[BigHemi04]

it seems you are outta alignment. turn the end of the tie rod in... this should be an alignment shops job....

 

[BLG23]

heck it was in yesterday and they did nothing b/c they said everything looked to be in within spec...and this is the best alignment shop in town

 

[Halycon]

it seems you are outta alignment. turn the end of the tie rod in... this should be an alignment shops job....

:agree2: Sounds like you need a new alignment shop. Unless your axle is actually bent or something, they're not doing their job. By the way, you CAN do your own alignments and get really, really close (if not dead on) to the specs.


Here's how: Throw the front end on jack stands (parking break on first). Measure the distance from the outside of one tire to the outside of the other at the front of the tire and jot that distance down. Then measure the same distance on the back of the tire. Adjust your tie rod sleeve until the front distance is 1/8" - 1/4" shorter than the back distance. I believe that's the proper spec for these trucks. I did it on my half ton many, many times before buying a Firestone lifetime alignment. When I finally bought the alignment, they checked it and said my shadetree alignment was dead on for spec. It's not that hard at all :thumbsup:

EDIT: When you do the procedure I described above, it will make you have an incorrect setting for the drag link (the rod that goes from your pitman steering arm to the passenger wheel). That's no biggie- just adjust the sleeve on that one until both your wheels are pointing straight forward and your steering wheel is straight too.

 

[BigHemi04]

:agree2: when i lifted my 04, the steering was WAY off (obviously) i started doing the basic alignment, and when i took it to the shop (the drive there was nice) i was dang close, they only had to do a little adjustment. its easy, just get accurate measurments.

FYI if you can visually see your tires cocked, then how can a shop say its good? :confused013:

 

[nick02ram]

Yeah, thats the first thing i'd be doing is taking it back there. Stand in front of the truck and say "does that look aligned right to you?"

 

[Joe Mc]

Ditto - Sounds like you need a new alignment shop.

The saying "It's in Specs" is a cop-out. There's a broad range of "specs" and each truck should be dialed in to the specifics of how it drives and how it reads out on the rack. Does it drive odd? Pulls when going straight down the road, wander, etc.? Did the shop actually "road test" it? Most shops today have lost the art of "Hmmm, maybe we should take it down the road a mile or two and see how it drives?" - they just turn it over to the customer and see if there's a complaint. Like to old saying goes "Common sense isn't so common anymore".

 

[BLG23]

Well like I said, supposed to be the best place in town, it's where all the other major diesel shops take their trucks. However, I am going to go somewhere else, they may be bitter that I bought my truck from a competitor and run his banner across my windshield (Liberator Performance).

Anyways, the guy that called me obv was a secretary of sorts and had no clue what he was talking about. Luckily they didn't charge me a dime b/c they didn't do anything (not doing anything pisses me off)...so I guess I either find somewhere else or try to do it myself.

Thanks a lot guys, I appreciate it.

 

[mjhartz87]

hey man i just fixed mine today. the problem is your toe is out..... hope it helps!!

 

[Halycon]

No prob man. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[RowJ]

.... this is the best alignment shop in town

What to do? ..... Move to a different town! :hehe: (I crack myself up!)

:.... By the way, you CAN do your own alignments and get really, really close (if not dead on) to the specs.

Mike - Came up with your method on my own, out of necessity, when installing Thuren Cross Over Steering drag bar and tie rod. Had to drive 300 miles after the install and needed it close to proper alignment!
Now, after 5,000 miles that feel perfectly aligned.... no uneven tire wear. So I assume it's right on.

One variation to you method. We took a can of red spray paint, close up, and spun the tires by hand while painting a thin line down the middle of the tire tread. More accurate to measure to the outside of this line than to the outside on an aggressive tread of an M/T tire. Also used 1/8" toe in. 1/4" sounds like a lot?
And doing it this way.... you end up with a racing stripe on your tires for a few hundred miles!

RJ

 

[farmboy458]

that shops on crack take it back and tell them to not be lazy and fix it

 

[Halycon]

Mike - Came up with your method on my own, out of necessity, when installing Thuren Cross Over Steering drag bar and tie rod. Had to drive 300 miles after the install and needed it close to proper alignment!
Now, after 5,000 miles that feel perfectly aligned.... no uneven tire wear. So I assume it's right on.

One variation to you method. We took a can of red spray paint, close up, and spun the tires by hand while painting a thin line down the middle of the tire tread. More accurate to measure to the outside of this line than to the outside on an aggressive tread of an M/T tire. Also used 1/8" toe in. 1/4" sounds like a lot?
And doing it this way.... you end up with a racing stripe on your tires for a few hundred miles!

RJ

Not a bad idea! I'm with ya on the measuring accurately to the outside of an M/T.... sort of difficult at times. I agree with you on the 1/8" thing too. I got that spec range from PavementSucks.com but 1/4" seemed like too much to me so I did 1/8" too.

 

[nickg]

if you strap a board or straight edge of sorts against the outside of the tire you will have a perfect place to measure from.

here is a link to proper spec's if they (alignment shop)tell you its within range its not good enough

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