Camber Adjustment

[TLBREWER]

I don't know if I used the correct term.

Here's what I got:
About three months ago I put front add-a-leafs on my daughter's truck, raising the front and causing the top of the tires to angle out. Now she's driven it awhile and allowed the springs to settle. It doesn't get many miles so there is no appreciable wear on the tires. What, where, and how can I now adjust the front suspension to bring the tires in to a more vertical alignment. Never done it before so I don't even know if I can do it or if it needs to go to a shop to be done. I do realize a frontend alignment is probably in the works, but I would like to get it in the ball park first. Looks kinda silly going down the road anyway.

Tom

 

[PnrFab]

ok you have positive camber tires are sitting like this \ / vs. | | what you need to do is adjust the alignment cams on the end of the I-Beam. you turn the alignment cam and it moves the upper ball joint which effects the camber of your tires. make sense? here is a picture...

you can see the upper ball joint and the cam, ill try to find a better pic. hope this helped???

-josh

 

[swampdigger]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Alignment.html

Check that out, about halfway down the page

 

[metrojd]

Camber

Tom,
I am not sure but my last F 250 hand A Dana 50 and It used a off set bushing on the top ball joint.
on the top joint were it comes through the top is there like a castle type looking bushing or may look like a spacer ?
on mine I had to pull the upper balljoint nut off , take the weight off the suspention and with a air chiesel drive the stock bushing up out.
The off set one is exactualy that the center hole is offset so you turn it to achieve the setting that you need.
If this is the route you have antisieze the bushing and the hole.
Good luck
John

 

[TLBREWER]

Thanks fellas. I think that is the info I was looking for.

Tom

 

[Agnem]

Tom, the bushings (last time I needed one, which was back in the mid 80's) were available in 1 degree increments, and cost about $57 PER! If you get a 1 degree camber shim, you can put it in for either 1 degree positive or 1 degree negative. It's made so it can be rotated 180 degrees and still fit. May as well figure on replacing your upper and lower ball joints while your in there. You WONT want to do this job again any time soon.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Check to see if it has adjustable caster / camber bushings in it already. They will have a hex on top that you use to turn the bushing with a large wrench or socket.

I'm thinking the facotry bushings are keyed into place and you can make them adjustable by grinding the key off.

Basically the bushings have an offset hole, and by rotating them you move the top balljoint around. When I raised the front of one of my old vans with airbags I went in and straightened out the camber by turning the bushings.

 

[Agnem]

True, but anything other than in or out will alter the caster.

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

if ya added too much lift you may need drop pivit brackets.

 

[84TD]

I was just looking at mine after reading this since I want to put in 1.5 inch add a leafs in the front to make the truck even. I think someone put some in the back since the bed is so high.

A good idea is, and I am not sure if anyone makes this... adjustable drop pivit brackets. It would be a drop pivit bracket with an off center bolt in it to move the arm up and down to change the camber, does anyone get this?, my descpription might be bad but I see it in my mind. I wonder if anyone makes one. I dont want to fuss with bushings.

 

[Agnem]

Nobody makes em' because I don't think you could keep it from sliding in the slot. Would be a good idea though. You could do it if you did away with the slot and came up with a screw-jack type of deal. It would be much easier than swapping shims.

 

[dualexhaust]

Tuffcountry suspension includes these adjustable pivot brackets with their lift kits. I was looking at their 2 1/2" lift kit the other day. Need to save for a kit for myself though.

 

[84TD]

Ahhhhh, that is exactly what I had in mind... http://www.tuffcountry.com/axlepivot.html

The problem I see though is they only sell add a leafs for 1.5 inch and those brackets are for 2 inch. With a diesel those 1.5 leafs would prob only be 1 after it settled.

While I was measuring my truck I found 2 things...
1.My rear arch is exactly 1.5 in higher than the front.
2.My rear axle width is a few inches smaller than the front. I think I have a 10.25 in it. Is that normal for the rear track to be smaller?

 

[Agnem]

Cool! OK, I stand corrected then.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

True, but anything other than in or out will alter the caster.

You can change the camber without significantly changing the caster. It's all in the positioning of the bushings. Turning the bushing makes the upper ball joint rotate in a circle, you just need to get to a point in the circle where camber and caster are both correct, and even between the two sides. Camber is the critical element for tire wear, caster just needs to be positive (top ball joint forward of the bottom ball joint) and even between the two sides to prevent alignment pull.

This of course is provided that the caster / camber bushing is offset around the right amount to compensate for the lift. Once you start fooling with the bushings you can physically see that there is a large range of adjustment.

I tried to find instructions for setting the bushings, but all the instructions just say "rotate the bushings until the proper settings are achieved". Which is really all you do.