*1937 Pickup Front End Alignment*
- Thread starter zippi
- Start date
zippi
Senior Member
Thanks for the info. So by adjusting the tie rod it will bring the front of the tires closer together for toe in or further apart for toe out? How do I adjust the front tires back to the left a little so it's tracking straight again?
J Franklin
Well-known member
Take it to an alignment shop they have all the tools to check and adjust.
Charlie Stephens
Well-known member
Find an old shop (or maybe a shop that does a lot of trucks) and they will have the equipment to bend the axle if needed.
Charlie Stephens
Charlie Stephens
zippi
Senior Member
Just did an old school check just to get an idea of where the front tires are. I taped a string to the back of the back tires and ran it up front past the front tire and secured it to a jack stand. The string is aligned in the center of the wheel. Looks like the drivers side has 1/2" toe out and the pass side has 1/6" toe out. Not good.
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JSeery
Member Emeritus
Total tow-in should be in the 1/8 to 1/16 range. Tow-in is the centerline of the tires closer together on the front side than the rear side. You change the centering of the tires with the drag link (this is compared to the steering wheel being centered). For tow in the tires should both be straight ahead, sounds like you have it turned slightly to the drivers side. By the way, there is only ONE tow-in measurement, not a passenger side and a drivers side. Tow-in is a measurement of the center of the tire measurement between the rear side of the tire compared to the front side, so there can only be one number.
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V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
JSeery has given you some very savvy advice above. Via your "string" method, you've proven that your alignment sucks BIGLY, and of course suggests that you try to find an alignment shop that both has the equipment to do a "THRUST" alignment, and an operator that knows what he's doing, AND that really gives a crap about your truck. By doing a thrust alignment, you MAY possibly even find that your rear end has been put into the truck "out of square", though I hope that is not the case. Nevertheless, the help you need is beyond what can be done in the driveway. DD
zippi
Senior Member
Yeap, I agree. I was basically checking to see where each tire was at.
zippi
Senior Member
I need to find an alignment shop that deals with older vehicles and not just a standard alignment shop. Thanks for the info guys.
V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
Don't over-think this. Just because you can't adjust the camber or caster on that thing doesn't mean that a guy who understands alignments and how to use his equipment can't get your "toe-in" dead-nuts on the money. The chances of your camber and caster being way-off is probably slim, as the axle would almost certainly have to be bent for that to be of significance. I'll mention again, that since your truck has shown some problems associated with the build practices of the previous owner, I'd check to see how accurately the rear axle has been installed into the chassis. That could possibly eliminate chasing your tail once the front end is back in spec. A thrust alignment will tell a true story about all four corners as compared to each other. DD
Mart
Well-known member
Is there a nut on your perch bolt?
Re steering alignment. Check your wheel bearings. Check your kingpins. check your tyre pressures. Remove one end of the drag link. Adjust the track rod (Tie rod) to get the desired 1/16-1/8" toe in. Set the wheels straight ahead. Set the steering wheel straight ahead. Adjust the drag link length until it just slips into place.
That's all you can do on an early Ford.
If it don't drive ok and is actually pulling to one side, you need a more in depth look at it.
Mart.
Re steering alignment. Check your wheel bearings. Check your kingpins. check your tyre pressures. Remove one end of the drag link. Adjust the track rod (Tie rod) to get the desired 1/16-1/8" toe in. Set the wheels straight ahead. Set the steering wheel straight ahead. Adjust the drag link length until it just slips into place.
That's all you can do on an early Ford.
If it don't drive ok and is actually pulling to one side, you need a more in depth look at it.
Mart.
drolston
Well-known member
With too much toe-in, anything that puts more weight on one side of the car than the other will exaggerate "pull" in that direction. Like left/right load balance, cross wind, or crown in the road. With toe-in each tire is dragging sideways a little bit, and caster will try to straighten the wheel. The wheel, left or right, with the greatest load will straighten until the added skid force on the other side balances it out. With normal toe-in, this reaction is too small to be felt. With big toe-in, it may be noticeable.
How do I know this? I had a body shop put shorter upper and lower control arms on the front of my wife's '34 pickup, to gain some tire clearance. They were supposed adjust the rack and pinion steering tie rods to set the toe-in, but did not. 1000 miles later, with two layers of cord showing on both front tires I had it checked. 2.5" of toe-in! The very fancy but incompetent body shop bought me a new set of tires. A slight pull on crowned road was the only symptom. Otherwise, handled fine.
How do I know this? I had a body shop put shorter upper and lower control arms on the front of my wife's '34 pickup, to gain some tire clearance. They were supposed adjust the rack and pinion steering tie rods to set the toe-in, but did not. 1000 miles later, with two layers of cord showing on both front tires I had it checked. 2.5" of toe-in! The very fancy but incompetent body shop bought me a new set of tires. A slight pull on crowned road was the only symptom. Otherwise, handled fine.
