lifetime alignment

actually

Yes the alignment can be checked by Sears. However, my guess is that you have some wear in the steering that is causing the problem. I would have that checked very carefully first. If the I-Beam does need to be bent, you will need to find a frame and axle shop that specializes in trucks to get the job done properly.

These were tough old trucks. I had mine aligned when it was new and I hate to tell you the abuse that the truck was subjected to. It included a pothole on an exit ramp that took the tire right off of the right front wheel and collapsed the rim. It also included driving into a storm sewer in a flooded parking lot that some smart ass had removed the grate from. That episode wiped out the left front tire and rim. After all of this, I drove the truck another 100K miles with no problems with tire wear. Once properly aligned, it is almost impossible for you to do much damage to that baby.

Hi, the outside tire wear can be from too much toe "in", or excessive positive camber.

Excessive toe will wear a tire but will not pull. Excessive camber will wear the tire, and the tire will pull as well, or push, depending on which way the tire is leaning. Think of the way a motorcycle steers when you think of camber, by leaning. Since you said it's not pulling, I suspect you have a toe-in problem. A simple adjustment should address that, provided your front end components aren't worn out.

Sears can check the alignment, and should give you a printout on the specs, and where your truck falls in relation to those specs. If they tell you ahead of time that they can't adjust it, however, you shouldn't have them check it, but find a shop that can check and perform the needed adjustments.

Toe can be adjusted pretty easily by most alignment shops, but the camber requires either bending of the Ibeam if your truck has kingpins, or replacing the camber/caster sleeves if it has ball joints, but it depends on the components of your front end.

You may be able to get a proper adjustment from a shop that specializes in bigger trucks, some require bending of components, so they'd be equipped to make the necessary adjustments.

Good luck!

Spdloader

Your outside wear is positive camber. Not toe. Toe will affect both tires and cause them to feather across the entire tread. Also, I-beams haven't been "bendable" since the mid 70's. Your '89 uses a bushing around the top ball joint. Demand a refund on your lifetime alignment if they won't do it now. If they could do it at one time, they should be able to do it now. It's a simple procedure to change the ball joint bushing anyway.

just an fyi-the truck is 1982. "Steve Barker" wrote in message news:Dk8Bb.112185$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com... Your outside wear is positive camber. Not toe. Toe will affect both tires and cause them to feather across the entire tread. Also, I-beams haven't been "bendable" since the mid 70's. Your '89 uses a bushing around the top ball joint. Demand a refund on your lifetime alignment if they won't do it now. If they could do it at one time, they should be able to do it now. It's a simple procedure to change the ball joint bushing anyway.

My mis-read. But same answer.

they do not want to honor your lifetime purchase. think about it. most people buy a lifetime whatever, and then get rid of the covered thing in a few years. DO NOT let them "bend" your I beams. this is a load of puppy muffins. if the alignment is off, and you have not hit something to bend any of the frontend components, you have worn out bushings or ball joints,wich is more than likley the case on a 21 year old truck

Yep! :/

Call the 1-800 customer service line and ask what's up with that. If they don't bend over backwards to satisfy you, and you have the receipt get your money back. I turned in 8 old sears shocks without recipts for most of them and got them to honor it anyway. Because "back when I bought these a receipt wasn't necesary for replacement, the shocks say Sears on them and that was enough". Worked for me. :)

I've replaced the driver's side I beam twice with wrecking yard parts and both times I took it to the dealership for alignment. Both times they claimed it was right and they could have sold me an "I-beam bending" labor charge too but didn't because it was right or at least "close enough". ;)

First one was driving along a dirt raod in Mexico and hey there's a 6 foot diameter, 6 foot deep hole in the road. Cool huh? ;)

Anyway I had to remove and then bolt the radius arm hanger/anchor back to the frame, can you believe a couple of those rivets were still holding and sheared to 50% out of line? I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it. I straightened the frame myself (half-assed) and then a couple years later had it straightened right.

If your '82 hasn't had tie rods and king pin bushing replaced etc that's where to start and worry about toe-in and alighnment later!

My '75 F150 has 199,200 right now.

I do my own toe-ins and on an old twin-I-beam, that's all you'll need, if you want to know how, I'll post my method. But first you have to be -sure- everything else is right (as in, not loose) first or otherwise it's a waste of time.

How much play (in inches) does your steering wheel have in it?

Alvin in AZ ps- Steve, where's the "ball joints" on the old twin-I-beam at? ;)

alvin a 6x6 hole in the road is only cool when you got a 4x4 and are going REAL slow. did you say ouch? ;-)

and i was half asleep when i posted the ball joint thing. should have been kingpins oh well,, i never claimed to be a rocket scientist

I'm a listenin' there alvin. The ball joints are on the outer ends of the ibeams starting in '80. The '82 certainly does not have king pins.

Offset ball joints are another way of aligning the twin I beam. If I'm not mistaken, bending the I-beams is a major no-no. My '96 Club Wagon needed an offset ball joint for the exact symptom you described.

Given the age of the vehicle, it's not impossble that the spr>Yes the alignment can be checked by Sears. However, my guess is that

• * * Matt Macchiarolo
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Oh. :/

Did I tell you I was a Johnston? ;)

Alvin

I wouldn't take any of my vehicles to sears for an alignment anyway. If you were lucky and got 14 years out of it I would be happy and lucky and look for a real alignment shop.

What constitutes a "real" alignment shop? And what's to say Sears can't do it right? I'm in no way connected with Sears, just curious.

Yeah. :)

Besides, first thing you need to do is be sure and replace all the loose stuff first or they won't be able to align it anyway. You'll go in to pick it up and instead of driving it away they'll point out to you all the stuff that needs fixing and how much it'll cost for them to fix it.

If that's the way you want to do it, fine. I'd rather replace a few parts myself and then get it aligned... for less money and also get an empowering feeling from the experience both.

The system is very simple, you can understand it and work on it.

A while back I had mine apart for some odd reason and made mine so it'll turn sharper than stock. See? It ain't that big of a deal.

Alvin in AZ