This is a copy and paste
The first things I would look to in an FJ40 that likes to dart, wander and pull are as follows; If it has extended shackles, make sure it has caster shims installed. Lack of these will mean that the factory caster setting is not obtained, and this will usually make the rig dart like a teenager in a shopping mall. If there is any reason to suspect that the Ubolts have ever been replaced, or even loosened and retightened, make sure they are tight. The only way to properly tighten these is with the weight off the axle (ie: with a jack under the SPRING supporting the weight while the Ubolts are checked and tightened if need be). Check the spring bushings. These are usually pretty hammered by 60,000 miles or so. Worn bushings will allow the entire front suspension to shift from side to side. Don't forget the rear end as well. While you are looking at springs and attachment points, make sure the shackles are straight, and not bent. Hard wheeling can be tough on these parts, and "s" shaped factory shackles are not uncommon. Tighten up the center arm pivot. This is made to be adjusted on a regular basis, to account for wear. Often it is not. The center arm should rotate smoothly around the pivot, with no side to side,or fore and aft movement. If tighening the pivot doesn't remove all the slop, then the pivot need to be rebuilt or replaced. Check the steering box itself for slop. There is an adjustment screw on the engine side of the box to tighten this up as well. While you are at it, make sure it is properly lubed. Check all the tie rod ends for any play. They should spin in their sockets as needed, but there should be no discernable side to side motion in any of them. Check the factory steering stabilizer for any sign of leakage or damage. If you detect any, remove one end from the linkage, and make sure that it is still functioning correctly. it should slide in and out smoothly without binding, but it shouldn't do so easily. On the subject of steering stabilizers... I personally prefer the aftermarket type which attaches to the tie rod, rather than the replacment type which mounts in the factory location. Two reasons. First, you can run these type in addition to the factory unit, as opposed to instead of it. More importantly, by attaching to the tie rod, you further isolate the tie rod ends and the center pivot units from the road shock than you can with the factory location. An additional stabilizer to complement the factory unit can help with rut following and darting on ineven road surfaces too. Make sure that your wheel and knuckle bearings are in good shape. Any looseness at these points will translate in to improper alignment, and slop in the sterering too. Knuckle bearings in particular will contribute to erratic handling. Many FJ40s will have never had the adjustment of the draglink tightened (heck many have never seen any front end service). This adjustment at the rear of the draglink will compensate fot wear to the "ball joint" at the pittman arm, and can account for a lot of steering system slop. When you get all of these wear points and potential mechanical flaws inspected and serviced as required, then get the front end aligned. The only factor that is intended to be adjusted it the toe in, but this will also tell you if any other alignment consideration is out of parameters. Caster can be altered with shims (as it must be when longer shackles are fitted). Camber can also be altered with special lower knuckle bearing mounts, but I have never seen these available anywhere in the US. I am only aware of them on the Austrailian market, but they may very well be available here, and I am simply unaware of it. Regardless, if you caster is off for an reason other than extended shackles, or your camber is off at all, you have either missed some damaged suspension (not steering) components, or you have a bent axle (not common at all in Cruisers, but still possible if it has been wheeled REAL hard). The factory stock steering and suspension of a Cruiser is a bit higher maintenance than many rigs if you want to keep ing in top condition. It can be improved on in many cases, and it is not a Porsch by any stretch of the imagination. But once you get it to a correct state of maintenance it is fairly easy to keep it that way, and it will serve you well.
