Finished my install of 2" Top Gun Spacers and 2" Blocks in back. Also made my own 2" blocks for the sway bar, and cut my trackbar in half and added 1/4" to it to center up the axle again. Now I'm off to the alignment shop. I've noticed a bit more wandering on a crowned road as well as a tad more shutter in the steering on certain roads. I suspect it's the caster. Anyone have specs I can use to have them align to. I know there are some adjustments I should have them stick to the upper or lower limits on. I thought some of you might have more experience with it.

 

Anyone with alignment suggestions after my 2" lift and trackbar lengthening? Need to get the truck aligned....

 

A lot will depend on the tire ad how the suspension reacts. It varies from truck to truck. You need to get the caster back to at least 4 degrees or more. If you can get it with factory setup and it drives fine your good, otherwise, you will probably need a set of adjustable lower control arms.

Upgraded shocks would help a lot with the extra height also. The rest of the alignment specs should work at stock.

 

if done correctly, the actual specs should not change, though the adjustments you made could throw it out of spec. Usually if the truck reacts to road crown it is a camber issue.

 

Well you can see the truck in the sig.
Varies slightly from truck to truck I suppose...but there must be a target.
I'm hearing like 4.5 degrees passenger side, and 3.5 degrees drivers side, with 1/10 degree toe-in. I get a slight chop on smooth sections since the lift, and it has always followed the crown of the road pretty good.

 

You will find any time you change the suspension geometry there is a high possiblity you throw out the stock specs and find the sweet spot again. ANY change may impact it.

Change the tires and you change the way the camber effects the steering. Change the suspension height and you change the way the camber is generated and the way it reacts to the road.

The 285 tire generally doesn't cause problems but couple that with a height change and now it is in an unhappy place. The BFG's are a bad choice for a tire on these trucks to begin with and tend to magnify the other changes and their effect.

 

The truck was out of alignment from the lift. Mostly in the toe in.

Factory specs for 160" wb are as follows:

Caster
Left:4 to 5
Right:4 to 5
Camber
Left:-0.25 to 0.75
Right:-0.25 to 0.75
Toe in:
Left:0.05 to 0.15
Right:0.05 to 0.15
Total:0.10 to 0.30

Initial:

Caster
Left:4.54
Right:4.93
Camber
Left:0.05
Right:-0.03
Toe in:
Left:0.20
Right:0.31
Total:0.51

After:

Caster
Left:4.33
Right:4.67
Camber
Left:0.08
Right:-0.04
Toe in:
Left:0.05
Right:0.05
Total:0.10

$50 out the door and it drive way better now.

 

X2 - We tested the new front end parts on the '05 this summer, and got the alignment dialed in to where it was dead straight on all normal road surfaces... using 37" "slicks" that culminated with skidpad testing.

With NO other changes, new tires with an aggressive seperate-lug MT tread were installed and the truck began to pull for the curb.