When I was doing regular wheel alignments on the vehicles with that type of linkage, we would compress the spring fully, then back off only enough to align the nearest cotter pin hole. Loosening the plug any more than that will introduce some slop into the steering.
Jerry
Yep. That's what The Book specifies.
But then, you don't need no stinking book. The guy who wrote the book probably heard you talking about it beforehand.
