alignment adjustments

ok i understand what all the numbers and adjustments mean and do, but i have a question, since i do not know how to adjust the alignment.
i have LR UCA's i understand how those work (adjust) but is there a caster adjustment on the truck other then my LR UCA'S?

here is why i ask, i was at firestone to get my alignment checked (the same one i showed how to adjust the UCA's when i got them). anyway i told them i wanted 2.4-2.7 of caster. when i picked it up they told me they could not get it there? the explanation was that when they adjusted the UCA'S it went to far (i was at 2.2 when they started and it jumped to 3.0) so i told them do not adjust the UCA's just use the trucks adjustments. they told me the truck does not have adjustable caster????? am i just crazy or are they full of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so is the truck at a set caster? that just can not be there has to be an adjustment on the front suspension for caster right?

anyway with the vast knowledge on this site i figured someone could set me straight. for the life of me i can not figure out how they could get it perfect 5 months ago and now i am at 2.2 and 2.7 and they can not fine tune it. thanks for the help.

i am starting to think there is not a shop around here that really knows what they are doing or they are just lazy.

 

TTT anyone

 

rightttt

 

I don't mean to offend anyone, but DON'T go to firestone for a good alignment. Through all my rigs and various lifting experiments I've learned that you should always go to a specialist if you have any aftermarket suspension parts. Go to the place in town that has a bunch of lifted trucks in the front lot: they'll know what can be tweaked and can troubleshoot. Call your local 4x shop or auto-fab shop and ask them where they send their stuff. It might cost $20 more but it's worth it.

 

the problem is they all either send it to Les schwab's or Firestone. i have called most of them. (schwab's seems to be the favorites) i think i am just stuck with morons

 

thank you, you confirmed exactly what i thought thanks Chris

 

Can you reccomend anybody in Reno?

 

Yeah Firestone blows for alignments on anything with a lift. I have their lifetime alignment and they can never get it right.

 

I've only used Firestone once, when my prefered shops were all busy and I wanted it done that day. They did the alignment to my specs (0/0/2.1 - for a .85 Billy lift and 265/70 tires), and were all right on within reason,,, was actually 2.1 and 2.2 if I recall correctly. Now, they did need to do it twice that day as they aligned it and then the steering wheel wasn't quite centered on the test drive. They re-did it and all is good.

 

It's sad when the people who do alignment, don't understand alignment.

On you LCA's ther are 2 cams on each side. the front cam basically adjusts CAMBER, and the rear cam adjust CASTER. BUT! Adjusting either one WILL affect the other.

The theroy to setting up LR UCA's is a process. You set the LR's to Neutral and see what numbers you can acheive. This is used as your baseline.
Then if more caster is needed? you move the LR's.

BUT! Before you add Caster. Make sure the LCA's are max, and it cannot get anymore Caster. i.e. 2* caster is the most you can get. Because when you adjust the LR's more than likely you will be about 3* (If I remember correctly each click of the LR's will add/subtract 1*)
So basically your truck still uses the RANGE of adjustment of the LCA's, But the LR's move the range up or down 1*.
Make sure the tech understands that the LR's will increase/decrease the range, so he still needs to use the entire range of adjustment.
Good Luck!

Oh? P.S. more than likely he will be offended that someone off the street knows more than he's learned durring his extensive years at his job. So he might not want to listen to what you have to say.

 

^ That's right on. I also had the same problem where the guy didn't really understand what he was doing. He just looked at the screen and followed the directions. He couldn't get the adjustment where I wanted so he let me do my own alignment. This was at Les Schwab. Most shops wouldn't let you do that but he was a pretty cool guy and I told him off the bat if he couldn't get it to spec to call me and I'd help him.

 

what about slammed trucks???