New to this: Rear end alignment?

Okay took a quick skim through^^^^ park the front wheels on sand,trash bags,a magazine etc. To reduce friction, cut your conduit a couple of feet longer than your approximate outside to outside track width. Drill four holes 2 in each conduit approximately 1 foot wider than your outside track width. Both conduits should have the holes the same distance apart this keeps your string parallel. Raise or lower the jack stands to get the string close to the middle of the axle. Measure left front center of axle to string, then right front. Move conduit side to side until your measurements are equal. Do the same in the rear double check,front and rear. Now with the wheels pointed straight ahead measure string to front edge of wheel,then rear edge of wheel. The difference is toe in or toe out. In the front check side to side moving your steering wheel until you have equal readings on both sides. Rear check front of wheel,rear of wheel and compare readings if left wheel forward reading is 1/4 closer to the string left rear reading is 1/4 inch further from the string,rightfront is 1/4 further right rear is 1/4 further etc. You know the rear is shifted. Caster and camber can be check with an angle finder app on your phone. More later. Gotta go.

To check camber park on a level surface I've got a dedicated spot I park that I know I have to put 3 linoleum floor tiles here 1 there 2 there etc to have a level surface first time I did it I painted around my squares and painted numbers so I know how many shims at each corner. I'll put a pic of the most simple camber tool ever in a thumbnail. Use an angle finder on the phone to find your degrees of camber. If toe is good camber is good,and matches side to side. Drive the truck if it doesn't pull,forget checking caster,it's a non wear angle. Meaning if toe is right and camber is right your tires won't wear premature even if Caster is wrong. But Caster can cause,a pull left or right. You could just use an appropriate length of angle iron and your phone as a camber gauge. For my strings on string alignment I use 2 chalk lines,why? Because I can wind them up when I'm done and put them in my alignment drawer in my bottom box.

Grit dog said:

It’s good to learn the signs by reading your tires. What did they look like?

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Unfortunately have no idea. I should have used this as a learning experience but wasn’t even thinking of alignment before taking it in and by the time they were done I needed to get going.

Did you get a print out of the alignment angles before and after?

Due to the ages of these trucks and unknown histories, it's amazing what you will find. I had a '87 4x4 shortbed that every time I would pull away from a stop sign or light, I had to counter steer it to the left ever so slightly. I had an alignment done at a reputable place that only did alignments and front end work but it continued. Installed new rear spring bushings and shackles and it went away. Nothing was wasted but I guess was weakened enough to make it get out of shape. I had never seen that one before.

idahovette said:

Almost all alignment machines these days have provisions for checking angles on all 4 wheels. The only thing adjustable at the rear AXLE may be the angle that the rear AXLE is to the relationship of the frame.......because of spring center bolt, possible spring bushing wear, or just screwed up rear springs...broken, etc. You will know when you get the printout from the tech.

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I see what you did there.