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Fixing Camber - shim hub or balljoint

JohnJohn

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
2,157
Loc.
Richmond
My 77 shakes a bit over 55. I feel it in the steering wheel and can see the steering column shake left to right slightly at speed.

Everything is new except for my inverted Y linkage.

The top of my wheels are a bit wide and I am having the camber fixed on Saturday as well as a full alignment from a buddy at his shop.

I hope fixing the camber will stop the shaking. I have tried the drop pitman arm but it drives just like it did before I put it on.

My long term goal is to replace the Y with the good T style linkage but I just don’t have the money for it yet.

So.... when adjusting the camber is it better to shim the hub vs. use the top ball joint eccentrics?

My buddy wants to use the eccentrics but I would like some feedback. I am just trying to make a good handling bronco safe at speed.

Here are my specs:
33" all terrains
3.5" suspension lift
2" body lift
Stock power steering.
 

orangecrush4u

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
4,797
Loc.
Shelter Island, NY
I have a similar prob but not the shaking. After my ball joints were done the pass side tire is kicked out up top giving the illusion that its jacked up and its indipendent. I brought it to a align shop they said there is nothing that can be done. It really bothers me to look at and woul like it fixed. Do you have the tires double checked you might have a off weight, or a blown belt. try rotating the tires around.
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
Take it to a good chassis shop rather than a normal alignment shop. Someone who works on heavy trucks and motorhomes. Regular car alignment shops struggle with these things. I like the eccentric nut but I don't like the idea of that eccentric nut affecting the ball joint preload in order to get the camber right. Where I had mine straightened they bent the axle tubes on the alignment rack. That used to be the preferred method.
 

broncnaz

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 22, 2003
Messages
24,341
I used the eccentrics good thing about them is you can also dial in some more caster at the same time. Also they tend to take less work to install as all that needs to be removed is the top ball joint nut and preload spacer.
The eccentric put the same preload on that the standard spacer puts. The only differance is the spacer tilts the knuckle.
 

av bronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
1,742
Loc.
Palmdale CA
There is a offset balljoint that adds about 1.5 camber/caster or whatever you need, I think the app. was for a dodge 4wd.
 

trailpsycho

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 11, 2003
Messages
4,856
I am using the ball joint eccentric nuts....2+ yrs 20K miles and good wear on my tires....hands off the wheel at 80--no problem.
 

Steve

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
2,986
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
Either fix works for camber. But camber being off should not cause "shake" in your steering. You have a different problem causing that.
 

DEEPWOODS

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
1,100
Tried the adjustable upper ball joint kits. I could not get the balljoint preload correct so I pulled it all back out and went with raybestos shims behind the spindles .They are made in different offset thickness worked great for me
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,835
The truely correct answer involves checking the SAI (steering Axis Inclination) or sometimes called kingpin inclination. It's one of those specs that is there and generally cannot be adjusted. What it is... The relationship between the upper and lower ball joints from a side view is caster. But that relationship when viewed from the front is SAI.

So look at the printed SAI numbers off the alignment sheet. Are they close to each other? If so then the SAI is good and use a shim behind the spindle. But if the SAI is off then a balljoint offset is best for cranking the SAI into place and hopefully the camber as well.

Now the real bummer. Last I heard the spindle shims were no longer available for the 5-bolt ford spindles. The ones on your '76 that is. They did exist and I am sure there are still packs of them hanging on hooks all over alignment shop walls, just finding them is another story.
 
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