Alignment settings goal review

In my case, I used all available adjustment from my bushings for +CASTER and let the CAMBER fall where it may. In other words the CAMBER setting on the bushings at 0.0 DEGREES while the CASTER setting on the bushings was +2.0 DEGREES. Again, I used Ingalls 594 bushings and only because they were already installed on my unit. Good luck, play safe. :)

Camber spec is 0.5 +/- 0.5 degrees. Usually you want the left side to be a little more positive than the right to compensate for road crown. The vehicle will pull to the side that is most positive so a little bias will help the vehicle go straight on a crowned road. Toe is specified at 0.06 +/- 0.25 (per side I think). Too much toe will cause added tire wear. I think 0.5 degrees of toe might be too much. I'm definitely not an alignment professional, but a lot of professionals aren't professional either.

pauldub wrote:
Usually you want the left side to be a little more positive than the right to compensate for road crown. The vehicle will pull to the side that is most positive so a little bias will help the vehicle go straight on a crowned road.

Are you referring to CASTER, not camber?

wolfe10 wrote:

pauldub wrote:
Usually you want the left side to be a little more positive than the right to compensate for road crown. The vehicle will pull to the side that is most positive so a little bias will help the vehicle go straight on a crowned road.

Are you referring to CASTER, not camber?

I am not sure about CAMBER and CROSS CAMBER, but you want the CASTER on the RH side slightly more POSITIVE then the CASTER on the LH side also for road crown compensation.

Another way to remember this is CROSS CASTER = LH CASTER - RH CASTER so CROSS CASTER will always be a NEGATIVE number when properly aligned.

And, I too am NOT a qualified alignment technician, buyer beware. :)

Harvard wrote:
In my case, I used all available adjustment from my bushings for +CASTER and let the CAMBER fall where it may. In other words the CAMBER setting on the bushings at 0.0 DEGREES while the CASTER setting on the bushings was +2.0 DEGREES. Again, I used Ingalls 594 bushings and only because they were already installed on my unit. Good luck, play safe. :)

Adding to this I should explain my starting point was the result of having an alignment done on the vehicle. Then using that alignment report I was able to reverse engineer using the Ingal 594 cheat sheet. By my acceptance of the resulting CAMBER I was in hindsight relying on having a suspension system not damaged or twisted. Again, in hindsight, if any damage existed it should/would have shown up on the up front alignment. In my case, it was the +2.0 degrees of CASTER added to the (LH)+3.3 and (RH)+3.5 degrees that existed by virtue of not having a bent up or twisted front end.

Harvard, on mine, without change of the eccentrics, would that mean I could essentially dedicate the .6 camber towards increasing the positive caster? The camber can be in spec and be as little as -0.3

Any more comment on the toe in? I don't want to go too far with it. If the .5 degree is excessive, would something like .3 or .4 be better. I'm convinced the 0 degree is not the best setting for on center feel.

0 toe is fine. More will not help on-center feel. The reason for slight toe-in is just to compensate for the suspension stress while at speed. The toe will tend to move out very slightly due to road friction pushing back on the spindle while on the highway and essentially zero itself. Not a big deal on newer stuff compared to the old days but slightly in is still preferred and shown in the specs. If you go in have it adjusted slightly in.

On center feel is primarily accomplished with Caster. Caster is the relationship of the top ball joint behind (+) or in front (-) of the lower ball joint. Very common to be 2 to 6 degrees positive to give that centered feel. The more positive supposedly the suspension will transmit more ride harshness to the occupants but I think it is minor. And yes a bit more (1/2 degree?) additional positive on the right wheel will help compensate for road crown and keep you straight.

Camber is usually close to zero. I think in your original post you may have swapped the Camber vs Caster measurements. (did it get edited?) Camber is the angle that keeps the wheel/tire vertical. As the tire leans right or left it will tend to create a pull in that same direction.

What are you looking to fix? Just the centered feeling? Tire wear? Drifting or pulling to what side?

20 years ago I was certified but it has been a while.

My measurements on the OP are correct, it is at about 4 degrees positive caster, and about .6 degrees positive camber. It is 0 degrees toe in.

I'm trying to improve straight line minor corrections. This would be on flat roads, no wind where little or no other corrections would be needed. It currently needs slight zig zag corrections to keep it going straight. While any vehicle needs some of this (almost the definition of driving), I'd say my C needs a bit more than I'm used to.

I must have misread it the first time. :r

I think you are on the right track to dial in more caster and just a bit of toe. If camber is in spec and no pulling I would leave it. Moving one angle may affect others so watch the relationship vs specs before it rolls off the rack.

tpi wrote:
Harvard, on mine, without change of the eccentrics, would that mean I could essentially dedicate the .6 camber towards increasing the positive caster? The camber can be in spec and be as little as -0.3

Any more comment on the toe in? I don't want to go too far with it. If the .5 degree is excessive, would something like .3 or .4 be better. I'm convinced the 0 degree is not the best setting for on center feel.

What do you have for eccentrics? I can only speak of Ingall 594 where you rob Peter to pay Paul, the more +CASTER the less CAMBER adjustment available.

Regarding TOE, I have alignment specs for 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011. All 4 documents specify TOE as:

0.06 DEGREES +/- 0.25 DEGREES, or
0.03 INCHES +/- 0.13 INCHES.

Personally I would shoot for about 1/16 (0.0625) to 1/8 (0.125) INCHES or about 0.1 to 0.2 DEGREES.