On a solid axle, caster is set by rotating the whole axle assembly with eccentric bolts on a Dodge, or on a Ford, you’re stuck swapping out adjustment bushings. Caster is a little less obvious. Although most guys will not have a set of plates, if you know someone that does and they will let you use them, they are worth getting your hands on. Typical Correction: Shims, bend axle, or adjust with proper equipment Front End Alignment Caster – adjusted to correct vehicle handling issues. There are plenty of sources that claim you need a set of turn plates to do an alignment correctly, but while handy, they are not essential. Typical Correction: Shim both sides or bend axle King Pin Inclination – checked to determine if a spindle or axle is bent By Kyler Lacey May 15, 2018. Since we have a live axle there is no worry about caster or camber (it's built into the axle) and toe is completely divorced from the steering arm. A bubble level with horizontal level capabilities also works. A 2-inch front-end rise changed the camber by almost 2 degrees on our Chevelle, which would also affect the toe and can cause tire scrub. Remember, there is an adjusting collar on both sides of the car, so both collars need to be adjusted equally. These sleeves correct camber and caster on the new 4x4 F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks FORD 2 & 4WD CAMBER/ CASTER TRUCK SLEEVES • Sleeves are widely used to adjust caster and/or camber on many Ford Adjust camber first. Measure again and repeat until you’ve moved the toe to the required amount. In order to properly set camber, you’re going to need a few tools. Shims of different thicknesses are used to adjust caster and camber. Virtually all vehicles employ positive caster, but excessive amounts can lead to camber problems, since these two angles directly affect each other. There are three adjustments that can be made to most suspensions: caster, camber, and toe. As far as alignment shims, you can usually find them at a number of locations. That being said, we are technically doing a partial alignment, adjusting the most important part of the steering system on the front end. Use the torpedo level or a protractor as in the images above to determine the inward or outward slant of the tire. Measure or count the amount of exposed threads and make note. Place the end of a tape measure in the tread just to the outside of the string at the front of the tire and stretch it to the opposite tire and read the distance, let’s say it measures 65 3/16 inches. Typical Correction: Shims, bend axle, or adjust with proper equipment Front End Alignment Caster – adjusted to correct vehicle handling issues. Plus, you'll have another bitchin' tool to upgrade your toolbox. Toe adjustment with a steering gearbox steering is accomplished by loosening these two lock nuts and rotating the sleeve. You MUST adjust the cam with the bolt head as well as do both sides of the control arm at the same time keep the tension there when in the proper position so it doesn't move at all then tighten the ever loving shit out of the nut. With the A-Frame suspension, when you adjust the front bolt only, camber and caster move in the same direction. Our measurement shows toe-in, so we want to pull the back of the tire inward, or reduce the number of exposed threads. This is an extreme example of positive caster that creates high-speed stability-the effect that allows the rider to let go of the handlebars while the bike tracks straight. Adjust camber and caster to specifications by rotating bolt head. as stated earlier, any camber change is going to have a drastic change on toe in! Mike has been wrenching on cars since the early 1970s when he worked at his dad's auto repair shop. I think caster is adjusted using the same points, if not then it's probably not adjustable unless you adjust the t-bars to change the angle of the truck relative to the road, changing caster … Right-center: Move up the tire and measure again. Then, for setting the camber, make equal adjustments to each eccentric, so that caster is not affected during the camber adjustment. The tech probally couldn't adjust caster due to lack of Camber/Caster Bolt. Caster is the position the wheel is inside the wheel well. Then tighten down the mounting bolts with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket and an open-end wrench. Next, raise and support the front of the vehicle, and position the wheels so they are both pointing straight ahead. On early Mustangs, for example, Ford employed a strut rod attached to the lower control arm that can be moved either in or out to adjust the caster. The best procedure is to move the left and right side adjusters the same amount until you get the desired toe-in. The plates remove the friction created with the tires sitting on the floor of your garage, and