new tire wear... I noticed that on the inside of my fronts the wear pattern is different now since the spring install (no post lift alignment). I figured a 1/2" difference in lift cant make that much of a difference. looks like I'm wrong. So the question is... how is the toe being affected by the lift? since there is only caster & toe adjustments, I'm assuming the toe is now off...

 

when you lifted the truck you changed the angle of the steering center link.

 

What I don't understand is why don't they (DC) just run a rod from the pitman arm to one side and then from that side run a single solid rod to the other side? That way if you lift the truck the toe wouldn't be affected. Also,if you lifted the truck the only thing that would change is you would have to keep the steering wheel turned a little bit to keep going straight, but the toe would be good so you wouldn't HAVE to get an alignment. Did what I just say even make since to anybody, I'm not good at explaining stuff?

 

yeah, makes sense to me... with the center link angle changed, how is that going to affect the toe? I talked with Don Thuren of www.thurenfabrication.com and he mentioned that the toe will change causing a slight alignment issue. I'm going to take one of his suggestions and see if I can find where it's affected and make a correction to the alignment to compensate. his instructions seem pretty straight forward.

 

I've been sitting here for about 5mins deating on how to explain this via typing... I hate typing.

I think the toe changes because the center link hooks tothe passengerside and then there is another tierod that attaches to the center link running to the driver's side, so when youchange the center link angle you are also pointing the tires in(lifting truck) or pointing the tires out(dropping the truck). If they wouldhave built it likeI saidthink theyshould have, which is just hook the center like to the passenger side and then from right there run a rod all the way to the driver's side, no matter what both wheels are directly connected to each other and will not ever get out of alignment.

not sure if I'm making since... but in my head it does .

 

maybe an easier way to see it is to jack up the front frame and watch what happens to the toe... I' going to be out there working on my side bars so I'll have another look at it.

 

I don't know Steve, I think since the driver's side tie rod is connected to the center link so close to the passenger side it will be hard to see with the naked eye, I'm not sure though. Did you have an alignment after you put in your 2" spacers?

 

I'm not that good with suspension, but that seems to make sense for the raising and lowering part, but what about when you hit a bump? When one side's suspension flexes won't the distance from the centerline of the vehicle change slightly there by making a solid system like you are suggesting suseptible to bump steer? Or when you load the truck heavy and make her squat a little then the distance would change and your alignment would be off? I haven't really looked at the suspension on these trucks I'm just thinking in terms of the baja that I built for school. We had to worry about the bump steer and all that, but that was all IFS.

 

rooster-

As far as I can tell, there will be bumpsteer (kinda) with our trucks, even your body style (or at least my bnl's 99 ram) is built the same way. However, it would be very very small amount and not really an issue when compared to an IFS such as the chevy 3/4 tons. If the front goes up or down, whether it is load in the back or a bump in the road the alignment will be offa little bit, but not much.

I still don't know why they don't just use a solid tierod from one wheel to the other so that the toe never changes, maybe drew can tell us... little help man [sm=icon_stickpoke.gif].

My wifes old jeep grand cherokee had a solid link between the wheels. I changed one of the tie rods ends on it one time, it was one on the center link so I didn't need to get a new alignment.... the steering wheel was always a little crooked when going straight but the wheel alignment never changed because of the solid link between the two.

 

rooster-

I just realised you were talking about bump steer with the solid type I am talking about, hmmm You are right there would be a little bump steer, but the wheel alignment would never be off. I think for an offroad use, the solid link like I am suggesting would work perfectly fine because if you were flexing the truck enough to notice the bump steer you would be moving slow enough for it not to matter.At least thewheel alignment would never be off. I can see a problem with the bumpsteer maybe if you were cruising down the highway and hit one of those overpass bumps, but who knows maybe the steering stabilizer would help you keep control... I'm not sure, I'm just thinking out loud.