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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in North L.A. County
Posts: 2,107
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Have the shop swap the leaf stacks side to side and see what happens.
Dodge Rams with rear leafs have to be porta-powered on one side to push (sway) the centerline during wheel alignments to get the ass end correct. Even brand new trucks are found to be off considerably.
Ford trucks are a lost cause on rear thrust as the axle housings tend to have toe issues also.
Any thrust line over 0.20 will cause a drift that can be felt or will cause the steering wheel to creep and require steering corrections as the rear drifts while moving in forward motion.
Has this vehicle been damaged? How did the leaf stack break? Accident? Impact to the rear bumper reinforcement or mounting? Off roading? Has the wheelbase been confirmed to be correct on each side after the rear leafs were replaced? Rear wheels checked for damaged? Leaf stack center pins still present and have not been bent or sheared off? If all check out proceed to swapping the leaf stacks side to side.
After swapping the leaf stacks if the problem changes (alignment values reverse) sides you can shift the axle housing with a porta-power. Loosen up the U Bolts so the perch plates with the center pins are free. Jack the housing by pushing one side back and tighten everything up. It only needs to move 0.30 on the negative side . The opposite side will follow it in steer. You will end up with something like +0.04 each side. Not perfect but will drive good and stable. If you do this yourself and do not have access to a porta-power a come along can usually manage it. Expect some spring back once everythings is under pressure.
Wheel alignments start at the rear. The centerline begins at the rear whether angles and values are adjustable or fixed. Once the rear is squared away any adjustments to the front takes place.
When the alignment is correct, steering wheel straight ahead set complete you will then need to have the steering angle sensor calibrated (zero point set) so your ABS and Traction control function properly. The yaw sensor is reliant on an accurate centerline when moving away from a straight line.
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Jeff Hail
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it is vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible"
Last edited by Jeff Hail; 03-07-2023 at 03:11 PM..
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