My '94 1/2 ton 4x4 chevy pickup has a couple degrees positive camber and the steering wheel is slightly off center when driving straight. I know it needs an alignment but I would like to know the recommended settings.

tire wear is a method of diagnosing an alignment problem
abnormal wear on the insides or out sides of the tread indicates a problem with toe in/out and or camber settings
wheel wobble at speed ( 20 mph up ) indicates castor setting problems
steering wheel not self centering after turns indicates castor settings
steering wandering on the road indicates worn steering /ball joints and or alignment settings out
car running sideways ( crabbing)on the road indicates worn rear suspension parts , broken center bolts on leaf springs ,and rear alignment problems which will affect front end alignment
this is indicated by the steering wheel position off center when driving straight ahead

the return to the center on it's own is a result of the wheel alignment castor setting
if it set at zero or minus setting ( -1 degree) it has no action requiring it to return to center
To explain how it works --- the angle at which the king pin is set back ( positive degree) lowers the car
when turning a circle , the car is lifted up and loads up the king pin
when you let the wheel go that weight tries to fall down and that is the return to center position action
so to fix that problem , have a wheel alignment done and set at positive degrees ( normally around 1 1/2 degrees)
next problem is when you set with the wheels straight ahead there is no allowance for the camber of the road ( used to allow water run off in the rain) that means that if you position the wheel straight ahead when on flat ground then when driving down the road you will have the wheel slightly off center to allow for the car trying to run off the road from the road camber
it could also mean that if you have had suspension or steering work done that the steering was not centralized when the tie rod ends were adjusted for toe in adjustment and so the box /rack is now set slightly one way
it could also mean that the rear end is out of alignment and the vehicle is running sideways down the road ( crabbing)
the fix is to find yourself an accredited wheel alignment shop and have an alignment done properly starting by aligning the rear wheels first and then the front many will say not necessary but I can assure you that it is vital for tire wear and vehicle handling and if they don't want to do the job properly go somewhere else

IF you have a rack and pinion steering pull the steering shaft of the pinion splines and centre the wheels . Centre the wheel and put the steering shaft back on the splines. If it is master splined then centre the steering wheel and adjust each side tie rod until the wheels are centred . (one in -other out ). Remember that when the wheels are straight ahead then the steering wheel will be slightly to the left (USA) to compensate for the camber of the road.. IF a steering box pull the pitman arm off --centre the wheels and the steering wheel and refit the pitman arm

Before making wheel alignment adjustment, perform the following checks:

1. Tires should be equal in size and runout must not be excessive. Tires and wheels should be in balance, and inflated to manufacturer's specifications.


2. Wheel bearings must be properly adjusted. Steering linkage and suspension must not have excessive looseness. Check for wear in tie rod ends and ball joints.
3. Steering gear box must not have excessive play. Check and adjust to manufacturer's specifications.
4. Vehicle must be at curb height with full fuel load and spare tire in vehicle. No extra load should be on vehicle.
5. Vehicle must be level with floor and with suspension settled. Jounce front and rear of vehicle several times and allow it to settle to normal curb height.
6. If steering wheel is not centered with front wheels in straight-ahead position, correct by shortening one tie rod adjusting sleeve and lengthening opposite sleeve equal amounts.
7. Ensure wheel lug nuts are tightened to torque specifications

Ride Height Adjustment

Before adjusting alignment, check riding height. Riding height must be checked with vehicle on level floor and tires properly inflated. Passenger and luggage compartments must be unloaded. Bounce vehicle several times, and allow suspension to settle. Visually inspect vehicle from front to rear and from side to side for signs of abnormal height.
Measure riding height. See figure. Riding height between left and right sides of vehicle should vary less than 1′ (25.4 mm). If riding height is not within specification, check suspension components and repair or replace them as necessary.
Wheel Alignment Procedures

Honda recommends using commercially available computerized 4-wheel alignment equipment. Follow equipment manufacturer instructions to obtain vehicle alignment settings. Use following procedures for necessary adjustments.
Civic Camber Adjustment
Compare camber settings with vehicle manufacturer recommendations. If camber is incorrect, check for bent or damaged front suspension components. Replace faulty components. Recheck camber.
Civic Caster Adjustment
DO NOT use more than 2 shims. If more than 2 shims are required to adjust caster angle, check for bent or damaged suspension components.
Compare caster settings with vehicle manufacturer recommendations. If caster is incorrect, check for bent or damaged front suspension components. Replace faulty components. Recheck caster.
Civic Toe-In Adjustment

1. Secure steering wheel in straight-ahead position. Measure front wheel toe-in. If adjustment is needed, loosen tie rod lock nuts. Turn both tie rods equally in the same direction until front wheels are in straight-ahead position and toe-in reading is correct. Tighten tie rod lock nuts. Reposition tie rod boots if twisted.
2. Ensure parking brake is released. Check rear wheel toe-in. If adjustment is needed, hold adjusting bolt on rear compensator arm and loosen lock nut. See figure. Adjust rear toe-in by sliding rear control arm until rear toe-in is correct. Install NEW lock nut, and tighten it while holding adjusting bolt.

