Camber adjustment on the truck

[ukrbyk]

Hi all

I had lower control arms done on my 2000 Silverado about a month ago. Followed by alignment.
I did upper ones yesterday, now it looks like I have too much positive camber. I did mark adjustment bolts and pins, everything is back on marks, but it still does not look right.
Considering I do not have lift, and do not really want to pay for alignment again, is there any way I can adjust camber on the truck? I have ramps, that's it.

Thanks, guys

Oh, my truck has offset head control arm bolts. Center bolt with 2 cam shaped plates, with slots for a solid pin. They move upper control arm out and in.

[retired wrench]

If you can find a level area and put a level on the rims you could get an idea.

[newtofta]

more important, is 'Toe In' adjustment !
even the slightest camber change,
makes a huge to in change.
to in can be set pretty close,
by having an assistant hold the end of a long piece of kite string, on
rear tire -sidewall, 1/2 way up the tire, you pull the other end to the front tire, & lay it across the side wall.
(this will only work, 'IF' ft & rear wheels & tires are the same).
you make adjustments of the tie rods, until the strings on both sides
touch the side wall of all 4 tires.
( you will need to roll the veh back & forth after each adjustment,
before the string measurement )
I've done this quite a bit, in the drive way.

[ukrbyk]

not the question how to measure. question is - how to get to alignment bolts with wheels on.
toe is is good. truck carries straight.

[newtofta]

been a couple years since i did a GM truck
( I did Ford Ft End work for 35 years, with an occasional GM from the
body shop)
best I remember,
i used a 21 mm impact swivel socket on a 12" extension-on an impact wrench-to loosen the nut.(with 1 hand)
while holding against the adjustment cam bolt with a long flex head 1/2 drive ratchet, & 21 mm short socket.(with the other hand)
with the little plastic pins pulled out

[ukrbyk]

Thanks. I do know how to adjust it, it's quite easy indeed - there's a long through bolt on both arm ends, going through bushings, with flat surface and cam welded to it. When you turn the bolt, it moves cam, cam has slot sliding over a solid pin, and that moves arm in or out.
Piece of cake to do. WITH WHEEL REMOVED.
Now, my question is - I have to have wheel ON to be able to check right away, if I am dead on spot after adjustment.

OK, problem solved. What an idiot. I can reach up and above the tire and have fair access to the bolts. Pass tire is dead smack vertical, driver one has positive camber, just had level on it.

Which one now is camber bolt? front or rear? As I can easily mess up toe by moving wrong one. Truck tracks BETTER THAN AFTER RECENT ALIGNMENT. So I have it" toe right" somehow.

[newtofta]

both bolts move camber in & out
(upper ball joint-moves in or out)
both bolts move caster + or -,
(upper ball joint moves to ft of truck, or to the rear)
in you only want to change camber,
move both cams/bolts equal amounts, in the same direction.
if you only wanted to change caster,
move 1 cam out & the other in.
as stated earlier,
any camber change is going to have a drastic change on toe in!
that said. just changing the control arms, will make enough of a change to affect toe in.
so, after you get the camber, where you want it.
do the string measurement, as i suggested.

if the vehicle drifts to one side or the other, while cruising on a flat road,
you are in need of a caster change, which ever side it is drifting toward, say to the right,
move the right side upper ball joint to the rear of the truck.

with some sort of gauge, caster, & camber, are adjusted, at the same time.
i have an old (40years) magnetic gauge that sticks to the hub, over the nut, under the wheel bearing dust cap.
primitive, but its what we used back then.

[ukrbyk]

cool, thanks. .........................

[ukrbyk]

Okie-dokie, I got it done today. Was not bad at all, I simply suspended one side at a time, via lower A-arm. Took wheel off, and used simple bubble level on the hub, to change camber.
I think, I took caster out completely same time. Drove truck around, has no obvious issues steering. I'll let it be. One way or the other, I need to kill tires fast anyway, as I want to rid of them and buy more "touring" set for comfort. That truck barely hauls, maybe twice a year. No point in 10 ply sidewall tires.