2WD C10 Modern/Performance Alignments

[truck farmer]

HEY, everybody
im at this stage in my build and am very much interested in what USMCCHEVY is doing with his front suspension. patiently waiting for more of his results.

[BMERDOC]

Hey Truck Farmer! Here is a thread that Chevyrestoguy did on the Caster mod. Very nice and clean, good info, good pics.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=501241

[truck farmer]

Thanks BMERDOC, I need all the help I can get.

[usmcchevy]

Well everyone, I hate to do this, but looks like I will be bowing out of this experiment. I got the truck home tonight, with only around 3.5 deg of caster. Looking at the shims(plenty in all 4 locations), I'd say my instructions never made it to the alignment tech. However I am still very happy with how the truck drives, perfectly straight at 70mph and no longer pulls and fights me in a turn. The shop did a awesome job on the frame and charged me $298, which I think is very fair for this area.

Anyway I see no reason anyone with a straight frame and a good alignment shop should not be able to get 5+deg of caster for the cost of a 5/8" drill bit and a couple cut off wheels. Thanks BMERDOC and everyone else.

[grwnded71]

I am using all 71 front suspension/steering/disc on my 70. Ordered all new Raybestos components, and am doing the caster modification. The stock cross-shaft spotface measures 1-1/4. The Raybestos cross-shafts measure 1-3/4...part numbers seem to be correct for 71 lca's. Am I missing something or do these cross-shafts come with 1/2 added for caster? Went ahead and drilled them at 2" anyway..

[BMERDOC]

I don't know if they meant to do that on purpose but I doubt it. Kinda cool though! Cough up them part numbers!

[grwnded71]

Raybestos #5951017 it is pretty cool though! both cross-shafts the same 1-3/4!

[Greywolf200]

Could you provide me the angle for a 1/8" toe out for a 70 C10? I finally convinced my line up man to set up my front end to my specs rather that what the computer says, but he doesn't know how to convert inches to degrees. He was sure he knew all about front end alignments and his computer machine until requested to do something different than what the computer called for....lol

Thanks,

[BMERDOC]

Refer to post 139. The specs in the lower picture are 1/8" total, 1/16" per side. The top pic shows a spec of .08° to .22°. Shoot for .15°. Let us know how it feels!!

[Portmod7]

Originally Posted by Greywolf200

Could you provide me the angle for a 1/8" toe out for a 70 C10? I finally convinced my line up man to set up my front end to my specs rather that what the computer says, but he doesn't know how to convert inches to degrees. He was sure he knew all about front end alignments and his computer machine until requested to do something different than what the computer called for....lol

Thanks,

It will be around .13 deg. per side. It depends on the diameter of YOUR tire though. I used a 28" tire, toed out 1/16".

I think that's probably why they use degrees instead of inches. A 50" diameter tire toed out 1/16" will be .07deg.

[CaptRMW]

Here is the recent alignment specs on my '70 CST with '71 suspension. The truck likes to wander more than it did before. I overheard the tech (Goodyear) telling his service manager that "we don't have any shims" so he set the toe in and that was it. I had just replacerd the upper control arm shafts and upper ball joints.
Regards, Roger

[ctandc]

Originally Posted by CaptRMW

Here is the recent alignment specs on my '70 CST with '71 suspension. The truck likes to wander more than it did before. I overheard the tech (Goodyear) telling his service manager that "we don't have any shims" so he set the toe in and that was it. I had just replacerd the upper control arm shafts and upper ball joints.
Regards, Roger

I'd be asking for a refund or taking it back to get aligned when they decide to have some shims.

[CaptRMW]

Originally Posted by ctandc

I'd be asking for a refund or taking it back to get aligned when they decide to have some shims.

I will have a conversation with Goodyear corporate office then take it to another Goodyear for the do-over.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I have results! Got done with my front suspension rebuild. All new links and bushings and the works. Just need a new steering box now to complete. Basicly I have about 7.5* caster with moving the front control arms forward one inch about -1* camber and 1/8ths total toe out and honestly I can stick the front end good enough in a turn to bottom out haha so I'm thinking some bilsteins and 3/4 ton springs will fix that then the other issue is with my leaf spring rear I can really feel the need for a panhard and rear swaybar
other issue is I still wear down the outside of the tire from cornering to hard. This could be the tires rolling on the corner or the lean that's coming from soft springs and worn shocks not to mention my one ton swaybar is still on rubber bushings. Oh well more tuning to come but I love it so far!

[DM Garage]

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS '86

other issue is I still wear down the outside of the tire from cornering to hard. This could be the tires rolling on the corner or the lean that's coming from soft springs and worn shocks not to mention my one ton swaybar is still on rubber bushings. Oh well more tuning to come but I love it so far!

With 7.5* of caster you're going to have a lot of camber gain when turning which is probably why your seeing the outside shoulder wear. If you take it to a shop that has a premium Hunter aligner they can put the machine in "Tuner Specs" which will give you a lot more numbers to work with. Just some food for thought!