Wheel Alignment Specifications

• Camber - Measurement in degrees.
  • Front: 0 (range -1 to 1)
  • Rear: 0.33 (range -1.33 to 0.67)
• Caster - Measurement in degrees.
  • 1.17 (range 0.17 to 2.17)
• Toe-In - Measurement in inches (mm).
  • Front: -0 (0)
  • Rear: 0.08 (2.0)
• Toe-In - Measurement in degrees.
  • Front: 0.00 (range - 0.16 to 0.16)
• Toe-Out On Turns - Measurement in degrees.
  • Inner: 41.00
  • Outer: 33.50

Torque Specifications Ft. Lbs (N.m)

• Rear Control Arm Adjusting Bolt: 48 (65)
• Spindle Nut: 136 (185)
• Tie Rod Lock Nut: 41 (55)
• Wheel Lug Nuts: 80 (108)

hope this helps you out.

Well your Caster for this vehicle should be from +1.2degrees to +2.2 degrees and your Camber should be from -.1degree to +1.2degrees myself I would recommend it be at around 0 which is straight up to +.2 degrees. on both sides of the vehicle. your Toe should be Straight up 0 but it could be toed in up to 1/16th of an inch.

was your car in a wreck since you have own it?
that would be the only way anyone could bend steering or suspension parts.if your tires are leaning out on top,
it would be a part called"lower control arm assembly",
if you stand in front of your car with the steering wheel straight,and your tires are pointing in on each side,or pointed out instead of straight,that would be a "tie rod "
there is an inner tie rod and an outer tie rod end.
you need to take your car to a shop that does alignments,and have them tell you exactly what is wrong,you can even get lower control arm assemblies
from a salvage yard.but do yourself a favor and don't take your car to a MONROE or MIDAS type shop,they are only there to sell and make commissions! Find a normal shop that the owner is the mechanic.

Can't believe they don't have the numbers. but, not being in the business anymore, I don't either. However if you want to do something yourself, likely you can get it close by the" is it wearing and where' method, till you get the specs. Most have an excentric on the steering knuckle strut mount. Mark current position with something that won't wash off then turn excentric to move the top of the tire away from the area that's wearing, and lock it down. this changes your camber setting. If wheel is off center, center it and lock in place. sight down tire and see if one is visibly turned more in or out than the other. adjust that one first to make it reasonably straight by loosening collar on tie rod end. Count number of turns you made to the collar so you can return to original position if needed (write it down) Then measure distance between center of both tires at the front and rear of each, in the same place. The total measurement should be around one-quarter inch less at the front. If not, adjust each tire one half of the difference. Monitor tread wear after you do this and make any fine adjustments needed. Most of these do not have a caster adjustment, so don't bother with that.
I'm certain though that you will find a shop with those specs if you look a bit harder, but you may need to go beyond where you normally travel.
If your car is not wearing tires radically, or pulling badly, I would leave it alone till you find a more informed shop.

Is your 4x4 light coming on? Does the shifter move smoothly into position? I have a 95 that I have just about had every proplem imaginable. Need morre info. John.

Off center steering wheel is very common, a good front end man will drive the car/truck and verify that the wheel is centered, it is not a mechanical problem just an adjustment issue, go to an outside shop or another dealer and tell them u just want the wheel straight, remember the road has a slight angle to drain water off, it's called road crown, tell them you want the wheel centered and to take road crown into account when they do it, make sure the front end man double checks the center by means of a good road test on varied road surface, tell them where it is that the off center is most noticeable, all this is from personnel experience, I am a fanatic about the wheel being centered. If u have more questions fell free to ask, sorry for your justified frustration on this issue.

Timing at idle (degrees BTDC) 0 federal and 4 California (chapter 5, page 183, Haynes Chevy and Gmc pick-ups manual 1967 thru 1987) If you have any othe questions I have the manual, I have an 86 k10 4x4 w/350.