wheel alignment

[lt1fire]

Man I think i'm making more posts in the last two weeks on this forum than i have in the last 2 years.
Ok so last tuesday I took the 80 to get the tires rotated (as I don't right now posess a high rise jack) and balanced and aligned. they balanced the tires (didn't really do much i'm going to do the airsoft thing as mentioned in another one of my threads 36, inch bias plys are fun!!!) but they said that they couldn't align it and I needed to take it to a frame and alignment specialist. Anybody else have this problem??? I have an appoinment here in Valencia at j and k frame and alignment next saturday but my friend is telling me to take it to Off Road Unlimeted over in burbank and they can do it no problem.
Also I was searching around and found these
http://www.man-a-fre.com/pa/80seriescastercorrection.htm
do I need these with the 6in SLEE lift on my 80???

 

[Josh83]

What aspect of your alignment was off? If it was your caster, it is not "adjustable" in the, loosen this and turn it a few times and tighten it back up sense. You do not need those brackets with the 6" slee. What accessories do you have on your truck? HD bumper? Winch? Rear bumper? Full size spare?

 

[lt1fire]

If I remember right everything was off..... my truck doesn't have a winch but does have a front bumper that the previous owner made.... it doesn't have a rear, he sold it off before I saw the truck, and no full size spare

 

[nakman]

Do you have Slee's arms? comes with the whole 6" kit http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/80_suspension.htm ? or do you just have the springs? The arms would have corrected your castor if so, leaving the only alignment adjustment your toe-in.

 

[lt1fire]

yes I do have the slee arms.... I also got the stock ones off the guy when I bought the truck... those things are heavy as hell

 

[lt1fire]

bump

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Be careful here as there isn't much to "align" on an 80 series. The ONLY adjustable parameter is toe-in, and you can do that with a tape measure in your driveway in 15 minutes. For caster adjustments, you need the Slee arms, or other methods to rotate the entire axle up. If they want to charge you a bunch of $$ for an "alignment", run away since there is nothing to adjust.

Camber is set by the position of the knuckle bearings at the factory. If it's off, your axle is bent. Again, not adjustable.

Keep repeating...."the only thing to adjust is toe-in". Have someone local show you how to do it at home. It is stupidly easy.

 

[CJF]

Listen to Cruiserdrew. Plus, who says you need an alignment anyway?? Unless you've had uneven tire wear or front-end handling issues, it's probably fine.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Camber is set by the position of the knuckle bearings at the factory. If it's off, your axle is bent. Again, not adjustable.

Actually camber can be adjusted with offset trunion bearings. More common in Australia, not su much here. Just FYI.

 

[lt1fire]

Be careful here as there isn't much to "align" on an 80 series. The ONLY adjustable parameter is toe-in, and you can do that with a tape measure in your driveway in 15 minutes. For caster adjustments, you need the Slee arms, or other methods to rotate the entire axle up. If they want to charge you a bunch of $$ for an "alignment", run away since there is nothing to adjust.

Camber is set by the position of the knuckle bearings at the factory. If it's off, your axle is bent. Again, not adjustable.

Keep repeating...."the only thing to adjust is toe-in". Have someone local show you how to do it at home. It is stupidly easy.

Ok thanks for the info... I do have the SLEE arms this kind of freaks me out now

Listen to Cruiserdrew. Plus, who says you need an alignment anyway?? Unless you've had uneven tire wear or front-end handling issues, it's probably fine.

Well I've only had the truck for 10 days so tire wear i don't know. The tires are 36 x 12.5 bias ply military hummer tires..... or so I was told. I get crazy shimmy from about 30-45 miles an hour on the way up.... and under breaking get crazy shimmy at about the 35-20 mph mark. any other mph its nothing and it is only when going in a straight line.. not turning. It's not as bad after the tires warm up but there is still a lot of it there...... any ideas.... the slee arms cam with the kit I have those.... i've checked all over the axle can't see anything that would show a bend or a hard hit on it... asked the last owner he said same.

 

[RACER1269]

i think its just your tires. being they are bias. those tires are the older version that was replaced by the radial "oz" tires 37x12.5 .... if they are the military ones i think they should be 16.5 also. i had the radial 37s on my HMMWV before i went to the IROKs ... fyi

 

[lt1fire]

do you think the air softs i'm going to throw in their later this week will fix that problem??

 

[GXO]

I have radial 35 MTRs and I get huge shimmy on new tires (about 400-500 miles now). Of course, I threw a bead on one, reseated it with fire, and wheeled the poo out of them.

I am getting them balanced tomorrow

 

[clownmidget]

Big tires, especially bias ply ones, are tough to keep balanced. Since you didn't buy the tires or the wheels you don't really know firsthand anything about them. Have a good tire ship check the rims and tires and do the best job they can balancing them. You'd also want to check the front wheel bearings to make sure they aren't loose on one or both sides and giving you the shimmy. Then check your tie rod ends. Then read through a bunch of threads here and start getting weird about rebuilding and maintaining the front axle. Make sure you get the "correct" grease in there. Your spindle bushings and maybe your entire spindles are toast. Your inner axle seals are gone. Your axle breather is blocked and your knuckles are slowly pooping a grease/gear oil pudding.







But it's probably just the tires...

 

[lt1fire]

i'm fairly sure it's not the wheel bearing the previous owner greased and repacked them regularly