lift and alignment

[dirtdigger19]

hey guys im running my spacers 2 1/4" again just in the front. i went to 3 different shops today and they all said that with the lift it will not align right and they wont be able to even get it close. Have any of you had this problem before or did your rigs align fine? I ran the lift and also put on new uppers factory arms and didnt do an alignment for 2 monthes and my tires were shot in no time. got new rubber on now and need to get this aligned so any helps awesome. thanks

 

[MGG]

hey guys im running my spacers 2 1/4" again just in the front. i went to 3 different shops today and they all said that with the lift it will not align right and they wont be able to even get it close. Have any of you had this problem before or did your rigs align fine? I ran the lift and also put on new uppers factory arms and didnt do an alignment for 2 monthes and my tires were shot in no time. got new rubber on now and need to get this aligned so any helps awesome. thanks

I intially had a Firestone Tire center do an alignment after my spacers were installed. Its been about a year and Ive just done tie rods and am picking up new duratracs and going to try a Goodyear service center this time to see if they will align it. If they don't I will just go back to Firestone. I will report back.

 

[dirtdigger19]

ok thank you

 

[tooltime]

I have an 02 ST 2wd running a Camburg 6.0 lift and had no issues getting the front aligned. With that being said, most typical tire/alignment shops at least where Im at do not know how to perform an out of the normal alignment. Not to offend please. It takes a true car guy who knows some old school tech and not some computer which will not have the specs to work on specialty rigs. I have been using the same shop here in Vegas for over 20 years. This is the place for all car guys driving anything from a slammed 56 Ford, to a modern day high end 300.000 pre runner.
On the other hand, I take my stock 4x4 to the regular Firestone tire shop. Easy in easy out. Just don't ask for more negative camber. They give you that ol stink eye thing, or look at you like a deer in the headlights.:frospecta

 

[Mr Dubya]

they all said that with the lift it will not align right and they wont be able to even get it close. Have any of you had this problem before or did your rigs align fine?

Here's my two (edit: twenty) cents:

1) The upper control arms are adjustable, but from the factory they have lock shims where the control arm studs pass through the frame mount. If the lock shims are replaced with heavy washers (Ford sells some specific washers - I can't think of why buying your own high grade ones wouldn't do the trick) then the control arms can be adjusted.

2) Granted, I'm running BTF upper arms with those lock shims replaced, so I have perfect alignment. I can't say just the washers will let the full alignment happen from stock upper control arms, but that should be your first step regardless.

3) I highly recommend you invest in either limiting straps or custom upper control arms (with those 2.25" spacers). The unholy amount of stress your upper balljoints are going to experience with that kind of angle is astronomical, and there is the very conceivable chance they may give out one day - hopefully not on the highway doing 70.

4) If you do get those washers for the upper control arms, try to have firestone align it as best they can and they give you the printed results. It would be incredibly helpful if you could post the results so there can be a consensus on whether BTF (or other) arms are absolutely necessary for proper alignment with 2.25" (not that I think you should be running them without the BTFs in the first place). I'm interested in doing my own highly explanatory writeup with all the questions I once asked answered, and that'll help.


-Dubya

 

[justanother1]

Don't want to highjack your thread but where do the washers go that are mentioned? I'm thinking about the BTF spacers but want to make sure the alignment will be good.

 

[Mr Dubya]

...where do the washers go that are mentioned?...

Kindly ignore the red arrows (dug this from Google, don't have my workshop manual handy).

Note parts #15 on the underside of the frame mount location by which the control arm studs pass through and are secured by a lock nut.

You can see how on my old shim there is a faint oval outline of the frame hole where those studs can be adjusted back and forth (yet the shim locks them into one spot).

 

[Moundaineer]

Has anyone had issues with alignment shims moving? Ive narrowed my issue down, and that seems to be the only possibility, as strange as it seems.

 

[Mr Dubya]

Has anyone had issues with alignment shims moving? Ive narrowed my issue down, and that seems to be the only possibility, as strange as it seems.

The factory locking shims won't move, but I highly suspect that regular washers do run the rare risk of shifting, particularly with any kind of lift.

I was lead to believe mine might have been shifting. I went and bought alignment sets for each wheel from Moog. I installed them, but haven't taken it down to an alignment shop (other problems I haven't had time to fix, so it's in the driveway).


-Dubya

 

[Moundaineer]

Im debating weather to hold off any alignments now, and save up for the btf UCS's. I currently have cut and re-mounted control arms, which hold up fine but I hate seeing my new tires getting chewed up. Even though the ball joint angle is almost stock, the changed geometry might be bending the lock shims out of round.

Thanks

 

[Mr Dubya]

I agree. I have BTF UCAs and the alignment couldn't not have been properly achieved with the lock shims in place. One of the primary reasons why I snagged a Moog camber adjustment kit.