2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission wondering on the road

[roller1000]

Does anyone know of someone in MN that does alignments on dodge front ends. THE DEALERSHIPS SUCK. I am looking for the small guy that has done hundreds of these truck, and knows there down falls in the front ends. Everthing looks to be tight but it is still wondering going down the road. I am alway steering/correcting going down a straight road. I am better off taking my hand off the wheel. (not good) . Its like there is too much toe in or out. I do all my own work on my trucks but this is really getting old. :{ thanks

 

[JMcCoy]

How bad do your tires look? Caster may have some effect on wander/pull with no effect on tire wear. . Toe in or out should have little effect on wander, but tire wear from bad toe will cause wander. If your alignment is out that bad, you would be chopping up tires. Take a second look at the track bar, ball joints, and wheel bearings or hubs if you have a 4wd. Good luck.

 

[champspa]

just you in your truck the toe should be about 1/16 inch as you load up the back the toe will open and you will wander . if you tow a lot the toe should be about 5/32 in . at least that's the way it worked out for mine and it steers well. just my opinion

 

[budnate]

do you have the specs the forum member did a few years ago?? I followed his specs to the T with my guy this last summer and a front end rebuild and he did not agree with it and mine drives nice.



I can go dig for it but if someone has it handy post the link, its really worth taking with you to the front end guy.



peace, B.

 

[JMcCoy]

It is almost impossible to find a "real" alignment shop. It is a lost art. Anyone can throw a vehicle on an alignment rack and slap it to factory specs. Factory spec is merely the factory's best GUESS of what the vehicle should be set to. They can't possibly know what you are going to use the truck for. I would gladly drive 200 miles to get to a "real" alignment shop. Since most of the race tracks have closed down here in south Florida, so have the alignment shops. Good luck finding one. If MN is anything like FL, your going to need it.

 

[Matt42]

Does anyone know of someone in MN that does alignments on dodge front ends. THE DEALERSHIPS SUCK. I am looking for the small guy that has done hundreds of these truck, and knows there down falls in the front ends. Everthing looks to be tight but it is still wondering going down the road. I am alway steering/correcting going down a straight road. I am better off taking my hand off the wheel. (not good) . Its like there is too much toe in or out. I do all my own work on my trucks but this is really getting old. :{ thanks

In the Phoenix area, I recommend an outfit called Network Alignment.

 

[SRath]

This link may prove helpful: Ram steering specs

"... Comparing between the two front wheels, caster will cause a pull to the smaller value and camber will cause a pull to the larger value. A truck set up with caster pulling in one direction and camber pulling in the other direction, can lead to a wandering truck; even though it is "in specifications"!!!!!!"

Print this entire brief article and spec chart and take it with you to the alignment shop. Ask them if they can set your truck to these specs. Yes or no.

If the answer is anything but an absolute "yes", go somewhere else.

Oh, and make sure you tell them you will not accept an incomplete alignment that leaves your steering wheel anything but perfectly centered. I cannot believe how many LAZY technicians and shops are out there these days that do not re-align the steering wheel after aligning the frontend. Definitely a pet peeve! And do not let them charge a dime "extra" for it either!! It is part of any real alignment.

For your part, do not take a truck with ANY worn-out steering components to a shop and expect to get your money's worth. You are wasting your money and a really good shop will tell you to fix it first then bring it back for alignment and send you out the door with no charge.

I respect shops like that. They did NOT try to sell me their repair services and are, therefore, much more believable when they say some specific component is worn out. They also did not just go ahead and take my money and perform an alignment that means nothing (due to worn out parts). At that point, if you do not want to fix it yourself, you have probably already found as honest a shop to have do it as you will ever find. Give them your business and tell your friends.