allow the wheels and suspension to move around more easily as you make adjustments. Rule of thumb again is to run more negative caster (suspension leaning toward the firewall) , than positive castor. If you plan on doing any driving where you need to increase the handling capabilities of the car, a slight inward lean (negative camber) of about 1 to 1 1/2 degrees is ideal. After adjusting all three settings, take the car out for a leisurely testdrive and pay attention to how it reacts to different pavement and driving situations. Simply remove the tire, cotter pin and upper ball joint stud nut and break the taper free between the stud and sleeve. As far as the camber adjustment goes, that can be affected by adjusting the torsion bars as so many of us do. When tightened, bouncing helps the suspension settle. A good muscle car starting point is 1/2 degree negative. We'll cover the basics and get into how to set your own alignment at home with a few simple tools that any good car crafter should have in his toolbox. If you’ve got the money, look into buying or possibly renting one of these bubble alignment gauges. Traditionally, five alignment angles are […] When making adjustments, make small, incremental adjustments, and then snug the nuts and bolts. Steps on How to Adjust Camber on Chevy Truck. Repeat until you get the adjustment you are looking for. I think caster is adjusted using the same points, if not then it's probably not adjustable unless you adjust the t-bars to change the angle of the truck relative to the road, changing caster … If you wanted your car to understeer horribly and be unstable at high speeds, then you'd set the front end to 1 degree negative caster and 3/4 degree of positive camber. Toe and camber only effect wear. Cars equipped with an upper control arm are generally mounted with a cross-shaft. If you don’t have one of these, a bungee cord or rope can be used to secure the steering wheel. Most shop alignments will be the thrust type. Camber is the inward or outward lean of the tire from vertical, while toe is the inward or outward orientation of the tire in relation to the car’s front-to-rear centerline. 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An interesting point is that the 20-degree turn-in and turn-out figure is not critical. If you can’t find plates to use, two pieces of cardboard with grease slathered between them also works. Moog K6302 Caster/Camber Adjusting Kit for 1988-04 Chevy & GMC Truck (Fits: More than one vehicle) 5 out of 5 stars (2) 2 product ratings - Moog K6302 Caster/Camber Adjusting Kit for 1988-04 Chevy & GMC Truck Chevy Trucks and SUVs. The only thing left to do, is adjust everything so the truck is ready to roll. Alignment issues start to show up after a couple of hundred miles. Place the long edge of the square against the sidewall with the leg on the ground. If this pivot angle is leaning toward the back of the truck it is positive caster, and, of course, if the angle is rotated toward the front of the truck, it is negative caster. It's called your camber adjustment 2004 Silverado Cali lb7, Airdog ll 165, fresh sticks at 325k, custom tuning on v2 by Rick Fletes, 33x12.5 nittos at on 20 inch American steal wheels, modded factory air box, Profab Intake Horn, Batmo Wheel, Turbo port and polish, Full EGR Removed w/ fed belt, 3.5 inch MBRP Downpipe, Full five inch MBRP Exhaust, 10mm lbz cp3 pump, Dual Yellow Top Optimas, … The IFS Chevy guys are the lucky winners here, since caster and camber are easily set with adjustment bolts on the upper control arms. In all honesty, if you follow these directions and get your toe measurement to within a few degrees, camber to within a degree of spec, and tighten everything properly, you shouldn’t have to worry about ruining your tires or new suspension components while driving to the local alignment shop. First, place the long leg of the square against the sidewall of the tire (at the top and bottom of the tire), with the shorter leg sticking straight out perpendicular to the tire. After all that's done on both sides, then set steering wheel center and tow-in. Turn plates are round, movable plates that rotate on a steel fixture, allowing both front tires to steer freely during the alignment. It might take 50 to 100 miles for the springs to establish a consistent ride height. Using the center caster adjustment knob underneath the gauge, zero the caster reading. Here’s how to adjust control arms that use shims: Once you have the camber set, tighten the shim packs securely. To accomplish this, the tire must properly inflated to eliminate the “bulge” of the tire as it rests on the ground. The 20-degree figure is popular because the more degrees the wheel moves, the more accurate the measurement. If the string is not perfectly vertical, you should adjust the