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steering after swap

Wicked Wolf Auto

Wicked Wolf Auto

1/2 ton status
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T-ville, ut.
Just swapped in a 60 and crossover. turns lock to lock well but seems really sensative and wanders a bit on the road. The steering box i used was out of a salvage yard is it bad? Watching the box while the wheel gets turned doesn't show any delay and there doesn't seems to be any slop.:confused:
 
Not enough toe-in?
 
the steering will be more sensitive then the push/pull system, plus your old box might have had play in it. I would get the front end aligned.
 
scrappyk5 said:
the steering will be more sensitive then the push/pull system, plus your old box might have had play in it. I would get the front end aligned.
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cool, should be getting my new pads and rotors today and need to swap out the rear shackles for longer ones, I ordered them from DIY4x, once thats done I can take it in for alignment.

Will any shop be able to do the alignment or will a place like Les Schwabb be lost when they see the crossover set up?
 
My BIL works out at the one on 126000 south and just below Redwood rd. Go ask for Steven Wall, tell him Matt recommended him.
 
BoondocK5 said:
My BIL works out at the one on 126000 south and just below Redwood rd. Go ask for Steven Wall, tell him Matt recommended him.
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Thanks for the offer but thats a bit of a Jog for me when there are 3 or 4 places within a mile of my house, plus the last 2 times I've taken a vehicle to Les Schwabb for alignments by my house they've ended up doing it for free
 
alf4444 said:
cool, should be getting my new pads and rotors today and need to swap out the rear shackles for longer ones, I ordered them from DIY4x, once thats done I can take it in for alignment.

Will any shop be able to do the alignment or will a place like Les Schwabb be lost when they see the crossover set up?
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I wouldnt take it to a place that is "by the book" cause your not. Go to shops that are involved with alignments and let them know whatcha got, they should be able to square you away.
 
Or, you do it yourself.
Front on jackstands, tires off the ground, take a piece of chalk and make a vertical mark in the front of each tire. Measure distance between the marks. Rotate tires 180° so that the marks are now towards the rear of the vehicle; measure distance between the marks. Rear measurement larger than front measurement = toe-in.
Adjust tierod length for more/less toe-in. Can't remember what the number should be - 1/8 to 1/4" or somesuch. Tighten adjusters, take for test drive, notice position of steering wheel; once toe-in is satisfactory, work on the draglink to center the steering wheel.
 
jms said:
Or, you do it yourself.
Front on jackstands, tires off the ground, take a piece of chalk and make a vertical mark in the front of each tire. Measure distance between the marks. Rotate tires 180° so that the marks are now towards the rear of the vehicle; measure distance between the marks. Rear measurement larger than front measurement = toe-in.
Adjust tierod length for more/less toe-in. Can't remember what the number should be - 1/8 to 1/4" or somesuch. Tighten adjusters, take for test drive, notice position of steering wheel; once toe-in is satisfactory, work on the draglink to center the steering wheel.
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That would be ok it you dont hit the pavement too much or to get you to a shop but tires are too expensive to trust with that method for the street.
(edit)Plus if its lifted and shims were used to ajust the front pinion angle that will decrese the caster angle causing a wonder or slow steering wheel return.
 
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zombie1969 said:
That would be ok it you dont hit the pavement too much or to get you to a shop but tires are too expensive to trust with that method for the street.
(edit)Plus if its lifted and shims were used to ajust the front pinion angle that will decrese the caster angle causing a wonder or slow steering wheel return.
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I've daily drove my rig for years and have always used this method with no abnormal wear. If there are shims they should be there to correct the caster closer to a stock setting. Toe-in is the only thing 95% of shops will touch on our trucks.

Alignments usually run $50+ so IMO its worth a shot to do it yourself and see how it drives.
 
zombie1969 said:
That would be ok it you dont hit the pavement too much or to get you to a shop but tires are too expensive to trust with that method for the street.
(edit)Plus if its lifted and shims were used to ajust the front pinion angle that will decrese the caster angle causing a wonder or slow steering wheel return.
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Thats not true at all. If you take your time to do it with a tape measure theres no reason it wont be accurate. My truck never had an issue up and down the highway.
 
zombie1969 said:
That would be ok it you dont hit the pavement too much or to get you to a shop but tires are too expensive to trust with that method for the street...
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Works fine for the K5 as well as the FJ40. Both trucks see long highway drives on a regular basis. No issues with tire wear.
 
I used to use an old lazer alignment machine years ago and it was much like you are saying except for the fact it would be compancated for runout.It was prehistoric but was acurate.The the lazers pointed to a panel simaler to a measering tape.The alignment being off may not even be noticable except for shorter tire life and lower fuel milage and most people dont keep track of that closely.
 
The biggest ajustment in the alignment that will correct this is caster.Lookes like all you did was swap the dif and steering box?Is that right?Im gona assume all the front end parts are good including the box and the bolts securing the dif to the springs are tight.Positive caster is where the upper ball joint is closer to the rear than the lower.This is what you want.Positive caster will also return you wheel to center after making a turn and thus keep your wheel straight.Slow or no wheel return to center indicates little or no pos caster and neg caster will have the oposite afect like driving backwords.Fast wheel return indicates more pos caster was used.Shimming the dif for pinion angle ajustment will decrese the caster and cause this problem and get worse with a thicker shim.If you have the alignment checked and this is the problem you need to find a solution.Ive seen where the ends of the axle were cut off and rotated back to ajust the caster and welded back on.
 
here's some pics, after doing some online reading I'm wondering if it's caster It had dgree shims under the leafs when it had the 44 and I put them in the same way with the fat end in front. the pinion in the back is angling up should it be flat?

if it is caster do i have to buy a bunch of differant shims and play with it until it's right or will an alignment shop do it?





 
zombie1969 said:
The biggest ajustment in the alignment that will correct this is caster.Lookes like all you did was swap the dif and steering box?Is that right?Im gona assume all the front end parts are good including the box and the bolts securing the dif to the springs are tight.Positive caster is where the upper ball joint is closer to the rear than the lower.This is what you want.Positive caster will also return you wheel to center after making a turn and thus keep your wheel straight.Slow or no wheel return to center indicates little or no pos caster and neg caster will have the oposite afect like driving backwords.Fast wheel return indicates more pos caster was used.Shimming the dif for pinion angle ajustment will decrese the caster and cause this problem and get worse with a thicker shim.If you have the alignment checked and this is the problem you need to find a solution.Ive seen where the ends of the axle were cut off and rotated back to ajust the caster and welded back on.
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I def. have positive camber and it does have shims that were reused from when the 44 was in, should I take them out?
 
The fat end forward will give you more caster because it rotates the dif back.I would have and alignment check and toe set.They cant ajust the caster I dont think because most are not except ford that I know of but they can do a caster sweep and give you a baseline of what your alignment lookes like.You need to tell them you want a sweep or most palces wont do it because its not ajusable.Its not an extra charge eather.Once you have a base line you can procede to a solution.
(edit)Im tired the fat part forward makes it negative.Swap it around a redrive it.
 
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Might be best to try it without the shim because it will cause a bad pinion ange with the shim turned around.Maybe a thinner shim will fix both if your lucky.Isnt lifting trucks fun.:rolleyes:
 
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