Alignment

[Quazii]

The local tire franchise is starting a new option. For $99.00 you can buy a lifetime alignment deal for your vehicle. They did the tires and an alignment on the 80 and did a very good job. This sounds like a very good deal, especially after they told me that even if you had front end work done by someone else (at our house, "someone else" would be US) they would still align the truck. I am sure they will be "small print" added later, but for now they acted as if it was a no questions asked deal.

Now the reason for posting in this section instead of the 80 series section is this.

We bought the tires for the 40 here but they couldn't align it because they didn't have the specs!! They actually sent us somewhere else. I am positive that I have the alignment specs here at the house. If I don't, I know that I can get them from y'all, so I asked the $99.00 question--if I brought the alignment specs in for the 40, could they align it? I could hear them whispering. One of them said that he wouldn't do a lifetime alignment on this. They quit talking when they noticed I was listening. It was my truck they were gossiping about so I had every right to listen. They did say that they would align it with the specs but they did not mention the lifetime alignment again.

Now why wouldn't the 40 be covered the same as the 80? Chris think that because the potential for off road is more obvious in the 40. Little do they know. The 80 goes off road, too; I am just waiting for a lift and bigger tires to hit the bigger stuff.

What do you think?

 

[theo]

I have a couple of thoughts. Someone correct me if I have it wrong.

First, the 40 doesn't have Ackerman steering built into it so the steer tires scrub more than usual on turns. That means a little faster wear. (Not sure scrub is the right term, since it's also related to caster adjustment.)

Second, there's no camber or caster adjustment built into the 40. About all you can do is adjust toe-in, unless you start playing with tapered shims and bearing races. With the age of these trucks and all the suspension mods we do the possibility for misalignment is high.

After I rebuild my knuckles and replace my tie rod ends I'm going to pay to have the alignment measured professionally. That will tell me whether I need to worry about camber and how much change I need on my spring shims. I'm thinking about Ackerman steering arms too, but they're pricey and I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[hammerhead]

I have a couple of thoughts. Someone correct me if I have it wrong.

First, the 40 doesn't have Ackerman steering built into it so the steer tires scrub more than usual on turns. That means a little faster wear. (Not sure scrub is the right term, since it's also related to caster adjustment.)

Actually there is but it is insufficient. The steering arms were mass produced at the average wheelbase figures from the 40, 45, and 55 so that only one set of arms would need to be produced for those vehicles.

Second, there's no camber or caster adjustment built into the 40. About all you can do is adjust toe-in...

Correct.

I'm thinking about Ackerman steering arms too, but they're pricey and I'm not sure it's worth it.

Oh, they're worth it alright. Out on the trail I can outturn other 40s...