How to align front end

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Guppy - 19 Aug 2007 20:38 GMT

My steering gear box was leaking, so I bought another one from a
junkyard. I also picked up a new pitman arm. I put them on and now
when I am driving straight, the steering wheel is looking off at 10
o'clock. Does this sound normal? Can I re-align it by turning the
tie-rod end couplings? I guess if I turn one side 2 revolutions and
the other side 2 revolutions it should not affect the alignment,
correct?

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Pete - 20 Aug 2007 00:23 GMT

I did it like that and it worked ok....I did go later on and have the
alignment checked as it was a new truck for me....when they check the
alignment, they will center the steering wheel also.
You gotta do some thinking in reverse to get the wheel to turn in the right
direction.
Good luck
Pete

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Ashton Crusher - 20 Aug 2007 07:00 GMT

>My steering gear box was leaking, so I bought another one from a
>junkyard. I also picked up a new pitman arm. I put them on and now
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>the other side 2 revolutions it should not affect the alignment,
>correct?

It sounds like you didn't have the new steering box centered when you
installed it, or you put the pitman arm on "off index" if that's
possible, or some combination.

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Guppy - 20 Aug 2007 16:04 GMT

> It sounds like you didn't have the new steering box centered when you
> installed it, or you put the pitman arm on "off index" if that's
> possible, or some combination.

The piman arm has 4 master splines, so the only way I could miss is by
putting it on 90 degrees out and this is not the case. I was thinking
the same thing. I made some calls and found a few shops that do front
end alignments for $40, I think I am gonna give up and take it to the
pros.

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JBDragon - 21 Aug 2007 04:49 GMT

>> It sounds like you didn't have the new steering box centered when you
>> installed it, or you put the pitman arm on "off index" if that's
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> end alignments for $40, I think I am gonna give up and take it to the
> pros.

A $40 alignment is a Toe Set at most, which I guess is all you really care
about. You pretty much can't screw up on installing a Pitman arm, if your
90 degrees off you have worse problems. If you want to be really cheap
about it, you can use a Tape Measure and adjust that way, Measure from the
front and back of the tire at the same locations and adjust toe in a 1/8" at
most, if the wheel is not straight, you can adjust the tie rods however way
they are to correct it. If the wheel is off to the LEFT, you want to adjust
the Wheels to the Left, One tie rod longer, the other shorter. That depends
if the tie Rods are in front of the tires or behind the tires. You don't
need to go to much generally. That's cheaper then a $40 so called
alignment. I don't see how a shop can stay in business with $40 alignments.
Oh I have some good Idea's, but I won't scare you off.

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Ashton Crusher - 29 Aug 2007 07:14 GMT

>>> It sounds like you didn't have the new steering box centered when you
>>> installed it, or you put the pitman arm on "off index" if that's
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>alignment. I don't see how a shop can stay in business with $40 alignments.
>Oh I have some good Idea's, but I won't scare you off.

Why not, most cars don't need much of anything adjusted anyway and the
new equipment is all automated and very fast.

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Ed H. - 23 Aug 2007 05:04 GMT

I realize your post is a few days old, but is the drag link adjustable?

> My steering gear box was leaking, so I bought another one from a
> junkyard. I also picked up a new pitman arm. I put them on and now
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the other side 2 revolutions it should not affect the alignment,
> correct?

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