for your help and patience with a mechanical dumba--!

 

Jake,

Sorry for being a few days late (and MANY $ short), but I just found this article link and am reading through it - I thought of you and your questions. Hope this helps a bit more...

http://www.lightningrodder.com/forum...p?topic=1247.0

Herb

 

Feel like I have some understanding of toe, caster, and camber and their importance. What I was obviously ignorant of--- was amount of adjustment possible on stock Lightning suspension and how they were made? Still not sure of why a cam kit is needed and needed adjustments can not be made without it. Thought I had a guy to put the 4 parts on,but he's not responding, so not sure of what I can do now? My doing it is out of the question. Embarassed to admit a total lack of mechanical aptitude. Wondering if a good alignment shop could install properly at less than 3 hrs at $60 per that dealer's "book" specifies? Thanks for your interest and trouble!

 

Jake,

The stock factory alignment is done with square shims
that hold the upper control arm bolts from moving. I think
they measure it and figure out what size they need.

There are blue ones, and red ones and orange ones.

The Cambolt kit replaces all those with a eccentric Cam
that can be adjusted to hit the correct spec. After lowering
this is necessary to get back in spec.

The bolts from Ford are about $42 with everything you need,
and about 30 minutes to install them per side. Then the
alignment shop can do the alignment.

The tolerances on the alignment are pretty wide so it's
possible that the factory alignment was marginal and allowed
the tire wear. It's not unheard of.

 

Dealer "book" says 3 hours for both sides! guess I really need to do this, but from what you say, I really would be getting ripped by dealer, if I let them do it. Will need to find another source! Thanks!