There's one thing I think all of us here have in common - we don't like other people working on our trucks. I need to get my front end aligned and the camber corrected, but I really don't feel like paying somebody else to do it. I know these guys have some very sophisticated-looking equipment to do this stuff, but I feel like there should be some way to do it myself.

For camber, I thought about just jacking up the front, putting a square on the concrete, and then I can see if the wheel is perfectly perpendicular to the ground.

I don't really know about alignment. I feel like there should be some kind of trick to use there, too. When I replaced all my front-end components, I ended up having one wheel really cockeyed to the other, and I was able to eyeball each side and get it really straight.

 

There are some back yard ways to do it but none will get you as close as those fancy machines.

 

get a digital level. with a straight edge and a digital level you should be able to get some baseline measurements to see where your at now. determine where you would like to be. make some adjustments.(camber).

 

I have seen trucks and quads get measuring tape or string alignments before.
Strap your steering wheel into the position you want it.
Then get the rear of the tire and the front of the tires to measure the same width apart.
I would recommend letting the front be just a hair wider than the rear, so the truck is not fighting one wheel that wants to turn under the truck.
That is what I did on my '89 Banshee when I swapped in stronger tie rods.
A little HickJack compared to the fancy alignment machine, but give it a shot it will be closer that eyeing it.
Looks like the old truck is getting a nice winter make over.

 

Good Advice, Oliver. Thanks for the replies from everyone.

And yes, it's getting some work done before I start back to trade school. I just went and gone some new tires for the front yesterday. Maybe I can also get the four in the back replaced in the next couple of weeks.

 

It's actually recommended to give it a slight toe-in. The fronts tend to pull themselves outward a bit so they'll straighten out on their own.

 

That make sense Jimbo486, especially with the weight of a Cummins over it.
I know I set my Banshee quad up with just a hair of toe out to make sure she stayed straight rather than always wanting to have one tire turn under the rig and be twitchy at speed.
It does a little shy of 90MPH and will spin the rear tires [on dirt roads] and drift in 6th gear, it is twitchy enough!
My quad has pretty round and narrow front tires so there is not much tire scrub as you would get in a wider, flatter tire...like a truck

 

i do it all the time. Look at Geno's garage for some good info on specks, But actually just put a straight edge on each tire and even them out with about 1/8 to 1/4" toe in. They do pull out when moving forward. As for camber don't jack it up. It needs the weight on the truck to get an accurate reading. Just put them at zero straight up and down and you'll be fine. I haven't been to an alignment shop in 20 years and had to fix their work. They always say it's within specks they won't adjust it. That ain't good enough. You can use a laser level and read off the rear wheels to the front wheels to set the rear end square. A lot easier than you think, but you need a friends help.

 

With 0 camber, you'd want very little toe-in. With the top tipped out, you'd want toe-in, as the tire would want to turn outward on it's edge. If the top's tipped in you'll want it toed out as the tires will want to turn in.

 

Why would you want anything other than 0 camber? Wouldn't the tire wear badly?

 

Not as bad as having too much toe. Most 2wd 3/4 and 1-ton trucks on the new lot seem to have the fronts cambered with the tops out. Can't remember if that's called positive or negative camber though.

 

So what is the best way to adjust camber? I mean, how to actually adjust it. Is there a special tool for turning those eccentric bolts holding on the upper arms?

 

The upper control arm bushing bolts have eccentric washers on them. Loosen the nut and turn the bolt by its shank whichever way necessary.

Positive camber would be the top of the tire leaning outward and negative camber would be tire leaning inward. I don't agree with setting a toe out. As I and others have said, the tires will turn outward naturally while rolling forward. Either dead even toe or a slight toe in.

 

Toe depends on camber. Negative camber, you'd want toe out, positive camber, tow in. The toe keeps the wheel tracking straight when it wants to turn due to being tipped on its edge.

 

Straight or slightly toed in. Not the best idea to apply off road racing settings to daily driver settings- such as on a single seat quad. Unless you plan on using your truck that way.

There are kits you can buy to manually set caster and camber. JCWhitney carries them, and I am sure they are available elsewhere.

Toe: Set in even, or VERY slightly narrower in the front. Like 1/16" or so
Camber: set very slightly negative (in at top)
Caster: Make sure caster is the same side to side

Why:
As you travel forward, the rear is pushing the front, and the flex of suspension bushings and ball joints allows this force to flex the toe slightly positive (walleyed) and the slight toe in offsets this.

When you turn a corner, similar flex allows the suspension to flex camber positive, slightly negative camber balances this somewhat for even wear.

Caster can be played with. More positive caster means the truck will track straighter, but will have "heavier" steering. You NEVER want negative camber, the truck will try and steer itself. Sort of like a bicycle with the handlebars turned backwards. But if the caster is not the same side to side, the truck will always pull to one side. On fancy machines, they often set caster slightly different side to side to compensate for the crown on highways, but backyard, I wouldn't advise trying to get that fancy.

If I were you, I would just get a dowel and a tape measure and do the toe only- measured from the rim, not the tire as far to the front and rear as possible with the truck sitting on the ground. If you have uneven wear, rotate the tires. It is pretty tricky to get a decent alignment on an IFS vehicle with hand gauges.

Also, most allt. machines also do "thrust angle" which uses the front end to compensate for any out of line in the rear axle, which is VERY difficult to sort out in the backyard.