74 excessive positive camber

[dholder]

74 with 3.5 inch lift and 35 inch tires. Drives great but has too much positive CAMBER. Outside edge of tires wearing badly and positive CAMBER is very visible, even after installing adjustable ball joints.
If I were to cut and turn the inner C, is there enough clearance between the axle tube and the C to be able to correct the CAMBER?
I would want to be able to do enough correction to eliminate the 1.5 degree adjustable ball joint. I'm guessing about 3 degrees of correction.

Thanks guys!

 

[broncodriver99]

I have no experience with adjusting the axle C's. I run camber shims. They go between the knuckle and the spindle. I don't like the idea of the adjustable ball joint so went the shim route instead. They are available from RockAuto and a few other places in various degrees of correction. Just another option to consider.

 

[broncoman1972]

I'm pretty sure you can only change caster by cutting the c's. I would use the shims mentioned above.

 

[dholder]

Yeah, I've already got a shim in there also.

 

[garberz]

That's a lot of correction needed, sounds like an issue with the housing. The yoke is a tight fit to the housing tube, you won't be able to correct much of any camber when welding it back together.

Mark

 

[dholder]

Well, that's what I was afraid of.

 

[tirewater]

Yeah, I've already got a shim in there also.

You can get thicker ones. You double checked it was installed correctly when you put the adjustable ball joints on?

 

[dholder]

I am sure the shim and ball joints are installed correctly. The positive camber was lessened compared to where it was in the beginning. tirewater, I was only able to find 1.5 degree shims. Can you point me to these thicker shims? If so, I could get measurements and maybe another 1.5 degrees might get me in the ballpark.

 

[broncodriver99]

RockAuto only lists up to 1-3/8 degree. As mentioned that seems like a lot of correction needed. My shims were 1/2 and 3/8 degrees if I recall correctly. Are you shooting for zero camber? I maintained somewhere around 1/2 degree after shimming as a little camber does help with tracking and road manners.

X2 on maybe having a housing issue. I think the stock spec was somewhere around 1.5 degrees camber max. How are you measuring for camber?

 

[dholder]

Well, I haven't measured yet. I had worn ball joints and could see the tire wear issue and the positive camber is very noticeable to the eye, so i got the shims and adj ball joints but they were not enough to correct it. I am going to get an alignment check so I can get some numbers to work with.

 

[Rustytruck]

Should you decide to cut and turn. when you weld most of the time welds will pull or shrink to where you finish your weld. Take that into account when your welding especially a big hot weld you need at the end of the tube.

 

[Penelope70]

Positive Camber

Any idea what degree C bushings you have on your truck? If you still have the stock or even 4 degree ones with a 3.5" lift, that would contribute to the issue. Put a set of 9 degree bushings in and that will likely solve the problem unless your housing is bowed. Picture the idea that the lift will roll your axle forward, that changes not only your caster but your camber as well because it stands your axle up. Since spindles are set at some degree rather than straight up, on a solid axle housing, any change in caster will alter the camber.

I had a similar issue with my '70 when we put the Dana 44 under it with a 2.5" lift. We put in the shims and still it had excessive negative camber (I think 1.5 to 2 deg?) My front end shop next door could not wrap their mind around how to change the camber further then it dawned on me we probably got the wrong C bushings when we bought the springs.

Just a thought...

 

[Broncobowsher]

I recall the camber spec is rather positive. That's how they used to do things back when tires were a lot narrower (and bias ply as well)

So how positive is it?

By any chance do you have Dodge disk brake conversion? The SAI isn't compatible with the Ford/GM SAI and you get a tolerance stack up that gives an ugly camber that isn't really fixable.

I wouldn't rule out a bent axle housing as well, but they usually bend and give negative camber.

 

[DirtDonk]

Might as well get it on a rack to get a full printout of all of your settings so you know where you're starting from. Original spec was between 1 and 2 degrees positive. That and the little bit of toe-in (usually around 1/8" but now listed by most in degrees) almost always ends up with excess wear on the outside of the tires.
And for one reason or another, most often on the passenger side.

You can measure with your own angle finder thingy, but I still say a few bucks up front to get a printout of it all gives you a handle on where you need to go and how to get there.
Just don't let the guy say you don't need it because "they can't be adjusted" or any of that crap we hear a lot of these days.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[broncoman1972]

Another vote for hitting the rack. I checked mine at work after my wife was told by more than one of her friends that when she was following them the front wheels looked like they were leaning out at the top a lot. When I stepped back and looked I saw what they were talking about. On the rack the camber was dead center on the factory 74 EB spec. Not bad considering I have a 60 up front.

 

[dholder]

I guess I can't believe my lie'n eyes. Apparently it doesn't have positive camber at all!

Camber
LF -0.2 RF 0.0
Caster
LF 2.1 RF 1.9
Toe
LF .98 RF .54 Total Toe 1.52 degrees

So, I guess the excessive toe is what was causing the tire wear.
Sometime this winter, I will be replacing front axle seals. At that time , I will try to determine which C bushings are installed. Hopefully they will be the 2 degree and I can replace with 7 degree to help out the caster.
As it stands now, after backing off the toe a bit (about 1/6 of a turn), it still drives good.

 

[toddz69]

I guess I can't believe my lie'n eyes. Apparently it doesn't have positive camber at all!

Camber
LF -0.2 RF 0.0
Caster
LF 2.1 RF 1.9
Toe
LF .98 RF .54 Total Toe 1.52 degrees

So, I guess the excessive toe is what was causing the tire wear.
Sometime this winter, I will be replacing front axle seals. At that time , I will try to determine which C bushings are installed. Hopefully they will be the 2 degree and I can replace with 7 degree to help out the caster.
As it stands now, after backing off the toe a bit (about 1/6 of a turn), it still drives good.

Excessive toe is what wore the outer edges of my tires on truck in years past (as well as on a Fox body Mustang I had too).

Todd Z.

 

[Bronco Junkie]

Does anyone know if 1 degree or 3/4 degree camber shims are made? I just put my trail rig on the rack and I have 1 degree positive camber. Shooting for 0 or close. I can only find 1 3/8 degree, 5/8 degree or 1/2 degree shims. Thanks.

 

[JSmall]

Looks like they make them #23008

 

[Glass Pony]

Does anyone know if 1 degree or 3/4 degree camber shims are made? I just put my trail rig on the rack and I have 1 degree positive camber. Shooting for 0 or close. I can only find 1 3/8 degree, 5/8 degree or 1/2 degree shims. Thanks.

Rock Auto.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...5,suspension,camber+toe+shim+spacer+kit,13507

These are for the D44 smaller 6 bolt spindle up to 1975. The larger 76-77 5 bolt spindle I believe are 6" O.D.