The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Caster adjustment

Looking for some clarification on caster adj before I start the project. After reading all the posts I got the big end of shim to the rear, 3deg. for radial tires but no post or manual shows the location point for the measurement of this.
Is it on the flat next to the U bolts or the top of the king pin housing?
I'm guessing the flat but guessing usually means doing it twice...
Thanks guys

Year & size truck?
Standard front-end equipment?

1951 3/4T frame 1/2T axle stock if you can call it that.

I had no idea you could measure caster on these trucks with only an angle finder....is this true?

I wouldn't worry about the actual number of degrees till you get some drive time. Any change to the ride hight can effect the caster. Mine change enough I had to change shims when I remover some leafs out of the front spring pack. It changed again when I lowered the rear axle. Both changes were only 1/2" to 5/8" lower.
Mine is at 4 degrees now and drives like a dream. You will know if it's to much if the steering wheel is hard to turn, you end up lifting the whole front end each time you turn. To little caster and they wonder bad and have zero road feel. At very slow speeds, little caster makes for very easy steering, plus you get no automatic return to straight ahead with to little caster.

Since you are just starting, keep in mind that it's very good to determine if the axle bent in any way before you go through the work of replacing king pins and reassembling the whole thing.

Caster is measured by turning the spindle right and left 20 degrees each way from straight ahead, and measuring the camber change as it turns. It's pretty simple to do if you have a set of turn plates and a magnetic caster/camber gauge with calibrated level bubbles. Without that equipment, the simple way is to install a wedge on both sides, and take a test drive. As above, too little caster makes a vehicle wander and refuse to self-center after a turn, too much makes steering effort increase, and tires will wear in a feathery pattern due to excessive scrub in turns.
Jerry

Thanks guys. With all that I will rethink attempting to use a magnetic angle gauge to set this. It does steer real easy at the moment, however I have not been out on the highway with it yet because it is not registered / no vin.
Been working on this basket case for six months and it's nice to just drive it around the neighborhood.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...ci1DUDN1RXppWUxtUjk1bVhnTzlXZ0gzT0stNHF3

Nuts&Bolts, that's a really nice frame-up-spotless-cherry-super-clean "basket case" you've got there. If it steers real easy with those wide radials you'll probably find you need more caster. I replaced my original 2° shims with 4° shims when I put radials on my truck, but measurements showed I only have 3° of actual caster. The old leaf springs on the front of my truck are a bit de-arched and I think that may cause a loss of caster angle. I can tell you I wish I had maybe a 5° shim for better tracking and self-centering after turns.