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Front end toward the left

fastride

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
106
Loc.
Tuscaloosa,Alabama
I am needing to find out why my 74 front end is further to drivers side than the passenger side. I put a straight edge from the rear tires to the front tires today to make sure that the front tires were as straight as possible after installing a new column and steering wheel when I noticed that the passenger side was in further then the drivers side. It looks to be about a 1” to 1-1/2” further in. Can somebody please tell me what would be causing this. The truck drives straight as an arrow and i have no problem turning in either direction.
Thanks
 

SteveL

Huge chevy guy
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
11,640
Loc.
Hawthorne ca
Suspension lift without an adjustable track bar to re-center the front end. To get it right you also want an adjustable drag link on the steering linkage. To fix/install first get the tires straight. Then remove track bar and drop drag link from pitman arm. Then using wratchet straps or whatever method you can come up with to center the Dana 44 to the frame (not body). Once it's centered install the adjustable track bar. Depending on amount of lift you might also need track bar drop bracket or riser to keep geometry right for steering. Then count turns and center steering box. Then adjust drag link and re-attatch to pitman.
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,893
If the Bronco fully assembled with engine, transmission, etc. all installed?

If yes, see above. You have a lift and the track arm swings to the side as it drops pulling the axle over.

If not, don't worry yet. Without the full weight on the suspension the front will be sitting artificially high and causing the axle to shift over.

In general this is a non-issue. It really doesn't affect the way it drives. There are a lot of other things that can cause weird steering issues. Especially with lifts are involved. This is just a side effect. Although many people just can't stand the appearance issue it causes.
 
OP
OP
F

fastride

Jr. Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
106
Loc.
Tuscaloosa,Alabama
Thanks for the replies. It doesn’t have a lift on it but i am going to put something on it to level the front up some. I would put a small lift on it if it would help. This one is my wife’s and she didn’t want it lifted but if i need to come up some, that would be fine. What would be the best to go with it and anything else that I would need to make sure everything is right
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,528
No, what they're saying is that it's lifted now. Or something else is whacky.
Look underneath and you'll see a link/bar between the frame on the driver's side (near the steering box) that runs down to the passenger side of the axle. This is a Panhard Bar, or the "trackbar" as Ford and Dodge call them.
As the suspension cycles your axle is going to move sideways as this bar travels in an arc.

As the suspension extends (body going up) the axle shifts to the driver's side.
As the suspension compresses (body going down) the axle shifts to the passenger side.

So lifting it more will shift your axle more to the driver's side than it is now.
That's why an adjustable bar was mentioned. But first determine what height it's sitting at now so we can help figure out why it's shifted.
If you measure between the bottom of the frame rail and the top of the axle tube, the front should be approx. 7" and the rear would be approx. 6" or so.
Give or take half an inch.

If it's higher than that, you have a lift. Or a very light Bronco!;D
If as you think, it's not lifted at all, then maybe check the tires against the frame rather than the body. These bodies are not exactly a perfectly executed thing like modern cars are. They were lowly utility vehicles, before the "sport" was added and built on the truck line. And then 43 years of Previous Owners can have their effect as well.
Is there a body lift installed by any chance? Maybe the body has shifted sideways?

To measure for body lift, a stock rubber insulator between the frame and the body is 3/4" tall when new. Old ones are almost always sagged down some. Anything taller than 3/4" is a body lift of some sort or another.

Good luck.

Paul
 
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