Just installed Long travel, cannot get alignment even close

Posting here because I have been scratching my head for 2 hours getting nothing done.

Just installed Total chaos +2 long travel, Everything is back on and I am really just trying to get the Toe close to straight so I can drive the few miles to the alignment shop.

Problem is my passenger tie rod is adjusted all the way in and (wheel is "close enough" to straight), but my driver wheel is still toed out quite a bit, and I cannot tighten the tie rod anymore. I have the tie rod extensions installed that came with the kit.

What do I do here? Looking for ideas

 

got any pics?

 

Is the rack stabbed right to the steering column?

 

Is it possible that your steering wheel has rotated a full turn?

 

Im a photobucket user and the pics havent been working

Not sure what "stabbed to the steering column" means

Yes possible I guess, but I tried to keep it straight.

 

Sounds like your steering wheel turned when you had the tie rods off. I would double check that your steering wheel is correctly centered (count turns lock to lock, then go back half that distance).

 

I should have mentioned I did change the steering rack while I had it apart, and new polyurethane rack bushings....

In my head the problem couldnt be the steering wheel position, because the wheels are both toed out a little and they are out of tie-rod adjustment how can this be related to steering wheel position?

My cars' tires are like this \------/ (top of that diagram being the front of the car) so If I adjust the steering wheel they are both going to still be looking like that... I would think the steering wheel adjustment would be last after everything else is dialed in.

I don't have any prior experience with this stuff, so if you could explain how adjusting the steering wheel on center would help maybe I can understand better.

Thanks for all the input so far its giving me things to consider.

 

Have you tried without the tierod extension?

I wonder if they need to be cut shorter?

 

I haven't tried without it...I can see if I were to eliminate it all together than it wouldn't even be close.... Hadn't thought of cutting it shorter but I would imagine it should work, kit was removed from a 2006 TRD Offroad double cab shortbed and installed onto my 2006 TRD Offroad double cab shortbed.

The extension is 3''.... My long travel kit is the total chaos +2Kit... Im wondering if maybe this extension is too long? But it seemed to work fine on the other truck

 

I swear I've heard of this exact situation happening and that was the fix. There was a post on here about it not long ago. I'm not sure why it would have worked on one truck and not the next though. It also doesn't make sense to use a 3" extension on a +2 kit though

 

You turned the steering wheel and it's not stabbed right.

 

Who did you order from?

 

Yea the more I think about it it makes no sense... The tierod extension is exactly 3''... if it were 3.5 I would say maybe just was a mixup with the TC +3.5 kit...

Looking at the pictures of the +2 kit online it shows the extensions right next to the bumpstop spacer... in the stock picture the two parts look to be about the same size... the bumstop spacers are about 2'' which leads me to believe my tie-rod spacer should be 2''.... need to do more digging.

 

Proper way is before you even start with any work involving removal of the rack is to run the seatbelt through the steering wheel and buckle it. Keep it as tight as you can. That will keep the wheel from turning.

 

Did not order the kit, I bought a truck off craigslist that had just installed front and rear long travel with kings a year ago.. I bought the whole truck and swapped over all the parts to mine.

 

To get the toe close you need to be sure the steering rack is dead center first.

Whatever you think you need to do to get there, including disconnecting tie rod ends and column and 'starting over' with positioning.

Then tinker with the tie rod ends and see what happens with the toe. The extensions may or may not be needed, as suggested.

Your 'top out' diagram is positive camber. That will be corrected at the shop. It will be a funky driver that way, so be careful going there.

 

Glad to hear it thank you... I saw some websites were figuring out workarounds, didn't know if I was going to be able to use them ever again.





Also to update this thread, I am pretty sure I have figured out that my tie-rod extension is indeed too long.... Two other members running the total chaos +2 kit have confirmed that the extension is supposed to be 2 3/8'' while mine is 3''.

Cannot cut my extension down unless I get a (i believe the size is) m16 x 1.5mm tap because the threads do not go all the way through,