alignment help please

[trustyrusty]

O.K., here's the poop,
Just had the dealer put new ball joints on my 91 K5 and do an alignment. Now the truck wanders all over the damn place. I replaced the TRE's and put on an LMC version of a rock rod.(http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/bzc/full.aspx?page=121 Part # 9) Also put on new drag link and steering stabilizer, wheel bearings, u-joints, etc...
Needless to say front end is like new.
Tires are BFG ATś 33x10.5x15's (yes 10.5's) 5 months old.
Here is what the alignment reads.
Front:
F-L: 1.0 camber ----9.2 caster----0.01 toe
F-R: 1.2 camber ----9.1 caster----0.01 toe
-0.2 cross camber
0.1 cross caster
-0.1 cross sai
0.02 total toe

Rear:
0.2 cross camber
0.2 total toe
-0.1 thrust angle

After searching the thread's here I'm thinking the Front Toe is too little for the 33's. Pretty much every post I've read suggests 1/8"-1/4" toe-in. and my 0.02 translates to 1/32".
Could someone chime in on this and verify my thinking. Also, if it is a Toe problem is there an amount of turns on the tie rod adjuster that relates to the amount it adjust the toe, or is it just -----turn--measure--turn--measure--etc.
Thanks

 

[sweetk30]

this style steering will plow out the tires as its rolling down the road. so setting toe to zero is not good. makes it toe out = bad road handleing as it drives and the tires plow out.

needs toe in to get them to track stright as its driving.

you can do this with a friend and tape measure.

same spot of both tires front to back with tape. and then make the front toe in = less distance than rear of front tires . do 1/8"-max of 1/4" at the most for just little 33" tires.

and that caster if i recall should be around 5-6* not almost 10* unless you have a lift kit with springs that have angle shims. but this is a pita to adjust with out a machine and special parts.

 

[diesel4me]

I just replaced the drag link on my '82 K2500,and was dissapointed to find my steering did not toghten up as much as I'd hoped it would---the ball joints had no play and the wheel bearings aren't excessively loose,though I can detect a bit of play on the drivers side..the axle u-joints are not loose or sloppy,but are rather rusty..

The truck was getting hard to keep in your lane,as it had a good 3" of play in the steering wheel before you'd feel it move the wheels,and driving it was no fum with it wanting to follow the ruts or crown in the road,youd have to hold the wheel to one side,then over to the other as it drifted from side to side--also felt like it had no "straight ahead" position to some degree,it was always wanting to go one way oe the other...my steering wheel was not pointing straight ahead when goinhg straight either,which I know dont help,because your not on the "high spot" of the steering gwear when going straight...this was corrected when I adjusted the drag link ,its now slightly better,but I'm still not happy about the steering still feeling rather lose..

My truck is used to plow,and the steering gets a beating ,having to manuver around a curvy driveway and always making many 3 point turns..so the steering box and colum have probably had better days--but the box dont leak,the steering shaft between the box and colum has some play,and I dont like the looks of the rag joint,its looking pretty beat and rusty...after having one fail on my last plow truck ,I do not trust the rubber ones much!...been considering swapping a Jeep XJ shaft in it if I can get one somewhere cheap instead of replacing the rag joint with another stock unit..

I noticed when I had my wheels pointed straight ahead,the drivers side one,the other side looked as though it was pointing outwards!..so I used two lengths of EMT conduit I had lying around that fit inside each other to make a toe in gauge,and I measured between the front and rear of both front rims,and I determined the toe in was right about "zero"...but it sure looked like the right tire was raking a right when the drivers side one was straight to me...

So,I got the tie rod sleeve loose (mine only has one adjustible tie rod on the right side--the drivers side is cast into the tie rod bar)--and O tried adjusting it until the right side tiire appeared "straight ahead"...
I left the toe in gauge set where it was at first,so I could set the toe in back where it was before I messed with it,in case it didn't improve things..well,when I tried driving the truck,I was not even out of my driveway before I knew the toe in was WAY off,it was lurching to one side when backing up with the wheels cut,and the tires screeched as I turned corners or ran over a steel manhole cover!--so I put the toe in back to zero,then gave it just a tad more,so its now at 3/16".

..the front right tire still looks to be taking a slight turn to the right with the drivers side looking straight ahead still...but maybe its just an illusion,my eyes suck and the truck did drive way better with the toe in at 3/16",but I bet its still "off" some,my crude method ,ight not be that accurate (though I've done it this way on my other trucks and never had this trouble)...

Before I condem the steering box,I want to put 4 better matching tires on the truck first and see if that improves it any..(I have 4 goodyear wranglers ,265/75-16 I can put on it)--right now it has 245/75's on it and two are Michelins and two are Firestone Steeltex tires,which may not be exact matches or have the same ply counts,and are all dry rotted and need to be tossed anyway..

I cant adjust my steering box because the diesel radiator and fan shroud are in the way,you cant get an allen wrench on the adjuster or a wrench to loosen the lock nut..I hate fooling with that adjustment,every time I've touched one I end up having to replace the steering box due to it leaking or never feeling "right" after the adjustment...the box dont leak,but probably has seen better days...I have checked to see if the bolts holding it on are tight and they are,and the frame doesn
t flex there or appear cracked either,,,

I'm wondering if my shackles on the front springs have junk bushings or bolts that are chewed ip,its hard to tell without taking them apart...my springs are just the stock 2 keaf ones and are likely sagged some from the plow ,maybe it lost some caster due to that,and thats not helping the tracking??..I've pondered making some new shackles about an inch longer to add more caster and see if that helps any,and replace the bushings with poly ones if the stock ones are junk...

I dont drive this truck much on the road,and dont have mich money to throw at it either--and its got many things about to fail on it more pressing too,like the rotted oil pan leaking again,my "J-B" Waterweld putty is losing the battle after 3 years--I'm not so sure the truck is worth fixing any more,I see so many rusty things on it about to fail...so the less I can get away with buying or fixing ,the better...

Anyone have any ideas??...I'm hoping putting the 4 matching tires on it will help a lot,but I have my doubts...

 

[jeff in co]

Agreed to Toe it in a little. Pretty easy. Here are my readings as I went through this whole process a few months ago. At least this give you some spec windows to shoot for....

 

[trustyrusty]

Thanks for the reassurance guys. will bump the toe in a little tomorrow. one other thing is the alignment was done with only about 5 gallons in the tank. if that makes much of a difference

sweetk30--- Yes indeed the caster is high. according to the printout it is supposed to be 7.0-9.0 These are stock springs with worn bushings. lol. Will get her fixed up when I can afford a lift kit.

just little 33" tires.

Give me a break..all I felt safe stuffing under it without a lift, and no fender hacking.
J/K

 

[jeff in co]

You don't have any shims between the front leafs and axle to tilt you driveline up too much do you?

 

[trustyrusty]

Nope it is completely stock. Like I said though the spring bushings are pretty much shot, if that has anything to do with it.