Toe and camber issues

[William Spitzer]

I bought this truck for cheap with what looks like a homemade suspension lift with hopes of making it road worthy. The toe and camber look wayyy off, and was hoping that it was fixable, or I could get something to make it better. I really don't know much about lifted suspension, but I can get pictures of anything that anyone willing to help me needs. Here is the one picture I have, if pictures of anything else, or there's any questions I could answer to clear anything up please let me know.

 

[crawlin91]

Start with these links about steering, alignment and suspension. Should help answer your questions. It is hard to tell what you have for lift brackets etc. More detailed pictures of the suspension setup would help. Your steering linkage angles are way off, it looks to be lifted with a stock steering setup with little to no drop at the pitman arm.

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Alignment.html
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/TTBTuning.htm

 

[William Spitzer]

sure enough, it is the stock pitman arm

this is how bad the angles of the steering linkage is

here is the drop on the a-arm

does this look like a hopeless battle? i did notice the casters have graduations, so i'm going to try adjusting them. how much difference would a new pitman arm make? If i were to get new adjustable casters and a drop pitman arm, do you think that would get it so i could at least get it aligned?

 

[4x4junkie]

No, that doesn't look hopeless at all. You're just missing some essential parts on it.

I would start with sorting out your steering mess (either with a FA600 drop pitman arm, or a K-link conversion of some sort). Then see if you can get the camber (and caster) aligned properly (needing new camber/caster bushings is certainly a possibility, maybe with some luck it's got the 2-piece adjustable ones already on it which typically don't need replacing with each adjustment).

 

[William Spitzer]

Now the k link conversion, would I be better off with that or would the longer pitman arm sufice? And I'll look at the bushings when I get home from work.

 

[brinker88]

For a beater truck, get the FA600 pitman arm. Why spend 400+ dollars on a beater?

 

[William Spitzer]

As long as I can get the tires to wear halfway decent, I'd like to spend as little as possible. It'll probably end up with a gen 2 bed on it, not going for ascetics, haha.

 

[brinker88]

If you're not going for looks, why not just make a flatbed? It would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

[William Spitzer]

My cousin has a gen 2 with a bad motor, and he said he'd sell me the bed for around 100 bucks, but if I can't get that I'll just make a flatbed

 

[William Spitzer]

Its probably a stupid question, but would I be better if to just buy a 4 inch superlift, or one of the others and just go with that? Our would I then just be in the same boat as I am now?

 

[brinker88]

They're basically the same damn kit unless you buy James Duff or Skyjacker with the better drop pivot brackets.

Just get the right pitman arm and be done with it.

 

[William Spitzer]

So pretty much any one its gonna be right at 200 bucks?

 

[brinker88]

Yea, or get a $45 rough country drop pitman arm (Fa400) and slap that on. It's still going to have bumpsteer, but you will be able to align it.

 

[4x4junkie]

If your tires are important to you (I assume you'd be getting new ones at some point), I'd get the FA600 arm or go K-link (especially if that lift is greater than 4", looks like it might be. Measure the length of your coils. 4" lift coils typically sit around 14.5-15" with weight on them).

 

[William Spitzer]

i just measured them, right about 16 inches, im almost thinking i'd be better off to buy a 4 inch lift and replace the current one, or just get new shocks and springs and go back to factory ride height.