First time posting here - Greetinks.

52,000 Ticketless & easy miles
99 F150 Std Cab / Short Bed / Flareside
Offroad Sport 4x4 - Stock 17" Chrome wheels

I didn't want to, but I had the allignment done at 45,000 miles.
$180 shim kit and adjust at a East Coast Ford Dealor while on a road trip. I explained to the technician I lived in Minnesota and most of my trips involved long distances and interstates...

Well his imagination took over. After the test ride he mentioned "I adjusted the castor to the max to help with road crowns.."

Most roads in Minnesota are laser flat - no crowns - designed that way to allow high-speed plowing by trains of up to 7 mongo hooge dump truck Snow Plows. Well, also I failed to get a print out of the before / after measurements so that's all I know.

PROBLEM - At highways speeds while coasting, especially downhill, between 65 and 55 it shimmies. I've had to drive two long trips with this still there..

How can I get the steering back to STOCK ?? ?

Nothing worse then a tech with ADD being an artist & changing stuff around... although the iced mountain pass bridge in W. Va an explosives hauler and I shared lanes at 80mph for 1/10th of a mile is just a pleasent memory...

 

Shimmy is seldom cause by alignment.

Check your steering and suspension for worn or damaged components. Rotate the tires and have the balance checked.

You can have the alignment set back to stock by any competent alignment shop.

Steve

 

I'm told all techs are competent. But, I've worked too long around 24/7/365 4-shift shops and know trouble gets amplified if even the wrong song gets played on the blinkin radio.

The Fleet Goodyear shop in Billings, Montana that rotated & balanced my tires end of July 03 left 1/2" of road salt sand & grime caked on inside of 3 of 4 wheels; I caught it by walking out into shop area and got the Manager on it so they prolly fudged the hurry-up rebalance.

BUT: What I am asking here for where the "sweet spots" are to ask the tech to accomplish; This F-150 handled better then the 150mph '94 Z-28 I wore out before this truck and now it's just another Detroit land yacht with dull handling. It's like I've lost my best friend and my dog at the same time.

I'll get right on the rotation and balance - maybe pull the wheels and dress out the wheel weight marks, pressure wash & wax them before Goodyear gets ahold of them. Long ago I had a buddy who'd rotate the tires on the rims to find the point where a wheel balance could be perfect with no weights showing on the face or where it could use minimum weights.. I hate being just another slob customer...

 

I just viewed the thread Steering Obsession Continues...... and followed up the links...

Thanks SHO89 - looks like new "LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS" are in my future...