Drive way alignment, tie rod swap

[Gumby]

Drive way alignment, tie rod swap

Now riddle me this, if it drives fine now and I put it up on a set of ramps, which locks the tires in place.

I don't see how anything will change to were it needs a pro shop alignment ehy?

The new ones will have to go back to the same adjustment or they wont fall in place, since the tires aren't free moving.

Oh and the old ones are near like new tight, just old

[andrewmp6]

I always count the turns it takes to unscrew the old one and put the new one back in the same place.I have seen my step dad use a long piece of string to align a car before in his driveway.

[lolife99]

"Driving fine" doesn't meant it's correct.
Take it in for an alignment.

[Square_78]

You can measure the front and back of the tires on a certain point to get it pretty close for the tow in. Best to take it for an alignment though.
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[Tx Firefighter]

I always set the toe in with a tape measure. It works fine for me. I've done it that way and put it on the alignment rack to check and its been right in the middle of the green.

[scottofksu]

Measure your old and new tie rods to see if they are "exactly" the same length (they typically are very close, in my experience). Then wrap some masking tape around where the tie rod stops threading on. This will get you pretty close to where the toe is currently at. I use toe plates to set my toe to factory specs thereafter. Though, there are other methods if you don't have toe plates...

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by lolife99

"Driving fine" doesn't meant it's correct.
Take it in for an alignment.

Um no, tech school kids making min wage don't touch my car, and I aint got the cash to spend $200 hr at a real shop.


Plus everything is new tight, Ido nly change them as I can get the parts for nearly free.

[crazy longhorn]

I set the toe on my trucks, as TX Firefighter posted....no issues? My old longhorn has never been into the alignment shop (wont let the kids in the shop drive it)! The camber is a tad positive, & who knows on the caster? Other than a little tire wear on the outer edges, in the last 12,000 miles....no issues. The old truck will "hold her line", @ better that 2 times the legal limit on the open road. Just an old "shadetree" crazyL

[Rufton]

I made a toe tool in a few minutes and it seems to be spot on.
If no turn table, just roll car back and forth on level ground then take measurements. I have found that tread pattern is accurate enough for toe (scribe is overkill on my tires). I use razor blade to mark position on fresh masking tape.

Caution: I use overkill redundant supports under car in attempt to make it earth quake safe.

[lowridergmc]

Really...just go get it aligned.i find it hard to believe that all the shops are having min wage kids doing wheel alignments
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[Rufton]

Originally Posted by lowridergmc

Really...just go get it aligned.i find it hard to believe that all the shops are having min wage kids doing wheel alignments
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I don't know how many times my vehicle has pulled to one side after "professional" alignment.

Last time they couldn't align mine right. They worked on it for hours. I don't think some of those techs even know what a shim is. I think some alignment shops just do the toe and don't bother doing camber and caster right on old vehicles. Instead of proper shims they over ranged the LCA strut rod which can bind LCA movement. Anyway, life's a notch better since I started DIY alignments.

To be fair I know one shop that does pretty good but they are about an hour away. I didn't use them because I didn't wanna drive that far w/ alignment out of wack.

[LEEVON]

It can be tough to find a good alignment tech these days...I've had 2 major issues. One guy overtorqued the UCA's on my '08 and destroyed the bushings and bent the mounts. Another guy spent 3 hours on my truck and couldn't do it...then left a huge grease spot on the seat.

As for the toe, for getting around for a few days, the methods above will get you there. I usually just put a tape on the front and back of the tires to the same tread, and make sure they're within about 1/8". Works fine until I get to the shop (the right shop). Here that is an old-school tire shop with an owner and techs who love old trucks. I'm lucky there.

I took my truck to a shop closer to the house last week, and they wanted the alignment plus 2 flag hours for shimming. It was going to be over $200 and they know that I know what I'm looking at...clearly not your average dummy because I just brought a truck with all new front suspension. LOL

[Gumby]

I need to bring the right front in some, so I turn the whole adjuster by prying down?

or unhook outter tie rod and just turn it??

