2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Camber adjustment/ upper ball joint

[BSowers]

I have an issue where the alignment shop says they can't bring both casters any closer than 2. 5 left, 3. 3 right caster with the camber at --0. 1 on both. Obviously the cross caster is at 0. 8 degrees.
I was wondering, on the upper ball joint, supposedly there is the eccentric to adjust the camber. What is the maximum degree difference that rotating the eccentric would achieve?
Knowing the dynamics of an offset, theoretically there would be two points in the 360 degree rotation that the camber would be at -0. 1 . Say the eccentric had an effective change of 1 degree, Would the fact that the camber was achieved at one of the points that it is at the wrong point for the caster explaining the almost 1 degree cross caster?

Brian

 

[Dave M]

I don't know what the max adjust is but I had a frame alignment shop replace the eccentric on my 97 and here are my specs from a thread I started on right front tire wear:

The alignment shop said the trucks camber was in spec (barely) but that the spec is so wide it could still cause problems. Everything in the front end was tight according to them. They removed a offset cylinder thing on the right front knuckle and replaced it to change and make the camber more negative to compenstae for the tire wear. This adjustment required replacement of the offset sleeve (cylinder) which changes both the caster and the camber so it takes longer to get all the specs set. After 4 months it appears to have corrected my problem. I requested they keep the caster between +3. 5 - +4. 5 deg, as recommend on this site, to correct for "death wobble".



Here are the alignment spec's the shop took before and after the camber change:



Before:

Camber: Left= +0. 0 deg Right=+0. 2 deg

Caster: Left= +3. 5 Right=+4. 2

Toe: Left=+1/16" Right=+2/16"



After:

Camber: Left=+0. 0 deg Right= -0. 5 deg

Caster: Left= +3. 5 Right=+4. 1

Toe: Left=+0/16" Right=+0/16"



The alignment shop said since doing the adjustment at the right front knuckle affects both both camber and caster it took 1 1/2 - 2 hours to do. That was 3 months ago and the tires still show no signs of the outside edge wear I had before.

Here is my thread:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ssion-discussions/144154-steering-woes-5.html



Dave

 

[EDankievitch]

I just did ball joints on my truck and my friends, what a bear with the rusted berring asy i th e steering knuckle. I've checked a few trucks now and have found the caster to be as far off as 6-12 degrees from the factory! and worse if you have a leveling kit. The book calls for 2. 5 to 3. 5 degrees. you have to take in to the effect of the load in the truck, There is a ride hight adjustment in the book. caster around 5-7 degrees seems to feel ok and will not kill your tires. Moog makes an adjustable caster /camber ball joint and it is greasable. But after havin done this I'd go the extra few bucks for the Cali (sp?) Extra Heavy ball joints and be done with it. Oh, Toe in will kill your tires and the new steering tie bar and drag link should fix this. 2008and newer trucks the parts replace the older stuff. If you do the kit save your self some money don't get the dodge steering damper ($125) get the Menrow (sp?) one for the older truck it's the same shock and it's about $25 you need to make a bushing out of a short pice of 3/8 black pipe about 1 3/8" for the tie bar end.





2005 Ram, 6 speed stock with 3500 front springs