2wd E-series Alignment

[Jsweezy]

Hello everyone,

So I realized I didn't have the money to dump into a conversion or lift yet and decided if nothing else I want to get the ride just a little better so I talked my local Les Schwab into adding +2 degrees of caster and have found the ride to be a lot better.

Here is where I stand now...

[/URL][/IMG]

Basically it rides smoother, the steering wheel feels like I added a stabilizer but I didn't, and the return to center is a lot better. My van is totally stock, nothing other than this has been done.

So I figured I'd post this up to let people who have a 2wd E-Series know what they can do for a better ride without paying more than 150$. I also figured we could discuss what would make it better and who has played with it a little bit in the past to achieve better results.

 

[villageidiot327]

Hello everyone,

So I realized I didn't have the money to dump into a conversion or lift yet and decided if nothing else I want to get the ride just a little better so I talked my local Les Schwab into adding +2 degrees of caster and have found the ride to be a lot better.

Here is where I stand now...

[/URL][/IMG]

Basically it rides smoother, the steering wheel feels like I added a stabilizer but I didn't, and the return to center is a lot better. My van is totally stock, nothing other than this has been done.

So I figured I'd post this up to let people who have a 2wd E-Series know what they can do for a better ride without paying more than 150$. I also figured we could discuss what would make it better and who has played with it a little bit in the past to achieve better results.

those are more or less the same specs I'm sitting at, but i had them aligned it after installing moog 1 ton coils, new ball joints, tie rod ends, and radius arm bushings, as well as bilstein HD shocks front and rear.

much nicer now.

and it netted me 2" lift up front.

 

[Jsweezy]

Ya, I debated on doing a "leveling kit" but decided I'd rather spend the money on something else other than suspension as I eventually want to get either the Weldtec or some 4x4 conversion.

How do you like the Bilsteins? I was debating throwing those on for the time being. A smart car can pass me and make
my van sway like it was a semi.

 

[villageidiot327]

love the bilsteins. i don't recall off hand what part numbers i went with, but they're 1 ton, and zinc bodies, not yellow. parts are listed in my build thread.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

What's up with that rear toe setting??

 

[Jsweezy]

I don't know, they only did the "front end alignment", I don't know why but when I bought the van from the dealership with 3k miles the alignment was all jacked up so that's another reason why I took it in to have it done. What should it be at?

 

[Bbasso]

3 of 4 of my vans I installed Bilstein shocks...
Rear
Bilstein Part Number: BE5-E205-H0 (33-176857)
Front
BE5-H341-H0 (33-187570)

 

[Mwilliamshs]

What's up with that rear toe setting??

..What should it be at?

I would at least want them to be about equal. You have toe-out on one side and toe-in on the other, so both tires are pointing the same direction. That's gotta cause some dog-tracking. Rear toe-in improves stability. Rear toe-out makes it easier to rotate the vehicle, think autocross or drifting. Because yours are both going the same way and you have a solid rear axle I'd expect to find loose/damaged mounts or a bent axle. First though, I'd check the run-out on the wheels.

 

[KYC]

Hello everyone,

So I realized I didn't have the money to dump into a conversion or lift yet and decided if nothing else I want to get the ride just a little better so I talked my local Les Schwab into adding +2 degrees of caster and have found the ride to be a lot better.

Here is where I stand now...

[/URL][/IMG]

Basically it rides smoother, the steering wheel feels like I added a stabilizer but I didn't, and the return to center is a lot better. My van is totally stock, nothing other than this has been done.

So I figured I'd post this up to let people who have a 2wd E-Series know what they can do for a better ride without paying more than 150$. I also figured we could discuss what would make it better and who has played with it a little bit in the past to achieve better results.

I'm at about the same castor.

What was your castor before?

 

[Jsweezy]

I would at least want them to be about equal. You have toe-out on one side and toe-in on the other, so both tires are pointing the same direction. That's gotta cause some dog-tracking. Rear toe-in improves stability. Rear toe-out makes it easier to rotate the vehicle, think autocross or drifting. Because yours are both going the same way and you have a solid rear axle I'd expect to find loose/damaged mounts or a bent axle. First though, I'd check the run-out on the wheels.

So that would explain why when driving straight my steering wheel is turned to the left slightly? So even if I get a full alignment done they cant adjust the rear axle, something is messed up on it?

 

[Jsweezy]

This was how they aligned it initially...

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[broncobowsher]

Don't worry about the rear axle. It isn't perfectly straight, none of them are. In theory they would be perfect, reality is they are not. You will get camber change on the rear axel as you put a load in the van as well. the axle housing does flex ever so slightly. There is more than enough bushing flex in those leaf springs then the error of a perfect alignment.

The steering wheel being slightly off center doesn't change the alignment of the wheels. Getting a straight steering wheel is the hardest part of doing an alignment, but it is the biggest thing a customer sees. Some of the old ford vans didn't even have adjustment for centering the steering wheel. The only adjuster in the steering was to set total toe. If the steering wheel was off, you unbolted the wheel and hoped you could get it closer by moving it one tooth.

I like a good amount of caster in my vehicles. They do track better. But I also know that manufacturers dial back the caster to better balance the handling of a vehicle. More caster makes a vehicle more likely to get into an oversteer condition.

 

[Jsweezy]

Thanks Broncobowsher for covering that for me. I was starting to worry and was trying to find more info on how to fix it but apparently you just don't ha ha.

For whatever reason I have to steer slightly to the left to get the vehicle to track straight and when I let go it will go straight but then track to the right. I think it's the tires as I have had this before on a different vehicle and it was due to the tires, when I get around to rotating them I'll come back and let you all know.

Ya I know the caster is still within ford spec, it just feels so much better and solid. Before when I would hit a bump it was like the front end was going to fall apart and the steering wheel would shake like crazy. Now it barely moves and feels like I am in more control of the situation and if I come out of a turn and let go of the wheel it straightens out.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

...when I would hit a bump it was like the front end was going to fall apart and the steering wheel would shake like crazy...

That'd be "death wobble"

 

[Jsweezy]

No Mwilliamshs, I am not referring to death wobble and am probably being more dramatic than necessary but it was a significant amount of movement.