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by DM Garage

With 7.5* of caster you're going to have a lot of camber gain when turning which is probably why your seeing the outside shoulder wear. If you take it to a shop that has a premium Hunter aligner they can put the machine in "Tuner Specs" which will give you a lot more numbers to work with. Just some food for thought!

I believe added caster wears the inside of the tiredue to increseased beg camber gain

[jlsanborn]

Awesome thread! I read about a third of robnolimit's "how to make it handle" today and will keep reading that to the end. I'm just getting to the part where he's gonna build a Chevy!

So far, here's what I THINK I have in store.....

I'm going to flip the trailing arm mounts
2" blocks and 4" springs in the rear
Adjustable panhard rod - considering fabbing my own and would like to re-locate to make clearance for exhaust over the axle housing. - Thoughts?
I already have 2-1/2" drop spindles
I'm after 4" total drop in the front. I cut one wrap of my stockers and think that was too much. Should I get 1-1/2" springs?
I'll do the 3/4" LCA relocate mod and don't expect any spring fit issues?

Please explain the "remove all the shims first so you can get the most out of the angles" part.

Thanks again! I've learned a TON today!

[BMERDOC]

Hey! Thanks for checking out the thread. Flipping the mounts is great, I'd like to see a 5" spring and a 1" block if you still plan to run 15" wheels. Your stock springs may have had some sag in them which caused an excessive drop. I'm not sure how many 1.5" springs are available. A 2" MAY be a better option and a 4.5"/6" drop looks nice. I have heard of other guys cutting down the bigger truck (C20) springs for a higher spring rate. Everyone that has relocated the lower control didn't seem to have a spring fit issue.

What I meant when I said remove all the shims was that when I removed all the shims on a stock truck and aligned it the angles were still not excessive or in the range of what I was looking for. By relocating the lower arm you'd only have to add shims to equalize caster and camber from side to side.

[RICKSRAT]

Nick great thread. I been following for awhile and got mine aligned today and thought i'd share results with new upper arms and springs.
Caster 4.2deg L/R
Camber. - 0.1 L/R
Toe. -0.8 L -0.7R

Specs on front end are CPP tubular upper arms, stock btm arms , CPP modular spindles , Coil spring speciaties 455# .660 dia. 14 1/2" length springs.
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[BMERDOC]

Originally Posted by RICKSRAT

Nick great thread. I been following for awhile and got mine aligned today and thought i'd share results with new upper arms and springs.
Caster 4.2deg L/R
Camber. - 0.1 L/R
Toe. -0.8 L -0.7R

Specs on front end are CPP tubular upper arms, stock btm arms , CPP modular spindles , Coil spring speciaties 455# .660 dia. 14 1/2" length springs.

Good job! Glad you have enjoyed it. Sorry I haven't added to the thread in a while. I haven't had anything to align and experiment with. I have an 85 Square that I'll be replacing the steering assembly tie rod to tie rod and I'll post my results when I align it. He's not much into it but is open to making it better so we are gonna do the best with what we've got.

[jlsanborn]

I've been moving ahead, just SLOW. I did the trailing arm flip and the LCA 3/4" shift. I've ordered 2" and 5" springs, ball joints, cab/core support mounts, the No Limit panhard rod kit and rear shock relocate kit. It'll still be a while (seems like could be forever) before I get it in for an alignment, but once I've got it assembled I'll post up some pics. Thanks again for all the FREE info!!!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by jlsanborn

I've been moving ahead, just SLOW. I did the trailing arm flip and the LCA 3/4" shift. I've ordered 2" and 5" springs, ball joints, cab/core support mounts, the No Limit panhard rod kit and rear shock relocate kit. It'll still be a while (seems like could be forever) before I get it in for an alignment, but once I've got it assembled I'll post up some pics. Thanks again for all the FREE info!!!

You should start a build thread for your truck so we can see the progress and results of the mods.

[jlsanborn]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

You should start a build thread for your truck so we can see the progress and results of the mods.

I've actually got one going. I should probably add the link to my signature.

Check me out.... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=471776

I see we're in the same neck of the woods!

[moneyeater]

This is a little confusing to me!
I have to get an alignment on my ´81 C 10 longbed and tried to filter out the right specs from this thread but i´m out! to much info!!!
My problem is to convert the data to usable numbers for a german alignment shop but i think the degrees should work here! It should be in metric measurements!
Can somebody please give me the numbers that get the best performance out of the suspension!?
I have 2.5" spindles and 2" springs from Belltech and 15x10 wheels with 255/60 tires up front! The rearend is flipped over the leafspring and the 15x10 wheels have 295/50 tires! The previous front tires were bald on the outside shoulder after 8000 miles and now i bought new ones that i´d like to run longer!
I hope the experts here can help me because i dont even have specs for a factory like alignment!
Any help will be greatly apreciated!
Volker

[BMERDOC]

All of my specs are in degrees and minutes. How do you need the specs set up? I'm on vacation so i only have my phone. I just did an alignment on an 85 longbed. I'll be home Thursday and will simplify things for you then.
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