I'm 'tuning up' the front suspension and steering on my 49' 3600. It's entirely stock with the exception of replacing the lever action shocks with gas. When I say 'tuning up' I mean new leaf springs, bushings/pins, king pins, steering box adjusted per factory manual, drag link rebuilt. This was all I could accomplish before winter set in. I have new tie rod balls and rebuild kits from Jim Carter to go in when summer gets closer. I'd like to keep it stock but I was curious if the factory camber works for radial tires? The reason I ask is I have 500 miles on a new set of radials and they are showing excess wear on the outer edges. You can visually see quite a bit of outward tilt to the top of the front wheels looking from the front. She tracks straight on the road. I don't know what the toe in is at right now. Until warmer weather she's put away. I want to get the entire front end up to snuff, all worn parts replaced, before I think about finding a shop that can do an alignment and cold bend the axle if needed to adjust camber.
I'd worry about getting the toe in set properly before I'd try to find someone to set camber. Too much toe in can also cause wear on the outside edge of the tires.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
I have 20,000 miles on a set of radial tires on my stock 49 3600 with even wear on them. I guess just make sure your king pins and wheel bearings are good and proper toe-in like Bill mentioned
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
1/2 T 50’ GMC witha severe camber issue on both sides᠁᠁᠁..built a fixture and 20 ton bottle Jack. Bent the cold axle back to 0 camber.
If your in spec I would not change due to tire choice. I ran radials on the 1/2t in the photos.
Are you sure you didn't install the spindles upside down? I did that on one of mine when redoing kingpins till I eyeballed it and said OOPS!
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
My radial tires look OK after about 1000 miles. I didn't bend the axle for camber so it's still the 1954 spec. I bought the skinniest tires I could get; I believe camber would affect wider tires more. I also added an anti-roll bar.
Gord&Fran, I've wondered about tread width coming into play. The original bias ply tires and two piece rims were on it when I got and I remember the tread width was narrower. I too have added a front sway bar. I've also found my tie rod has a bow in it which, if it hasn't already been adjusted out after the bow was put in it, would pull the back of the tires inward creating excessive toe in and allow tie rod flexing going down down the road. I'm anxious to dig into all of this but I need the weather to pull farther past winter so I can work on it out side. My shop is taken up by another restoration project. A 65' 442 is in pieces all over the place but I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel on that one.
No ᠁᠁.think the cause was a young driver at high speed and bumps and jumps over long period of time ????
WOW! I think it would take a lot of jumps, with the axle hitting the bump stop many times to do that to the axle. And I'd guess there'd be other sign of abuse, like the frame bent where the bump stops hit it.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
The camber your seeing was after new springs, bushing, shackles, king pins, shocks, brakes, steering links, tie rods etc,etc
Just a guess᠁᠁᠁᠁met and talked to the prior owner 50 years after he parked in the pasture in was in high school. He did not mention his good or bad habits.
All I can say is both sides camber were out about the same amount. The fixture and bottle Jack moved it back in spec and it now tracks like new.
I've also found my tie rod has a bow in it which, if it hasn't already been adjusted out after the bow was put in it, would pull the back of the tires inward creating excessive toe in
This condition would cause toe OUT, not toe IN.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
When I bought my '52 it was real "skittish". The hot rod shop that installed a disk brake kit before I bought it had the toe set to 5/16" toe OUT!
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
Wow, that's a lot of toe out. I bet it was fun pulling her out of a curve. Let alone keeping it straight. I bet it sought out every dip in the road it could find.
Was a bit twitchy, Any time you had the steering wheel just a little off center it wanted to go a lot more.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
