Laser Alignment

[Kinarfi]

Just changed dirt proof boots on steering box. Some lessons I learned are

1. When you start, crank the wheels hard in one direction and measure the distance (TRAVEL) from socket to the stop and write it down. If you increase the distance a little, you will get a tighter turn radius but you will probably start binding up in the CVs and if you change it, you will need to realign your front end / toe in which is .98 inches.

2. You will see the gear rack move up and down and this gives you some play in the linkage, go to Ebay and enter 200302043085 . Some edit deletions here.

3. Now the laser alignment, sort of, Center you steering wheel, If this type of thing is important to you, Center the gear rack as best you can, you may need to rotate the spline connectors, then turn the forks in or out until 1/2 of the travel is at each end and the hooks are level, spin the steering wheel to check, tighten the jam nuts, and hook up the tie rod ends and tighten the bolt going through the forks, real tight, there is play here also and tight get rid of it.

NOW

Hang a piece of card board or something similar across the back that extends out past the rear wheels about 4-5 inches. Shine a flash light from as close to the side of the front wheel toward the back and mark the shadow cast by the rear wheel, both sides. Now shine a laser pen from the front of the front tire across the back of the front tire and mark where it hits the card board, the beam should just barely be visible on the front side of the front tire.

This should give you an idea of where thing are and you can start making adjustments, rock the buggy back and forth after each tweak before retesting.

Jack the front wheels off the ground, have someone hold the steering wheel hard against the stop, force the wheel out against all play and turn, feeling for any hint that the CV may be binding, on both sides.

Make sure you got all the jam nuts jammed.

Kinarfi

[Guest Lenny]

Kinarfi, when shimming the top of your steering rack, if you use polyethylene, it makes an excellent bearing material and it won't break when you bend it. Another thing you may want to consider is to put a peice under the entire aluminum cap and then put about a 7/8" wide strip between the aluminum plate and the peice that covers the entire plate. When tightened down it wil bow the full plate peice down against the rack removing the play. This way you won't need to bend the ends up as the strip cannot slide out becauses it's not touching the rack. This way you could actually use metal shim stock for the strip allowing you to loosen the cap and slide in a heavier gauge as the poly wears.

Do you know what the camber and caster settings should be for the Trooper and how do you measure them. Also you said the tow in snould be .98", where do you measure this. Is that the difference between the measurment between the front sides of the front rim and their rear side? I'm getting ready to dive into my front suspension with fox shocks. Yea, frame cutting and all. I'm thinking about lowering my front diff. flatbed warned me that unless I change a loot of suspension points that I would produce bump steer so I'm going to have to watch things real close.

flatbed, I know, you warned me. I suspect that by this time that you are starting to figure me out. The more I'm not susposed to delve into something, the more driven I am to try it. When I was a kid,I swear that some of my projects had more weld material in them then stock steel because of all the changes Iwould try. I've learned a lot by heading down the wrong path.

By the way kinarfi, I don't use jam nuts, I use peanut butter nuts.

Lenny

[Kinarfi]

Don't know caster, camber settings, toe in is in the manual and the way I learned it is jack the wheel off the ground and have some spin the as you draw line with a pen on the high points of the tread and measure the distance between the lines as high as possible with out bending the tape measure on the back and axle high on the front and find the difference. Adjust for .98 inches toe in. The manual says measure while on the ground.

kinarfi

PS got some requests in for info with Joyner & No Limits

[Kinarfi]

here's some photo I took of my laser aligning

http://community.webshots.com/album/570304075nwGyyY

Toe in marking Laser spot on tire Shadow of tire Laser spot