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Truck Alignment Help

Discussion in 'General' started by svracer22, Feb 16, 2019.

  1. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    I have a 2000 s10 with 400k miles on it. I was switching to snow tires and noticed the right front inner edge was worn down to the cords. I assumed it needed an alignment so I bought it to a shop. They said it couldn't be aligned because of too many worn parts, mainly the upper control arm bushings. They wanted way too much money to replace them. Not happening, the truck isn't worth it.
    I just want to adjust the alignment enough to slow down the tire wear. I cant seem to get a straight answer from my google search as to what to adjust. Some say it's camber wear and others say camber doesn't wear tires and it's the toe adjustment that causes the wear. So if that's the case and it wears the inner side of the right front then do i adjust the right toe in?
     
  2. motoracer1100

    motoracer1100 Well-Known Member

    400,000 miles on a clapped out S 10... the only way to reduce rubber wear is to replace tires with concrete :D
    Edit: when all that stuff is worn the f@ck out , there is no adjustment to make . If a control arm breaks , you can kill yourself or someone else ...
    fix or retire .
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2019
  3. Kyle Brosius

    Kyle Brosius Well-Known Member

    Rock auto has a new control arm with bushings and a ball joint for $35. Just buy one and slap it on. Shouldn’t take more than 2 hours even without air tools. If it were my truck And I didn’t want to put any money in it (not even a $75 alignment) I would check the camber with an angle finder ($5 at harbor freight) and set the toe using a 2x4 from the back tire (which should be 0* toe) to the front tire. That’ll get you close enough to not wear tires. Before you pull off the wheel wiggle it side to side like you are turning and you can look to see what steering components have play in them. If you wiggle it up and down you will be able to see what ball joints and bushings have wear in them.

    https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...,2.2l+l4,1361483,suspension,control+arm,10401

    Edit: here is a even a write up on how to do it https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.s1...how-to-remove-upper-control-arm-466249/?amp=1
     
  4. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    It doesn't feel bad, it's not like any of those parts are original. I feel they didn't want to do the alignment because of the age and if they broke one rusty bolt they would be loosing money on the job.

    I would've happy paid for the alignment but not $900 to replace the control arms.
     
  5. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the write up. I will replace parts in the spring but for now I just want to get it close.
    If the wear is on the right tire would you assume that's the side that's out of alignment?
     
  6. Kyle Brosius

    Kyle Brosius Well-Known Member

    Yes, it would be out on what ever tire is showing wear. On those s10s to adjust camber you have to unbolt the control arm from the frame and put camber shims between the control arm and the frame. You are literally one bolt (the ball joint) away from replacing the control arm when you adjust your camber anyway.

    Edit: I am so glad I switched careers and don’t work on cars anymore. You’re always working on junk owned by people who don’t want to fix anything and you don’t get paid shit.
     
    MachineR1 likes this.
  7. assjuice cyrus

    assjuice cyrus Well-Known Member

    Mark the center of both the tires with a paint marker or something, line those Mark's up point to the front of the truck. Measure from mark to mark with a tape measure. Rotate both tires 180 take another measurement. Adjust the rod ends till there the same number as close as you can and that will get you close with a 400 mile s10 lol
     
  8. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Make sure there is nothing stupidly worn out then set toe in.
    Use a 3’ piece of angle sitting on top of a 4x4 block or something similar on each side against the outer edge of each tires sidewall, Provided the truck doenst have raised white letter tires....
    You will need a helper to hold the angle and tape measure on one side, I would recommend pulling all the slack to the toe’d out direction with a ratchet strap across the back side of the wheels, just enough pressure to make sure all the looseness is taken up in the drag link, tie rods and so forth. Then measure the Toe in and set it to 3/32” closer at the front. That will eliminate the majority of your tire wear unless you have a severe camber problem, but you would really notice that.
     
    svracer22 and Sabre699 like this.
  9. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    This is the type of info I was looking for.
    I took some measurements like mentioned. I have 1/4" toe out. Also checked camber with a bar across the rim and digital level. Left side -.7 deg. Right side -3.3 deg.
     
  10. Phl218

    Phl218 .

    Sledgehammer
     
    noles19 likes this.
  11. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    If the body/chassis/interior/powertrain isn't beat to shit, is replacing neglected normal maintenance items really that big of a deal?
    Is it a 4x4? Someone will want it, as is, for a cheap beater project if you can't be bothered to toss money at it...money that shoulda been applied a number of times already with that mileage.
     
  12. Rebel635

    Rebel635 Well-Known Member

    Inner edge worn out is a toe out. Camber doesn’t wear just the inner edge like that.

    I’d shorten the steering rack arm on that side a few turns and keep on trucking.
     
    svracer22 likes this.
  13. svracer22

    svracer22 Well-Known Member

    No it's not 4x4. It has been a great truck and in better condition than most vehicles on the road with 1/4 that mileage. I'm not opposed to maintenance and obviously have been doing it or it wouldn't have made it this far. I just don't want to rebuild the entire front end right now, it's really cold out, I don't have parts today and I'm usually busy. I've ordered a complete front end replacement parts but that won't be here for a few days. Today I have time. Just want something to get me by until it warms up around May.
     
  14. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    Well then, until then...
    :D
     
  15. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Pull whatever shims you can from the right side upper, but make sure you pull the same amount front and rear. Probably needs a upper ball joint or control arm bushings, recheck and set toe in. That is enough camber combined with a tor out problem to cause significant wear.
     
    JJJerry and svracer22 like this.
  16. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Wrong, that much camber along with being toed out will kill tires very quickly. These aren’t bias tires, the tread is almost always flat on the ground until you exceed the tires ability to conform then they start killing the edges.
     
    Kyle Brosius likes this.
  17. Wheel Bearing

    Wheel Bearing Professional low sider

    Camber definitely affects tire wear, it’s caster that doesn’t affect wear.
     
    Kyle Brosius likes this.
  18. lee955i

    lee955i The Traveling Gnome

    Man...... and I thought I was cheap!!!!!!!!! :crackup::crackup::D
     
    Kyle Brosius likes this.
  19. iagsxr

    iagsxr Well-Known Member

    That much negative camber in the right front you should be able to see it just walking by.

    The way toe is going to kill the inside edge of just one tire is: You already have way too much camber on that corner, worn steering component, based on my S10 experience most likely idler arm, let's that wheel toe out while you're moving. Picture that wheel tipped way in at the top and also pointed right while the truck goes straight ahead. See what it's doing to the tire?

    I don't know the spec, but if I were going to set toe off the top of my head it would be 1/4" out, which you have.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2019
  20. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    No street car sets at 1/4” out or in...
    Spec is between a 1/16 to 1/18” in.

    On eace cars we do
    Toe out as much as 3/8” to help with the ackerman, that would kill tires on a street vehicle quickly though.
     

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