! In 2 hours, I not only experimented with the string, but I learned how to do it, corrected the toe, and straightened the steering wheel. All with about 60' of multi-colored pink and blue yarn out of my kid's Montessori sewing work. I used two scrap pieces of 4" x 4" x 1/4" angle to check the toe. It now drives smoothly and barely hints at a tendency to the right. I'm still not sure if it's not just responding to the slope in the road because it doesn't always do it.
Not really sure why the ****-bang professional with $15K in alignment hardware couldn't at least take a SWAG at it and get it as close as I did with some scrap metal and sewing materials from a 3 year old's project basket. Especially for $90.
So if you need a quick but effective alignment to keep from chewing up $1100 in tires, google the string method for alignment.
I'm still going to install all the new stuff, but at least now I can tow the RV 600 miles down to the in-laws house for a 3-day Thanksgiving reunion.... Oh lucky me.
When I drove it home...... there's no difference. Pulls to the right like always.
So I purchased all new steering components, ball joints, and bushings; but I haven't put them in yet.
This evening I tried the string-method and, believe it or not, it works awesome! In 2 hours, I not only experimented with the string, but I learned how to do it, corrected the toe, and straightened the steering wheel. All with about 60' of multi-colored pink and blue yarn out of my kid's Montessori sewing work. I used two scrap pieces of 4" x 4" x 1/4" angle to check the toe. It now drives smoothly and barely hints at a tendency to the right. I'm still not sure if it's not just responding to the slope in the road because it doesn't always do it.
Not really sure why the ****-bang professional with $15K in alignment hardware couldn't at least take a SWAG at it and get it as close as I did with some scrap metal and sewing materials from a 3 year old's project basket. Especially for $90.
So if you need a quick but effective alignment to keep from chewing up $1100 in tires, google the string method for alignment.
I'm still going to install all the new stuff, but at least now I can tow the RV 600 miles down to the in-laws house for a 3-day Thanksgiving reunion.... Oh lucky me.