camber to get it as close as possible. Toe is always set last because adjusting camber or caster moves the control arms, and that changes the toe. Measuring Toe Angle Anyways, On my truck there are two cams on each end where the control arm connects to the frame. if you only wanted to change caster, move 1 cam out & the other in. What is important is moving the tire the same number of degrees in and out. If you are spending your weekends in salvage yards, you can also grab a handful while you’re grabbing other parts. We found a great billet aluminum bubble gauge at Intercomp through Summit Racing for only $169.95, which sounded reasonable. Left: Shims come in different shapes and sizes, but by necessity, all look similar to these. I do alignments all day long on all makes and models. Adjust camber and caster to specifications by rotating bolt head. However, let’s presume our measurement was off by 7/16-inch toe-in. Granted there's only a limited amount of caster adjustment range available due to how it also moves camber. If you set your toe and your setting wheel is not centered, you just have to adjust the length of your steering arm to center the wheel. A little toe-in, of up to about 3/16-inch is okay for our purposes. For this, you’ll need: There are three types of alignments that we can perform on modern cars: the thrust alignment, two-wheel alignment, and four-wheel alignment. This is a serious tire-wear angle that has a huge impact on vehicle handling in a corner with minimal effect on straight-line driving. This creates a grocery cart-like situation, where the wheel centerline is behind the spindle centerline. To achieve + castor the bolt through the front slot … Whether you car has a rack-and-pinion steering system installed, or it is still using an older steering gearbox setup, adjusting toe is basically the same. After you install a lift, it's important to do an alignment on your vehicle. Be sure the wheel is equal on the front and back sides of the wheel, on the driver side and passenger. Step #2 Putting the Chevy Truck on the Rack. If you look at a bicycle from the side, the top of the spindle is angled rearward toward the rider. Turn the bolt with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket until the alignment pin is lined up with the mark on the alignment cam that you want your camber set to. Step #1 Preparing Yourself. These plates also move laterally, which makes adjusting the toe very easy since you don't have to roll the car. Camber is easy to visualize. This will be especially important the next time you're stranded on a lost Pacific island and the cannibals offer to crown you king if you can dial in the right caster and camber on their Pro Bamboo car. However, they can be heavy and cumbersome, and decidedly not cheap. It matters a lot as far as drivability is concerned. Is the first one for caster and the second one for camber? The irregular wear pattern, called feathering, is caused by an excessive toe in condition. Park the car on a surface that is flat and level. Install adjusting cams (49) to bracket (44). We found a set of used turn plates at the swap meet for $30.00, which is a super price because new ones can cost $600.00 or more. how to adjust camber on chevy truck, Change camber, caster or both at the same time with these sleeves. Light Truck/SUV Camber/Caster Sets 375 23220 & 23230 SLEEVE SETS • Ford changed the axle design in 2005 on their Heavy Duty trucks. The readings you achieve will be much more accurate. Left-Center: Use a tape measure and straight edge to measure the distance from the sidewall to the string. To do this, you must have a level that is long enough to span the tire. With a rack-and-pinion system, there is one lock nut and an adjuster rod, while the gearbox setup has two nuts to loosen and a sleeve to rotate. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. If you slide the front bolt outwards camber goes positive and so does caster. Inserting an equal number of shims between the framerail and the cross-shaft on both mounting bolts moves the upper control arm inboard on both studs and creates the necessary negative camber. Chevy Hardcore NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE! Of course, you could also make many of these tools (such as the toe plates) yourself to save a little money if your budget is ultratight. To measure caster, turn the front wheel out at a 15-degree angle, zero the FasTrax gauge, then turn the front wheel in at a 15-degree angle, in order to get the caster reading. I wrecked this truck a few months back on the driver side and they claimed the frame had to be pulled just a tad. If you are lucky enough to own several cars, you could easily recoup the typical $50.00 alignment charge in only three jobs. 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