Front end camber?

[unioncreek]

So, I've never had my truck aligned (I've put 135k)  since I've had it. The tires have always worn evenly. I replaced the ball joints on the drivers side. Last fall the tires were wearing, so I took it in and had it checked. The toe-in was off, but I don't remember  if it was positive or negative.  He set toe-in at +0.10. He said the drivers side camber was at +1.35 and passengers side was ar +0.23.  I told him to leave it and when I put new tires on in the spring we would do it then.

 

I know both sides have 1 degree bushings already in the top ball joints. So, I decided to check camber the redneck way. I downloaded an spirit level app for my iPad.  Parked on level concrete.  Put the iPad on the concrete and zero'd it, used a straight bar against the rim of the wheel, not the tire. Checked oth sides and they were close to the alignment shop, drove forward 10 feet and did it again. The passenger side was pretty consistent with the drivers side, but the drivers side varied by over 1degree. 

 

So, I re-zero'd the iPad and did the same thing on the wheel hub, both sides ranged from 0.0 to 0.2.  

 

From the info I got I figure the drivers side wheel is bent and there's enough flex in the wheel to throw off the camber compared to the wheel hub.  Am I on the right track here or totally missing something. I'm getting ready to put new tires on and want the front end to be in alignment.

 

Bob

 

 

[dripley]

I cant really answer your question except for the fact that you cannot adjust camber on a 4 WD Dodge. It is fixed. They do make a upper ball joint that is adjustable but I have heard nothing good about them. If the wheel is bent you would have to replace it. Of course I do not know whether your truck is a 4X4. 

[unioncreek]

I have a 96 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 with a Cummins.  Mine has the 8800 pound rated suspension. They don't make adjustable ball joints for the Dana 60, but they do make bushings that can change the camber from -2.00 to 2.00 degrees and many in between. 

 

Bob

[Dieselfuture]

I did my own alignment with tape measure and now my truck runs straight down the road and tires don't wear funny. All I did is got steering wheel straightened out and about an 1/8" of tow in. 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Dieselfuture

[dripley]

They do make adjustables for my year with the D60, 00-02. They also make them for 3rd gens but I never researched much on any of them other that my truck. they just dont appear to be anything I would use anyway.