 

[DIESELWRKS]

I understand the pain that our trucks can produce on steering issues. when I replaced my front end steering I did the T steering conversion, adjustable trac bar from dt pro-fab and DSS steering shaft brace. these all are night and day diff from a stock set up. these parts or any are not cheap but done right by the RIGHT person is the key. I always hated going to a shop and getting a alignment done and then find out the steering wheel is clocked off to one side due to them not recentering and adjusting the sleeve. I have new ball joints starring at me in the garage this is the next project. I put on most of the parts my self and the only local shop that I can honestly say for me that stood behind their work and if I had any problems they would fix for free has been my local Big O tires. not all Big O's are going to be this way I really think its due to the owner of the shop and his workers. find a place that will warranty the work. dont get nickle and dimed alot of shops will do this by telling you to fix this we need to fix that sorta thing. I dont know the name of the machine they use its a lazer what ever system. if your planning on having the truck for a long time I would look at some of these above mention pieces that really help dialing in some of the bad natures our steering system has. if your a mechanical person or have a bud that can help you alot of these aftermarket pieces can easily be put on by yourself and then get your alignment done. I hope this helps somewhat for you.

 

[JMcCoy]

X2 for the uprgaded parts. They truly are an upgrade.

 

[Missouri Mule]

When I had my first set of LTX M/S put on the Indepent tire shop aligned the tires. I gave them the numbers from TDR to set it at don't know if they used them but tires wore well.

Had Big 10 align it after new ball joints but they wouldn't use they said their computer would do it, had to go back because wheel wasn't straight. Just shifted a belt (bulge on the tread edge of right front tire ) don't Know if lousy alignment did it or not all the the other tires seem to be fine.



As an after thought Big 10 did the alignment many years later(aprox 7years) on the second set of LTX M/S(aprox 3 1/3 years old, mileage ?). My first set also shifted a belt on right front tire in August of 2005 (apox 61,658 mlies on them). Was hoping to get another year out of them.

 

[SRath]

As that article discusses, the computer and book tolerances are much too broad. The fact your wheel was crooked afterwards is a sure sign of a sloppy job, imo. I wouldn't go back there.

 

[Matt42]

As that article discusses, the computer and book tolerances are much too broad. The fact your wheel was crooked afterwards is a sure sign of a sloppy job, imo. I wouldn't go back there.

Absolutely, positively 100% true.

 

[budnate]

the link above is the one I was refering to that Rath dropped in, I printed it to give to the front end guy so he could read the whole story on where the specs were coming from and why and the article is written by a guy that knows what he is doing on front ends and not just me standing there with a basic spec sheet... it helped the guy who did mine to see why the specs are being called out diff than the manual... . still took 2 diff visits to my guy to get it right after he worked on it, they are tough to get dialed in.

 

[SRath]

But you found a guy willing to get it right and he eventually did?

 

[budnate]

kinda, he said it was right the first time, it still wondered left at freeway speed... took it back told him to take it for a long drive he reluctantly agreed, he worked it some more and drove it twice to get it... most guys drive them around the block and park it, they never get it up to 60+ and really test them, they all feel good at 25/30mph unless there way off. I had to get the manager involved to ok him to take it for a real drive. kinda had to be a jerk about it, told them upfront when I booked the alignment job I wasn't going away till it drove right.

 

[JMcCoy]

Also, keep an eye out for alignment tricks like airing down the left front tire to counter act the vehicle pulling to the right and vise versa. They will do this just to get you out the door. I've seen it first hand many times (not by me).

 

[Superdawg]

Hello sir. I was trolling around for the wandering steering issue (I have a 3rd Gen 2004. 5, 4wd, 4wd, stock susp). Will that chart you linked for Brents alignment specs work for a 2004. 5 w/ american axles?

thanks,

Tom

 

[SRath]

I honestly don't know, Tom. I suppose a guy could try to find the factory specs for an older 2nd generation that we know they are good for, and see if the factory specs for the 2004. 5 with AAM axles is the same. If they aren't, then I would say that chart will do you no good.

 

[Superdawg]

Thanks for the reply. I will check into it tomorrow. Sure would be nice if it worked.