just did them a couple days ago

 

Wheel bearing?

 

Did you have the front end aligned? If toe is excessive either way, in or out, it will make the front end act squirrely on turns.

 

it turns fine, it is only at low speed full lock where it tends to jump to the side a bit

 

Yup, excessive toe can cause that! The shoulder of the tire rolls under, then pops back out. Puts a jagged wear pattern on the shoulder of the tire. There's actually a term for it: "toe out on turns". The inside tire has to turn sharper than the outside tire. If toe is correct, so is toe out on turns, (unless something is bent). It's "built in" to the geometry of the steering linkage.

 

it was doing that before with perfect alignment...

 

ok.. so you're probably right... looked back at the alignment sheet I had when I got the truck inspected in july... looks like toe is in a bit on both but still within spec.. probably could be worse now... not going to worry about it because I need new tie rod ends this spring (boots torn on a couple)

 

just wondering if anyone knows how many degrees the toe will change with one turn on the tie rod adjusting sleeve?

 

Blindly turning the sleeve is not the way to go. Straight from the GM S&T shop manual: "Total toe spec is +.1 to -.1 degrees. +.1 degrees is preferred." In other words, 1/20 of one degree per wheel! When the vehicle is in motion, toe will decrease slightly as speed increases. It really depends how the vehicle is driven and involves some trial and error to get it perfect. If most of the miles are around town, (under 40mph) you can get away with zero degrees. If it's on the freeway more, it needs to be increased to +.1 degrees. What you're trying to achieve is zero degrees at the speed most often driven. With the price of tires, have a reputable front end shop, (usually NOT a tire store) do a computer alignment. A quality alignment tech will check all suspension & steering linkage, check & adjust tire pressure & front chassis ride height, camber/caster, then toe, in that order. Bring the vehicle in with 1/2 tank of fuel and loaded how it is normally is driven. If you really want accuracy, sit in the drivers seat while they do the work.

 

while I do understand the precision of alignments and all that goes along with it... I'm merely trying to adjust the toe out a bit so that it is closer to 0 then it currently is. FYI if any alignment shop uses a newer hunter alignment machine the specs are -0.5 to .15 degrees toe... mine both sit closer to .15 and are on the verge of being toe in. my steering wheel is also crooked after replacing the rag joint... so I merely need to turn the tie rod out a bit and a was just wonder how many degrees a complete turn of the adjuster accounts for. I see no point in spending $70-80 for an alignment now when I will need one in the spring after replacing my tie rod ends and control arm bushings. There is no "alignment shops" around here without traveling 2+ hours, only alignment shops around are VIP, Sears, And a big rig/truck service center. Other then those there are just a couple small time mechanic shops that also do it. I am not concerned about my tires wearing out as they are already getting worn and will need new ones soon.