Rubbing bad before alignment

So I installed my lift and new wheels and tires this week. 5100's at .85, eibachs, AAL. We forgot the DC top plate spacers putting everything back together and didnt want to tear it back apart that night to put them on, and I think it sits pretty level now with the shell on back. I am rubbing bad with normal street driving on my cab mounts. This is before my alignment so I have a few questions.
1. Will the top plate spacers help with rubbing?
2. Can my caster be set above 3 or so and help with rubbing
I have 285/75/16 BFG AT KO's on 7089's with 4.5 BS. I'm not too worried to do the cab mount chop, I'd just rather try to fix the problem another way since I've heard we shouldnt rub like this unless offroad.

I can get better pics of the rubbing, truck on level ground. Just wondering if anyone has run into this problem/ knows a good directon to point me. Thanks!

 

Your going to rub with those tires with that back spacing.

 

But with normal road driving? I can't get my wheels anywhere near full steering articulation. It's about 3/4 steering wheel turn on flat pavement.

 

bump

 

unless your truck shocks don't move up and down on pavement, the rub will come from travel and/or steering... doesn't have to be a combo of both...

you would rub on turns from the sidewall/tread corner of the tires meeting the frame or fenders, and you would rub from travel from the same corners meeting up with the inner curved walls of the fenders...

 

Gotcha. Well alignment tomorrow and then trimming this weekend hopefully. I got the BAMF cab mount chop plates and I'm pretty handy with a grinder and welder so we will see how it goes.
So does everybody out there with 285's rub even after trimming or do people get full articulation after trimming/CMC?

 

You need an alignment asap. Mine doesn't rub the rear of the wheel-well at all and I still have my mud flaps on. Once I was done with my lift the alignment was f'd up. I drove it straight to the shop to have them install my new wheels/tires and align it.

 

Did you get a full 3" of lift? I'm sitting around 2.5" of lift without top spacers required for DC if you want 3". It's at firestone right now getting aligned so I'll know later today if the alignment helped at all with rubbing. I told them to try to get the caster around 3-3.5.

 

So they just called and gave me some numbers:
L-R
camber .8/.2
caster 2.2/2.3
toe .09/.09
Said he thinks it rubs less, won't know until after work when I get a chance to drive it.

 

I've got Camburg spindles and 5100s up front so I'm running about 4.8 " up front and 4" in the rear with my Expos

 

Interesting

 

The numbers aren't exactly what I wanted but I'll see how it drives. I got the lifetime alignment so I'm sure I'll be using it.

 

Nevermind...man I thought you were another guy that ran spindles with All pros in the rear - he's also got a red truck. That's why I couldn't believe you were rubbing so bad...my bad. Either way good luck with your setup

 

Haha I thought you might have been confused, NBDO

 

There is a night and day difference on rubbing before and after the alignment. Before I could only turn the steering wheel about 3/4 a turn. Barely enough to make turns at stop lights. After alignment I have almost full articulation, starts to rub the plastic and cab mounts near full lock, but those will get trimmed anyways. Very strange but I'm pretty happy with the alignment job. Felt it wonder a little bit on the highway but didn't drive for long enough to really know for sure. Something I can live with for now.

 

If you get UCA they move the wheel to the rear. I rubbed on compression after cab mount chop. Had to do full clearancing and move caster to 3.4 degrees. Toe is 0.02 and Camber is 0.1 deg. Drives great and dors not rub. Be prepared for a nrw alignment with caster over 3 to not rub.

 

I thought ahead and got lifetime alignment from firestone, that way I can just take it in and not pay $80 every time for an alignment. I need to tell them specific numbers to shoot for next time so they get it closer to what I want.

On a sidenote, has anyone ever hear of an alignment settling or changing? My truck sat parked on the street for the most part of two days right after its alignment and somehow the steering wheel is back to being cocked and the toe looks like it has increased. Its was perfect when I picked it up from the shop.

 

Firestone lifetime allignments are voided anytime you alter the truck. Get a lift... new fee. Get UCA... new fee. Etc. That's why you do not get a Firestone lifetime alignment.

As to settling... yes all springs settle. Yes that changes alignment. Yes it settles the fastest the first week. No you should not align the same day you install the lift because of this.

Our trucks increase toe out under compression to create under steer. Yes you will have more toe out (reduced or negative toe) under settling. Toe should not be zero because of this and because road force causes front tire spread due to steering component give so that .02 toe to .05 toe is preferred.

 

I got my alignment 3 days after installing my lift. Guess it is a good think I got life time... but you're saying it's void if I wanted to go back and put on my top plate spacers? How would they know unless I told them that's what I did?

 

Well if they notice your camber is way different they might look and see what is different. If the guy is worth a shit he will notice the top plate spacer... if not, he wont notice or care, but if he does notice or wants a way out, because he cant get you the specs you want, then they can deny your lifetime alignment. A new UCA will throw things way out of whack and be VERY easy for the tech to spot.