I'm sure this is a newbie question, but i searched, and asked everyone i know that knows more than me and still came up with nothing. Right now my alignment is totally fawked. the only thing close to correct is the caster. i've got too much toe in (i know how to fix that) and the top of my tires lean out causing the outside lugs to wear really fast. I'm still running a beat to hell set of old tires so i dont really care about them, but I would like to get this corrected so i can put some nicer tires on. thanks.

Dallas

There is a camber adjusting washer under the top ball joint nut. I think that it requires a special wrench though...

sounds like your housing may be bent. some spindle shims are possibly the only fix, aside from straitening the housing. on solid axles the camber isn't adjustable. shims are a bandaid fix

Scout Dude, thats what i was thinking, i noticed a little sleeve lookin thing threaded into the inner knuckle where the ball joint goes in. its got little notches in it kinda like the spindle nuts. any idea how to adjust this thing, or should i just pay for an alignment?

Dallas

Originally posted by StinkBug
Scout Dude, thats what i was thinking, i noticed a little sleeve lookin thing threaded into the inner knuckle where the ball joint goes in. its got little notches in it kinda like the spindle nuts. any idea how to adjust this thing, or should i just pay for an alignment?

Dallas

Thats preload only dude. I know of no way to adjust camber on a solid axle. I always thought it was set and that was it. now.. maybe you have a bent housing.

Originally posted by StinkBug
Scout Dude, thats what i was thinking, i noticed a little sleeve lookin thing threaded into the inner knuckle where the ball joint goes in. its got little notches in it kinda like the spindle nuts. any idea how to adjust this thing, or should i just pay for an alignment?

Dallas

If you do it often pick up the socket from snap-on, mac, etc... but it's more expensive than an alignment or two. Your choice :D

Originally posted by twaldher


Thats preload only dude. I know of no way to adjust camber on a solid axle. I always thought it was set and that was it. now.. maybe you have a bent housing.

Are you sure about this...gawd knows I'm not...I have been told that this was for slight adjustments though.

I have heard of several people who had shims under the spindles...That is definately one way to correct it.

They do make an offset unit to replace the OEM sleeve. The offset unit is to adjust Castor, but could be used to adjust the camber as well. Also don't buy the socket, I used a 19mm cheapy socket and my cut off wheel to make one.

Joe

Never tried this before but might soon. You can try and rotate the spindle. They are not always straight and if you rotate it it can get rid of some of the camber (and give you more toe which is ez to fix). The only bummer is you have to take the hole damn thing appart.

Originally posted by jdjanda
They do make an offset unit to replace the OEM sleeve. The offset unit is to adjust Castor, but could be used to adjust the camber as well. Also don't buy the socket, I used a 19mm cheapy socket and my cut off wheel to make one.

Joe

Actually, those bushings are designed to give either castor or camber. Can do 2 degrees in either direction or 1 degree for both. They work quite well. Could use a spindle shim or the ball joint bushing or both if required.
I would have it aligned at a good quality shop. Not a chain where the monkeys drop the alignment heads. Then when you get the specs out of alignment and they tell you you can't adjust, come back and tell us.

PS: I worked with a guy who built Hunter equipment for 15 years, alignment racks, tire balancers and the like.... a little rubbed off.

Originally posted by Grendel

a spindle shim or the ball joint bushing or both if required.
I would have it aligned at a good quality shop. Not a chain where the monkeys drop the alignment heads. Then when you get the specs out of alignment and they tell you you can't adjust, come back and tell us.


I've dropped my tape measure a couple of times, you think it'll still work for my Toe-In adjustments :flipoff2:

www.specprod.com Sells Upper balljoint adjustment sleeves in 1/8 degree increments up to 1.5 degrees
http://www.specprod.com/PROD_DIR/prod_dynamic/prod_photos/23000.jpg

http://www.specprod.com/PROD_DIR/C_PROD_TRUCK_SEARCH_DYN.cfm?cmd=Cas&cmd2=23000%2A&cmd3=48%2C77

And they sell the Spindle shims that are degreed in the same way...

http://www.specprod.com/PROD_DIR/prod_dynamic/prod_photos/56800.jpg

http://www.specprod.com/PROD_DIR/PROD_TRUCK.html


You just need a 'good alignment shop to tell you which sizes you need...

I bought some from them... a 2 sets of the spindle shims for around $40