4WD Bullnose Alignment

[Dyn Blin]

Good afternoon all.

A couple months back I solicited member input for considerations of tire size prior to an 1800 mile trip up to Montana & back to try to reduce highway RPM, given my NP435 1:1 4th gear and 3.5 rear differential (no lift).

As a result, I've procured a set of 31x10.5x15 & have them mounted and balanced on a spare set of wheels.

I'll be putting them on the truck next week in prep for departure, and will have a full alignment.   I've done some forum searches on specifics to my Dana 44 TTB, and think I have a good grasp of questions to ask to ensure the shop has a good working knowledge, but wanted to field suggestions from the tribe here, too.

What would you all suggest I ask, watch for?

[Rembrant]

Dyn Blin wrote

What would you all suggest I ask, watch for?

One thing I always ask them, for all vehicles (and my car is going on the rack day after tomorrow), is that they absolutely and positively make sure that the steering wheel is straight when they are finished. That is my one pet peeve with alignments. I never have any issues with the vehicle tracking...they always seem to do a great job of that, but it drives me nuts if the steering wheel is off even a hair...lol. Anyway, it is just one of those things that I always insist that they put in writing on the work order. PLEASE MAKE SURE STEERING WHEEL IS STRAIGHT!

I know, I'm a nag....but still...lol.

So what is in an 82 4x4 front end? Does it have ball joints like my 84 2wd?

[Gary Lewis]

I don't know what to tell you, but I have a friend that works in an alignment shop and can ask him if you'd like.  Actually, he's a member on here but is never on.  Maybe I can get him to comment.

[Dyn Blin]

I know! Right?  I can't tell you how many times I've carefully reviewed the red and green numbers on a before and after alignment diagram, driven a mile, only to figure out my steering wheel isn't at 12 & 6 when driving down the road like an arrow.  'makes me crazy, too.  

Yes, ball joints.  I think the '81 was the last for kingpins, unless there was some bleed-over on the model year roll-over...

Thanks Gary, I may be overthinking it without the issues related to a lift, and I guess the proof will be looking at the rubber after 900 miles up and back, but I figure I'd try to go in forearmed before I shed some tears over wear on new tires.

[Rembrant]

Dyn Blin wrote

Yes, ball joints.  I think the '81 was the last for kingpins, unless there was some bleed-over on the model year roll-over...

I only have my 2wd 84 F150 to compare, but my truck appears to have left the factory with zero degree bushings for the alignment, and they're still in there now. A guy I know through work spent a few years working "in the pit" in the late 1980's doing truck alignments, and after all these years he still had a handful of alignment bushings in his toolbox (which he gave to me, which I ended up not needing).

It would be interesting to know...and maybe Gary does know, but I wonder if these trucks had any more than a toe alignment done on the assembly line?

I had my alignment done last fall, and after replacing every joint, bushing, mount, and even the rubber coil spring isolator pads, my truck alignment came in well within spec with the zero degree bushings still installed.

One of the old timer alignment guys I spoke to about my truck said that if the alignment bushings need to be changed, it means that there is something else wrong...such as the coil springs are worn out and sagging too much. (Speaking only about trucks at stock ride height with regular-ish size tires). Once you get into lift kits, etc everything alignment related changes anyway.

[Gary Lewis]

I don't know what they got on the assembly line.  And so far the only alignment I've had done was on the '82 I had, and it took new bushings as they couldn't dial it in with the factory ones.

[85lebaront2]

Be glad you have alignment bushings, 2WD king pin front ends do not have them, only possible adjustment other than toe is done by bending the beams (which I had done on Darth 24 years ago). Good point, tires still wear dead even across, last new set of fronts were put on Dec 2014 after I blew a rear outside dual on the way back from WV while on the 65 mph Salisbury MD bypass.

[Dyn Blin]

Closing the loop on this one, too- the work was a non-issue at the shop I went to.  Of course, it seemed a good sign there were 3 older Fords, two being bull-noses, in the employee spaces when I pulled in.

[Gary Lewis]

That's always a good sign.  You know those techs have aligned their trucks, so should know how to do yours.

[reamer]

I installed new HD front springs on OO-BGUB, (4x4) because the previous owner had a 7' Fisher plow on it. Once I took it off, the tops of the tires shot outward. He must have had customer camber adjuster in there cause they just could not get the tire in spec. (or vertical).

No matter how they tried, Brought it to another place, right off the top, he mentioned that I must "lower the Radius arms at the frame. He pulled up a kit on-line, and said "no charge for the work done today, we got it as close as possible, but it's still out".


Bought the kit, installed it and brought the wandering OO-BGUB back and in 20 min on the rack, she's going down the road straight with one-finger turning, and even returning to center by its self!


Even from Ford some were "just not right"...…

[Gary Lewis]

Interesting!  I'd never heard that you might have to lower the radius arms at the frame.  How much did you lower them?  And was that adjustable?  What kit?

[reamer]

Ill look at it, I did this last summer, Ii is an adjustable kit, @1.5" lowering blocks for the radius arms and cam adjusters for the TTB arms....

[reamer]

Lowering at the rear of the arms makes the top ball joint "pitch back"

[Gary Lewis]

Yep.

By the way, have you seen the couple of recent questions regarding the dash patch?

[reamer]

Nope.... will look.

[reamer]

Kit with radius arm lowering blocks, also came with cam adjusters for both pivots (R & L arms)

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Ron.  Hadn't seen those before.  Glad to know about them, just in case.

[reamer]

These Cams rotate the whole arm separate from the other arm so either tire can be made "vertical" independently...