I just spent the weekend replacing all the ball joints, tie rods, idler arm, pitman arm, sway bar end links, and control arm bushings, and the closest alignment shop is about 30 minutes from me. I had to get it there somehow, so here's a simple way to get a ballpark alignment to get your truck across town that's a little more precise than just "eyeballing it" if you've just replaced some parts or modified the front suspension or steering in any other way.

Like the title says, this is NOT by any means meant to be a permanent alignment solution. It's just to get the front end straight enough so that you can get the truck to a shop with a proper alignment rack to get it done right.

Using a 4x4 with 1.74" spacers in the rear, so the front and rear track width is pretty close to being the same, which is important for this method. If you're working on a 2wd, this is a non issue because the front and rear track width is the same. But on a 4wd this method can be a little more tricky since the front on a 4x4 is about 2" wider than the rear. Easiest way to deal with this is do just make the alignment adjustments and compensate for the different offset (I'll explain later).


Special tool of this procedure? A length of string Other than that, just a wrench to loosen the clamp bolts on the tie rod end adjustment sleeves.



First thing you want to do is tie off the string at the rear of the vehicle so that the string will pass over the forward most part of the sidewall of the rear tire when you string it out towards the front of the vehicle. A spoke of the wheel makes a convenient spot.









Run the string all the way across the front tire, making sure the string goes over the most rear and forward parts of the sidewall






Then just run the string over and tie it off somewhere in the front of the vehicle, being sure to keep a little tension on the string. The front tow hooks on the 4x4 makes a good spot (no real need to tie it off, just loop it around a few times so it doesn't come off too easily)









Now it's time to look at how the wheel is adjusted. With your steering wheel pointed straight, take a look at how the string acts at the rear area of the sidewall of the front tire.

If the string isn't touching the sidewall at all, then the wheel is towed out and will need to be adjusted inwards.








If the string actually looks like it's bending around the sidewall as it goes back to the rear of the vehicle, this means that the wheel is towed inward and needs to be adjusted out. UNLESS, you have a bone stock 4x4, in which was you actually will WANT just a little bend since the rear is narrower than the front. Just a LITTLE bend should be all you need to bring the front to a ballpark alignment.

Hard to tell in the photos, but the string is bending ever so slightly around the rear most part of the sidewall of the front tire.






To make these adjustments, all you need to do is loosen the two clamp nuts/bolts on the adjustment sleeves between your inner and outer tie rods, then just grab the entire adjustment sleeve and twist it (if the tie rods and adjustment sleeve are new as they are in this photo, this can be done by hand as they'll spin pretty easily. if they're older and have a little rust on them, they may be too hard to turn by hand, just use a pair of channel lock pliers and grab then in the center of the adjuster and spin them).






While making the adjustment, watch the string and how it interacts with the rear most part of the sidewall of the front tire. Twisting it one direction will tow it out (the rear of the tire will move inwards and away from the string, eventually coming off the string and leaving a gap) while twisting it the other direction will tow it in (the rear of the tire will move outwards and towards the string, eventually contacting the string and making it bow and wrap around the sidewall).

If you have a 2wd, you just want the string to basically rest on the sidewall of the rear of the front tire so it doesn't bend and wrap around the sidewall, but also doesn't leave a gap between the string and sidewall either. This is also the case if you have a 4x4 AND HAVE REAR SPACERS (about 1.75" or 2" spacers). But like I mentioned earlier, if you have a stock 4x4, leave just a little bow in the string to compensate for the wider front track.

Again, this is NOT an exact science, just something to get you across town to a proper alignment shop.









If you want to try and get it as close as possible, once you do the procedure, back the vehicle up a couple feet, then pull back forward. Park and check the alignment again. This will relieve any tension that might be in the steering components or tires. I didn't even bother doing this myself and the truck drove perfectly straight on the way to the alignment shop.


Hope someone finds this useful

 

The front of the front tires should actually be toed inwards 1/8-3/8. I`ve done this for years, havent paid for an alignment since I dont know when. Never have premature wear. Get good at it after that long

 

yeah ive always done the 1/8th inch tow in on my k5 blazers. ive done the string alignment on cars at work just to get them close so they can make the trip to the alignment shop