Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
In the TDR issue 74, Member to Member Column, titled "Steering Woes" there was a table listing: Year, Front Suspension Type and Known Problem. Over the years that I've owned my truck (5/01 - present) I've done/replaced almost everything imaginable (that required attention = out of whack, loose and/or just plain worn out) to my 195k front end, such as: rod ends, steering stabilizer shock, Bilsteins (yellow/blue), bearing assemblies, ball joints, DSS Steering stabilizer, Maxx Links, poly anti-sway bar bushings, DSS 3rd gen adj track-bar conversion, Top Gun Customz tubular upper/lower control arms, rotors, calipers, brake hoses, master cylinder and many a front end alignment. I'm sure there's more "maintenance" items that I've long forgotten about and as I look at the list of things I've done I don't want to even think of how much money I've "invested", for sake of argument lets say $3,000 +/-. Yet my truck still wants to slightly pull left whenever I ease off the steering wheel?
A few months ago I purchased new tires to replace my 2nd set of Nitto 305/70/16s, which I was able to get roughly 55k out of each set. This time I went with Michelin LTX M/S2's = great tires. So after the tire install and while on the alignment rack (I was closely watching the Tech who was very diligently attending to my front end) at the Sears where my buddy (Kelly4463) works the Tech told me he "got it as close as he could". Of course, I asked him "what the heck does that mean?" He explained, the caster adjustments were set at max, but it could use a bit more to be "sweet". He mentioned recalling that when Kelly and I installed the 3rd gen adj track-bar and Top Gun Customz tubular control arms on his 01 he was the Tech that did Kelly's alignment and he recalled that Kelly had to get new caster eccentric bolts (we had to cut his out as they were seized in the lower control arms) which he thought were much larger than mine. He told me he wondered if I got the new "larger bolts" if that would provide the additional caster I needed to get the alignment, as he called it, "sweet"?
The Tech's question was an interesting thought, but I wrote it off to him not often having the opportunity to work on trucks like ours and most often worked on cars that were front drive. But, his question stayed in my mind as a possibility, "you can always learn something from someone".
I recently read the article "Steering Woes" and took particular notice of an entry in the table on page 13, specifically that under "known problems" on the 2000-2002 trucks where it mentioned, "Same as earlier second gen trucks, but now the ability to achieve 'preferred' caster adjustment, due to changes in the lower trailing arms (LARGER CASTER ECCENTRICS). " I gave much thought to the part that stated "due to design changes in the lower trailing arms" and then wondered if this "design change" was no longer pertinent - referring to Kelly's and my trucks?
More thought led to the following: both Kelly and I have the same tubular control arms, same leveling (+2"), same shocks, same 3rd gen adj track-bar, etc. the only difference between our modifications (replacement of control arms etc. ) being that he had to replace the caster eccentrics and I was able to "save" mine (basically mine came right out and his had to be cut out).
The following is the essence of my above essay/question; can I get new LARGER CASTER ECCENTRICS and will installing them get me out of the "as close as I could get it" zone with hopes to achieve the "PREFERRED" caster adjustment and/or get me into the "sweet", as the Tech referred to, alignment that I've never been able to get to with my truck?
Sorry for such a long post, but I'm going on 10 years of ownership here, not to mention the $$$ spent along the way, with many repairs / replacements / upgrades to the worn out front end parts, all of which were needed and all of which I hoped would end the "tug of war" with the front end "slight drift to the left" issue I've had throughout my ownership.
Thanks for reading, replying and hopefully I'll get satisfaction (finally), and hopefully we'll get appropriate replies from members that are "more front-end savvy" than I (either confirming or denying the larger eccentrics thought) and all of this will not only help me, but may also help someone else out there in TDR-Land.
A few months ago I purchased new tires to replace my 2nd set of Nitto 305/70/16s, which I was able to get roughly 55k out of each set. This time I went with Michelin LTX M/S2's = great tires. So after the tire install and while on the alignment rack (I was closely watching the Tech who was very diligently attending to my front end) at the Sears where my buddy (Kelly4463) works the Tech told me he "got it as close as he could". Of course, I asked him "what the heck does that mean?" He explained, the caster adjustments were set at max, but it could use a bit more to be "sweet". He mentioned recalling that when Kelly and I installed the 3rd gen adj track-bar and Top Gun Customz tubular control arms on his 01 he was the Tech that did Kelly's alignment and he recalled that Kelly had to get new caster eccentric bolts (we had to cut his out as they were seized in the lower control arms) which he thought were much larger than mine. He told me he wondered if I got the new "larger bolts" if that would provide the additional caster I needed to get the alignment, as he called it, "sweet"?
The Tech's question was an interesting thought, but I wrote it off to him not often having the opportunity to work on trucks like ours and most often worked on cars that were front drive. But, his question stayed in my mind as a possibility, "you can always learn something from someone".
I recently read the article "Steering Woes" and took particular notice of an entry in the table on page 13, specifically that under "known problems" on the 2000-2002 trucks where it mentioned, "Same as earlier second gen trucks, but now the ability to achieve 'preferred' caster adjustment, due to changes in the lower trailing arms (LARGER CASTER ECCENTRICS). " I gave much thought to the part that stated "due to design changes in the lower trailing arms" and then wondered if this "design change" was no longer pertinent - referring to Kelly's and my trucks?
More thought led to the following: both Kelly and I have the same tubular control arms, same leveling (+2"), same shocks, same 3rd gen adj track-bar, etc. the only difference between our modifications (replacement of control arms etc. ) being that he had to replace the caster eccentrics and I was able to "save" mine (basically mine came right out and his had to be cut out).
The following is the essence of my above essay/question; can I get new LARGER CASTER ECCENTRICS and will installing them get me out of the "as close as I could get it" zone with hopes to achieve the "PREFERRED" caster adjustment and/or get me into the "sweet", as the Tech referred to, alignment that I've never been able to get to with my truck?
Sorry for such a long post, but I'm going on 10 years of ownership here, not to mention the $$$ spent along the way, with many repairs / replacements / upgrades to the worn out front end parts, all of which were needed and all of which I hoped would end the "tug of war" with the front end "slight drift to the left" issue I've had throughout my ownership.
Thanks for reading, replying and hopefully I'll get satisfaction (finally), and hopefully we'll get appropriate replies from members that are "more front-end savvy" than I (either confirming or denying the larger eccentrics thought) and all of this will not only help me, but may also help someone else out there in TDR-Land.
