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My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

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Gary Lewis

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

Neat design. I'm anxious to see how it works.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

85pig

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Why wouldn't something like that work on the TTB front end? I've torn into the straight axles, but never a TTB (yet), but I'm guessing the spindle area would be similar or the same. Almost seems like a solution like that would be more effective at killing the negative camber thing than the degreed ball joints. Am I way off here?

1985 F150 4X4 300 I6 4-Speed
1970 Torino Cobra "Twister Special" 429CJ 4-Speed
1965 Mercury Comet Caliente Convertible 331 5-Speed

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

not at all! this may take out the TTB "sag" for ya.

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

mat in tn

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

I'm curious about how much is too much with a shim? by tilting the spindle in the knuckle you are still leaving all brake hardware riding the knuckle so at some point you are trading one problem for another. that is not the same thing when adjusting with ball joints.

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

1 degree, bending-stressing a flexible brake line?

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

ArdWrknTrk

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

You're moving the spindle (plane of the rotor)
The caliper bolts to the knuckle.

I'm not going to do the math but my truck has 12" rotors = 6" at the edge of the pads.
I think this is what he's asking....

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

This post was updated on .

I'm still not sure of the concern, this was "the standard" way to get correct camber in the 70's 80's they are not available anymore...but I see your point, Pads may show a 1 degree shift from parallel (if they were ever parallel from the factory machining) when wearing down, on my 86 Flareside and the Bronco the pads never wore evenly top-to-bottom, suggesting this may actually get them to wear evenly.... but pad life would be the same and pads are way cheaper than worn-edge tires and funky tracking down the road....

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

mat in tn

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

this is exactly the point I was asking about. and you make the point even more important by wondering if they were true from the factory. maybe bringing them into alignment yet maybe making them worse. I do this type of study often so I'm not being critical, just very interested in the engineering being done. always willing to learn.

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

no problem there. its will be a good observation, ... If the top of the pads wear more right now, and you add Positive caster to correct the tire, you will also correct pad alignment

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

mat in tn

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

and that would be a good example of possibly finding a bent or poorly milled/installed spindle.

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

or crappy ear machining on knuckle, or even more likely the knuckle was not welded on perpendicular. This is a common problem with early Bronco D-44s, they "slapped" the knuckle on the tube and welded it up.

Caster numbers were (are) all over the map. Mine had zero caster on 1 side and 2 degrees on the other, With that, how can you possibly assume they were installed perpendicular either?

I've had 3 broncos, NONE had reasonable caster, I had to grind of the welds, knuckle-to-tube, and sledgehammer back the top knuckle to rotate it and achieve 4-5 degrees caster.....
check out the "Classic Bronco" website, everyone has to do this, it's common practice.

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Installed it today, Originally Left Front Camber was 0.7 degrees, Right Front was 1.2 degrees......

Now Left Front is 0.7 and new Right Front is now 0.6 only 0.1 difference between them!

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

Gary Lewis

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

That's good news! How does it drive?

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Fine, but I don't think Camber effects drivability as much as Caster. Having the tire more perpendicular to the axle tube will just about eliminate the excessive wear on the outer edge of the tire.

I did notice the brake shoes were wearing oddly, (before shim), outer pad wearing on top, inner pad on bottom. The caster shim will align the pads to disk better.....

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

Gary Lewis

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

Camber doesn't make as much difference in drivability as caster, but it does some. If you have more pressure on one edge of a tire than the other it makes the tire try to follow a ridge in the pavement.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Good to know, we'll see how the pads wear now (over time)

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

New caster number are in ... old 1.2 degrees and 0.6 degrees, now 0.7 degrees and 0.6,... Beautiful!

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks

ArdWrknTrk

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

That's some great results Ron!

I saw shims on U-Techcenter the other day that looked similar, but I have no idea what they fit.
Maybe I should go back and try to find that P/N.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Gary Lewis

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

Administrator

Well done, Ron!

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

reamer

Re: My Dana 44 Camber shim "project"

I think these will work on the TTB front ends too.....

1986 F-150 Flareside 4x4, 351, 4-v, ZF5 speed. AC, Cruise, Tilt, Slider, Digital clock, Radio, Lariat seat, Pwr doors/locks