How often do lower contol arm bushings go bad?

[gear_grinder]

yo,

I've gotta 97 V8 'sploder and i'm really getting sick of looking @ the front end and seeing /---\ all the damn time. Ive rebuilt (with the usual replaceibles) the whole front end TWICE and it still is the same. So that means balljoints upper and lower, hubs, tierods-inner and outer, swaybar links and bushings, etc...

the delema is that when i take it to an alignment shop (ive tried a couple differnt ones) the pick it up and show me that the camber is fine, nearly spot on. They lower it back down on the ground, and the machine still says its okay and then it looks correct after its been picked up and lowerd back down again, but after a trip back home and i eyeball it down again its back to looking like /---\ again. I can also tell its not correct becasue the inside tread blocks on my BFG KO a/ts are starting to cup slightly.

So my only idea for this is that the lower control arm bushings are wore, so much that they "settle" enough after being picked up to throw the camber back off after some vibrations and actuation of the lower contol arms. I've been eye'ing down a set of polyeurithain bushings on summit for a while now, they have them for a fairly resonable 50 bucks. seems like a wothwhile investment so my tires ware correctly.

please tell me if i'm on to somthing

Thanks!


PS; i'm really thinking about getting rid of the truck of SAS if i cant fix this stupid **** because it really irritates me...

 

[my98nnj]

An alignment is done while the truck is on the ground, driven up onto the rack.
The rack has floating plates that each wheel sits on so as to have no resistance as the alignment is performed. I don't understand why it's being picked up and lowered down again?
Who's doing your alignments? It should never come off the ground.

 

[RickOTR]

Ford changed the alignment specs on you're explorer a few years after it was built. The shops you have taken it too may not have the correct updates. The correct specs are somewhere here on this forum but I don't know where. Just do some searching. Take it to Ford as a last resort.

 

[BK_89iX]

What are your alignment numbers after the shop gives the truck back to you?

Were you/shop careful to tighten up the control arm bushing bolts with the suspension fully loaded and the vehicle on the ground? That is important.

BK

 

[gijoecam]

I'd also be wondering if you have the torsion bars cranked? If so, that can certainly increase the degree of negative camber...

 

[gear_grinder]

the totion bars are cranked ~1.5" (measured from cv joint to cv joint) however it was the same befor i had cranked them up.

i also noticed that when i back into a parking space it gets even worse.

 

[Explorer Junky]

I put 31" BFG's all terrains on my 97 Ex. Went up from the stock 28". My alignment guy has my Ex looking [-----]. He knows his stuff. I put on NEw leafs with AAL on back, and still had drivers side sag. Put the new tires on, told him the problem, he just happened to be laid off from the local ford dealership, and knew what the problem was. Ex sits level front to back and side to side now. Just need to find some one who really knows what they are doing.

 

[gear_grinder]

mine is just the camber, if their is a problem with the chassis/level being level its not decenable by the naked eye.