Alignment Problem?

[Dieselholic92]

So I bought a 1981 Chevy K20 Scottsdale a little while ago for 500 bucks. Hadn't run in 2 years, and it needed brakes all around. Well I got it running in about 15 minutes, and I have new calipers, brake pads, and brake lines on the front, but it still needs brakes and lines in the back.

Now that i have the front brakes taken care of, I'm moving on to other issues. The one I have a question on, is the front tires are wearing on the outer edge only. You can kind of see it in the picture below. It does need new shocks yet but I can't see that being a problem. Does it just need to be aligned? I haven't owned a straight axle truck long enough to know what it looks like when they need to be aligned. Or does it need ball joints?

[Dieselholic92]

bump

[jhngardner367]

It sounds as though the toe-in is out of adjustment.Usually,if the ball-joints/kingpins are bad,the tires will "cup",or show other wear patterns.If the wear is severe,it could be the tie-rods/ends,or wheel bearing adjustment. A good alignment shop can tell you,for sure.Have you driven it,at all?If so,does it wander/pull to either side/shimmy/shudder when stopping? Again,this can tell you a lot.

[Dieselholic92]

Haven't been able to take it out of the shop and drive it yet. Hopefully this weekend I can get it out.

[jhngardner367]

A road test will tell you a lot about it.Also,check the tire pressure,as 3 psi low can also cause tire wear. Check for squeeking when sitting still,and turning the wheels side-to-side/wander at low speeds/etc. One trick I use is to drive slowly through a wet area,onto a dry area,and checking the tire tracks.If they're on top of each other,it's ok.If one set is outside the other,it's a sign of "dog-tracking"and possible broken rear spring leaves.Also,it will show any wobble patterns in the front wheels/tires.

[Dieselholic92]

Alright, Friday I should be able to take it on a short drive. The front calipers were frozen clamped onto the rotors, so I had to hammer them off with a BFH. I didn't notice any excessive movement that would indicate bad ball joints, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention.

Both of the front tires are worn the exact same if that would make a difference.

[jhngardner367]

If you exactly center the front tires,you can measure between the centers. After centering,make a chalk mark in the center of the tread,half way up the tire,on front of tire,and back of tire.Measure carefully,the distance of the rear chalk marks,and write it down.Then do the same with the marks on the front of the tires.If the difference is MORE than 3/16",it needs an alignment. 1/16" = 1 deg.,and the 0 reading(proper alignment),is +/- 1/2 deg.

[Dieselholic92]

Well I finally took the Chevy out of the shop and drove it. It wasn't squirrely at all, and it didn't wander all over the road. I still have to check the toe in. So does it sound like the toe in is out of alignment?

[jhngardner367]

Yes,OR the tires could be soft.Inflate them to proper psi,then measure the toe-in, as I posted earlier.Even 1 degree can cause it.Also,raise the front tires off the ground,and wiggle them,side to side by hand to check tie-rod play. Shouldn't be bad,tough if it isn't shuddering/wandering..but good to check,anyway.

[Dieselholic92]

Alright, sounds good! I'll have to check next time I'm at the shop