Alignment ordeal

My 01 classic doesn't have them either.

 

Must be a 46k suspension option. The 20k I stuck under my KW doesn't have it either.

 

TA Wilcox AZ $280 3 axle alignment over a year ago. They have a couple of great techs to go with the newbies.
And adjusting the toe can take a while when the threads are frozen. Air jack on the pipe wrench and a big hammer to send the message.

 

Could be the case. Makes sense. People tended to spec trucks much heavier duty back in day because they wanted them to last 20 plus years instead of 3 or 4 nowadays. 44k used to be the standard duty setup with 46k and a few others higher as the heavy spec. But they all had the cross braces as part of the design. The real old ones used a 3” diamater tube so you couldn't miss seeing it under the airsprings.

 

Running straight pavement and 5 axles I'd have no hesitation running 40k rears/suspension. Off road kicks the tar out of trucks and I wouldn't even look at a truck without 46k rears for running on dirt. The toy hauler I'm building is just running 1/4" rails and 20k rears. No reason to overbuild since a 40ft RV won't be much more than 12-14k lbs.

 

I agree on that. Its better for your back and the teeth. When you are starting over from scratch like you are with that KW and building for that kind of use you are doing right. Nothing wrong with that at all.
One thing guys do if they have a great running truck in good shape already and they wanna just retire it to play status and not have to change whats not already broke so to speak is they build a 2 or 3 ton weight and attach it to the fifth wheel with a king pin so you can remove it for future use. If the plate is wore out just weld it to it. Rides nice then.

 

I’ve only seen them on Volvo’s, often wondered if it helped them ride better, along with plumbing all lines together.

 

Thanks because I know something else to avoid.

 

I do not normally drive trucks after an alignment and my example from the automotive world misstated that for the heavy truck world.
Some companies vary their specs for toe in on heavy trucks. I have seen 0 through 1/16 in. While I cannot explain it a1/16 in with radial tires or an 1/8 with bias does OK. A 1/16 out is a tire eating monster. As a vehicle moves forward the tires tend to push or put pressure to the toe out position. I prefer just a bit of toe in for a buffer and to allow for future wear.
Then if caster and camber are correct ( within specifications ) changing that will cause a problem?
Specifications have a tolerance. A vehicle will pull to the side with the least negative caster. A vehicle will pull to the side with the most positive camber. If you combine those two things a vehicle can pull to one side and be in specifications. Then add in thrust angle and tandem alignment.
These days any body doing alignments without a computer is considered a jackleg. I will share two true stories.
1: Maintained a truck with a pusher axle that was bad on tires. We had done everything we could to the whole truck. There was just no good way to run strings, tapes or anything on this axle. We did the best we could but it was still eating tires. Took it to Mr computer wizard and asked to get the tag aligned. " No can't do just that. It is a whole truck deal and heads have to be connected to every outside wheel for a true alignment." OK fine. He had his printouts: The toe was in 1/32 in should be 0 and we corrected that. Explained I like 1/32 and spent extra time to get that but whatever. The drives were also off a miniscule amount. It still ate tires so we checked the toe in with an alinement bar. Axle was bent.
2: I worked with a young man years ago. He was washing trucks and changing tires. Nothing wrong with that. We were friends and I have done the same thing. Crossed paths off and on over the years and at one time he was the alignment man at a car dealership. Told me he dropped one of those computer heads and it bounced off the floor. He did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble. Later found out every alignment he did for two weeks was screwed up. He never told anyone but me and never got in trouble. If I drop my string on the floor and stretch it back out its still straight.
I do have a car and a semi truck alignment rack. They are on the same home made trailer I loaded them on about 20 years ago. Part of eminent domain for the greater good. That domain is all grown up with bushes now. Thank about setting them up and buying a computer sometimes but it is pretty late in the game for me.
Please excuse the rambling! These new computer systems can not be beat but they are only as good as the person using them. When the truck has problems after the alignment the computer cannot tell you what is wrong. That requires experience like Long FLD found.

 

Im wondering why the op didnt do it himself if hes so knowledgeable, and making sure they didnt steal your tires or alternator? An alternator come on man thats hilarious its easy to tell youve never bent a wrench in your life but have tons of steeringwheel holder radio knowledge.