tywebb3

I took the leveling blocks out of my '01 this weekend and will be taking it to Firestone for alignment later this week. Are their any numbers I should recommend they shoot for when doing the alignment (i.e caster, toe, etc.)????

j-fox

I set mine to 1/8 toe in, .10 degree + camber and 5 degrees+ caster. Get both sides very close, if thet set it to factory specs, which are not clear as far as left to right, it will drift across the road.

wcbcruzer

Yes! Read this thread for some info:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...ht=ball+joints

I just hope you have a good crew working at that Firestone.

tywebb3

I took my truck to a local shop today for the alignment. The guy is right across from my work and very capable and trustworthy. I took the specs printed from the post by the certified dodge tech where he explains how to properly set caster and camber.

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html

He put the truck on the rack and said before he did anything it was at .3L and -.2R on the camber and 2.2L and 2.7R on the caster. The eccentrics in my lower control arms were pointing opposite directions (one front and one back) exactly like the dodge tech said they shouldn't be so they tried to correct it but the eccentric bolts were frozen and they ran out of time today. Is this a major problem and should I take it back to him to correct? The truck always has wandered on the road so maybe this is why?

RIDETHEGLIDE

I'VE GOT A WONDERING O1 ALSO,I'LL BE BRINGING THESE NO.s TO THE BEELINE SHOP. HOPEFULLY IT'S JUST A BEELINE. I'VE HEARD "TRAC BAR" "STEERING SHAFT"..I'VE NEVER HAD A TRUCK THAT HANDLED LIKE THIS,THE WONDERING IS VERY ANNOYING..WHATEVER IT TAKES, THE TRUCKS ARE WORTH PUTTING A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY INTO

tywebb3

Are the adjustable eccentric sleeves in the upper ball joints spoke of in the dodgeram.org writeup installed from the factory or something that must be added? If they need to be added, is there just one sleeve that is adjustable or are they made in fixed increments and you have to buy a half dozen and do trial an error till you figure out which ones work the best?

I also saw adjustable upper ball joints....are these something different or basicly the same thing? Are their any reasons to steer clear of the adjustable upper ball joints?

wcbcruzer

The eccentrics are an aftermarket part and I believe you can adjust them somewhat. Most shops have them in stock so they'll know which one you need. The reason I think you should stay away from the adjustable ball joints is that (from what I hear) it makes alignment more difficult and most shops don't have the patience to set it up properly. They're for more serious situations where the camber is way off. That makes me believe their adjustment range doesn't start at 0, which is why it might make your camber problem worse if it's slight to begin with. The camber should be 0 degrees from the factory and wasn't designed to be adjustable since these trucks have a solid front axle.

Swarthy Dago

Hey guys. I just got mine back this afternoon. First I must say I put on new shocks, new trak bar, new tie rod ends, new control arms with urethane bushings and new sway bar bushings. Then I purposely set the lower control arm cams in opposite directions and took it to my local shop ( I have the lifetime alignment). The sales rep called me back and told me I needed new tires because mine were out of round. I kinda laughed and asked her why do tires do that. She said inferior production method possibley. I told her "well I bought them from you so you can replace them". She said no. lmao. Ok, so they did the work, I checked out the specs, saw that the cams were both pointing in the same direction (good job). It now drives great. While in the left lane it ever so slightly pulls to the left, on the right lane ever so slightly to the right. I'm happy for now !

tywebb3

So is it possible that the previous alignment was done incorrectly (cams are in opposite directions) and it can be corrected without offset eccentrics, etc.? I would think they should be able to set the lower control are cams at straight up on both side, make the necessary adjustment to the camber and cross caster, and then use the lower control arm cams to "swing" the caster into line....like the dodge tech says. Is it just this simple?

Does anyone know of any good alignment shops in the northern Maryland, SE Pennsylvania area? I am between Towson, MD and York, PA.

high bid

I had the same local alignment shop telling me the samething...that I needed the adjustable sleeves. I don't believe them and will take it back again and again till they get it right. As it is now the steering wheel is at 45* angle to the right from the last time it was in there. I think the lifetime warr gives them the opportunity to sell you more junk when in there.