Hi all, I've got a 1991 Dodge D150

I'm having some issues with getting my truck aligned, I replaced the tie rods on it however ran into an issue where the passenger side rods are threaded all the way in but the wheel is still pointed out. I thought maybe I got the rod ends on wrong so took them apart again and found they were all the same length and in fact every single tie rod I can find says they're the same length regardless of L or R hand threads, even the old ones were the same length...is there something I'm missing? I also checked the clock on the steering gear by re-centering it and discovered that they "fixed" this issue by turning it half a turn to driver and flipping the steering wheel...I've also replaced the center link, drag link, and both control arms to no avail...

Any suggestions? Am I just getting the wrong parts or is there something I haven't thought of I should check?

I did have the frame checked and everything came back in spec and I did a sloppy string and nut squareness check of the front end and everything measured good.

 

I think I would suspect the wrong parts, than anything else. If things were bent sufficient to require turning the steering wheel a half turn, I would full expect it to be impossible to get the alignment within spec......

When you have the tierod adjusted as tight as it can get, is there any space left between the inner ends of the rods???

 

On the passenger side there's nothing left they're all the way in, on the driver's side they're about halfway when the tire is lined up. All 4 of the tie rods are 130mm from stud to end, as far as I can tell looking through all the different options for these is the only difference is the thread direction...

 

I would check the steering gear for center. Where is the pitman arm at? Not sure if they have the notch in them for "center". If it was put on wrong it has to be removed and "centered" before any other components can be adjusted.

 

Already centered the steering gear, the pitman arm does have an alignment notch so there is one obvious way it can go, the other I'm guessing is for 4x4 and it's so far off you can't even connect a 2wd.

Here's what the front end looks like without the tie rods

 

By checking you marked the steering wheel (at full lock either left or right) then see how many turns to get the the other lock? Divide the amount in half and that is the center point. The distance between the tie rod holes should be about the same for left and right with both wheels straight ahead.

 

Yup wheel has 1 3/4 turns left from center and right from center.

Measured the tie rods distance with the wheels as straight as I could eyeball and got 10.5" on the passenger side and 12" on the driver...that mean the frame shop missed something?

 

How much more adjustment do you need?? I might be tempted to whack a half inch off of each tie rod end on the interesting side, and run with it.

 

It's probably 1/2" at most, there is like 2.5" of thread on these tie rods could probably take 1/2" off each on the passenger side and have plenty of adjustment. I'm wondering if this truck didn't suffer from years of having no steering box brace with the power steering...

 

Not having a brace shouldn't matter. No clue why things are so out of whack though. If the frame shop said the frame was straight, and not tweaked in some manner...... Anyones guess what is really going on there.

Take one of your tie rods to the hardware store, get a nut that will thread onto it. (that might be a problem for the left-hand threads though, I doubt you'll find a nut for that one....) Twist the nut on till the amount you want to cut off is sticking out, hack it off with some manner of saw/cut-off wheel, then take the nut off. That will kinda/sorta correct the threads The other one, you will likely need to dress it with a small file.