[Tx Firefighter]

You loosen the two pinch bolts on the adjuster sleeve and turn it to lengthen or shorten the tie rod. I can't ever remember which way you turn them. One way or the other. Tighten pinch bolts when completed.
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[Gumby]

IM still playing with the old tierods, was no way to get them both moving, had to settle for just the outter.

somehow a new idler arm and center link pushed only the right tire out, making right turns super easy and the wheel cocked. removing the slop is those two should have pulled things in if anything.......?

Gonna get new tierods for sure now and start over, no way to moneky with old parts.

[T Smith]

The tire store I shop at is owned and run by an eccentric guy that just loves doing alignments, he pulled me aside and told me "I bought that machine because I love doing alignments, I just sell tires because it makes sense."

He's good, has the equipment, and enjoys it to boot. I know his work is spot on 'cause he lets me hangout and watch while the whole time he's explaning it all. Win win!

[Rufton]

Don't forget to count the turns when removing the old tie rods.
WD-40 overnight soak may not be a bad idea.

[Square_78]

Most chain store alignment shops get the same kids doing the oil changes to do the alignments. And no they aren't mechanics. Not even close. One guy tried to tell me I had no camber adjustment left on my 78 c10 and he couldn't align it, steering wheel isn't straight and it pulled to the left on the road..... So then I showed him that there is 3/4" of camber bolt sticking out and there's more than enough to add shims. His response?

"oh so that's where u adjust it"

WTF?

Would have got better results myself with a 2x4 and some masking tape as shown above.
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[72MARIO]

My C20 has had 5 alignments by different shops. Twice at GM. I finally got sick and tired of the truck driving terrible. And wrecking my tires. I bought a camber caster gauge made a toe in bar with some DOM tube and borrowed some wheel turn plates. Truck has never gone down the road better.

[Rufton]

I made turntable w/ delrin balls and it works nice.

Digital angle gauge is accurate and great for camber and caster.

[Gumby]

forgot to update, took me a while to get the toe set right, not only was I measuring wrong, but I didn't have it down well. Ended up with 7/16in toe in and worn out outter edges in a few hun miles.

Once I got it figure out in my head, I used extruded section of aluminum channel to measure off of, with new rotors and beyond lvl and square section to clamp to them and get the tiny adjustment needed, it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo simple.

I also replaced everything but ball joints.

Total spent at RockAuto $216.46

2 RAYBESTOS inner tie rods
2 RAYBESTOS outer tie rods
2 RAYBESTOS adjuster sleves
1 RAYBESTOS center link
1 RAYBESTOS idler arm
2 MONROE Sensa-Trac rear shocks
2 MONROE Sensa-Trac front struts
2 rear sway bar links
2 lower ball joints

about $40 of that was shipping as I made 4 orders over a few months, doing parts in stages that hadn't been done recentaly.

Seafoam deep creep got everything nice and lose.

[cg285]

Originally Posted by Gumby

forgot to update, took me a while to get the toe set right, not only was I measuring wrong, but I didn't have it down well. Ended up with 7/16in toe in and worn out outter edges in a few hun miles.

Once I got it figure out in my head, I used extruded section of aluminum channel to measure off of, with new rotors and beyond lvl and square section to clamp to them and get the tiny adjustment needed, it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo simple.

can't visualize what you did. looks like you had the vehicle supported and tires off?
in your position.assuming you don't have turn tables, i would scribe both tires (using the tread is a BIG no-no). drop it to the ground and drive it forward and back ward. measure frt/rr, adjust, drive back/forward, recheck, repeat....

by the way the newer computer alignment machines are made for dummies. just like the cash registers that tell the nitwits how much change to give back

[scottofksu]

Originally Posted by cg285

can't visualize what you did. looks like you had the vehicle supported and tires off?
in your position.assuming you don't have turn tables, i would scribe both tires (using the tread is a BIG no-no). drop it to the ground and drive it forward and back ward. measure frt/rr, adjust, drive back/forward, recheck, repeat....

by the way the newer computer alignment machines are made for dummies. just like the cash registers that tell the nitwits how much change to give back

Speaking of turn tables... I've had good luck using two square pieces of sheet steel with a puddle of white lithium grease between them under both of the front tires...

[LONGHAIR]

Ok, I'm confused here? What kind of vehicle is this? The "2 Monroe Sensa-trac front struts" have me lost....