Buyer beware AIM/Chassis Tech/Airbagit.com/ CTS beams

[guhfluh]

Yep, a few. Been through the schools too, but beam bending was before my day. Included Angle, SAI, etc. are the angles I don't remember a whole bunch about and I'm not very good with. Caster, toe, camber and thrust angle are the easy ones. I like your Edit

I think the answer here has already been found and AIM just needs to be contacted.

[dsrtjeeper]

I have no idea where you get your information. There is no such thing as good or bad caster. Secondly caster is an adjustable angle on an I Beam suspension. Third caster can not be determined by king pin inclination alone. The spindle plays a part as well. If you are so sure you have the beams on properly did you swap radius arms from side to side? Do you have a radius arm on upside down? According to the pdf you posted and the information you have posted you should have the beams in correctly. Again that is based solely on what you have had to say. Reminds me of a guy who swapped out a distributor & his truck wouldn't start. Told him it was in 180 degrees out. He argued for days. He pulled the distributor & spun it 180 degrees and the truck ran. Have you had your truck on an alignment rack & taken a caster reading compared to specs?

Perhaps a picture or two will help you...but hey; there is no such thing as good or bad caster. Radius arms were never removed. No need to.

Check out the tierod relocate and caliper position now:



Negative caster:



Tierod end can't insert into relocate as it's hitting the radius arm:

It is obvious the beam is on the wrong side in the pics you show. The caliper is rolled forward.

Of course it's on backwards because I switched sides last night as was recommended here.

[dsrtjeeper]

Drove back to AIM this morning at their request. I was greeted by the owner! I was taken in back to the manufacturing area where my beams were dropped onto the jigs. Both beams jigged fine. It appears that something is off on the truck. Still baffled why the stock beams positioned the wheels in the wheel wells just fine.

[guhfluh]

Did he or you mention why they are bent in the ddirection that they are?

Your truck could have been wrecked before and bent back into alignment, but the frame or radius arms still tweaked some.

[dsrtjeeper]

Did he or you mention why they are bent in the ddirection that they are?

Your truck could have been wrecked before and bent back into alignment, but the frame or radius arms still tweaked some.

Truck has never been wrecked. It's a super clean AZ. truck with no damage. Still has original paint nicely faded. Aim just called and they want to experiment with F200 beams on my truck. They are slightly narrower which is good for me wheel wise. They are offsetting the radius rod fastening hole to move the driver's side wheel back one inch. Back in the day Ford was famous for using what parts they had and chassis often varied. Anything could have happened at the plant. Then you add in an aftermarket beam with slight differences in bends and it gets exaggerated at the wheel. Who knows but they are plugging away and providing better customer service. That's all one can ask for these days.

[guhfluh]

That's great that they are working with you to get it all straightened out.

[dsrtjeeper]

Check out the pivot ends of my AIM beams and the pivot end of the AIM beams and stock beams in the comparison pic from 5 years ago. Notice how my pivot ends face the same direction. The pic with 4 beams shows the AIM beams as well as stockers have the pivot ends facing opposite directions. Optical delusion?

[img][/img]

[guhfluh]

If those are your stock beams in the middle, the driver side looks really bent and would put the wheel back in the well pretty far.

[elgemcdlf]

[ Image ]

If those are your stock beams in the middle, the driver side looks really bent and would put the wheel back in the well pretty far.

Not necessarily true. The radius arm if straight would place the wheel in the proper location BUT would put stress on the pivot point of the beam causing premature failure of the bushing. I am curious as to how a beam would get bent like that. One on the surface would think it happened in reverse but that had to be one serious hit.

[guhfluh]

[ Image ]

If those are your stock beams in the middle, the driver side looks really bent and would put the wheel back in the well pretty far.

Not necessarily true. The radius arm if straight would place the wheel in the proper location BUT would put stress on the pivot point of the beam causing premature failure of the bushing. I am curious as to how a beam would get bent like that. One on the surface would think it happened in reverse but that had to be one serious hit.

I disagree. As I have said before in this thread, the radius arm is not the end all be all for locating the wheel if the beam is bent. The radius arm to beam mount is the pivot point.

[elgemcdlf]

[ Image ]

If those are your stock beams in the middle, the driver side looks really bent and would put the wheel back in the well pretty far.

Not necessarily true. The radius arm if straight would place the wheel in the proper location BUT would put stress on the pivot point of the beam causing premature failure of the bushing. I am curious as to how a beam would get bent like that. One on the surface would think it happened in reverse but that had to be one serious hit.

I disagree. As I have said before in this thread, the radius arm is not the end all be all for locating the wheel if the beam is bent. The radius arm to beam mount is the pivot point.

Ok hang with me for a moment. If the radius arm is good (including bushings & mount) then the distance from the mount (under the cab mount) & the point of contact with the beam is consistent. Regardless of what you do to the beam between the pivot point and the attaching point the distance from the radius arm mount & the beam remains the same. I am not saying that a beam bent like that would not be a problem. If a beam is bent enough as this one presents it will alter wheel placement as the mounting point of the radius arm to the beam in space has been altered. This alters the angle of the radius arm thus altering the distance between the hub center and radius arm mount. Distance from the pivot point of the beam to radius arm mount (beam) would need to be checked. In any case the potential for the wheel to be properly aligned to the wheel well exists.

[guhfluh]

I agree that if the radius arm isn't bent, then the distance between the radius arm to frame mount and the radius arm to beam mount won't change.

As dsrtjeeper said, unbolt the I beam from the frame and use the radius arm as the pivot. You can now move the wheel fore and aft in the well.The same can be done by bending the beam fore or aft(once) between the frame mount and radius arm mount. The same thing basically happens when you bend the beam for camber. The closer the bend is to the radius arm on the beam, the more pronounced it will be on the kingpin end and more the kingpin will move.

Looking at the picture of the beams, and looking at the alignment of the three attaching points of each beam, it looks to me like a big alignment difference between the factory beams in the center and the DJM and AIM beams laying behind them. I can see that misalignment possibly being enough to cause his issue.

[dsrtjeeper]

Update:
Installed a set of AIM F200 beams that are a bit shorter in width. The driver's side was welded at a different angle from radius arm outwards to correct wheel position in fender well. The whole setup ended up damn close and I'm happy up to this point. AIM made an honest attempt to correct the situation and I gave them a second chance.

With the new LMC coils; the driver's side is at least 5/8" taller at the fender tip above tire. I know the driver's side coil was taller from the factory but I thought it was a smaller rate spring. I'll drive it a bit and let it settle. I used all new Moog center link and tie rod ends for a '73 F100 application. With the aftermarket beams and tie rod relocaters; we had to cut 1/2" off threads on each tie rod end. This allowed us to get the toe close until I get her on an alignment rack. The steering is so much easier with the new suspension parts.

The manual disc conversion went well using a 1974 Mustang II master cylinder and Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve with built in brake light switch. I used Power Stop ceramic pads on Ford F100 rotors/calipers. The disc conversion added track width so don't let anyone tell you different. It's fact. With the slightly shorter F200 drop beams; I'm able to run a wheel with 3-3/4" BS up front. These are factory Ford disc brake steelies. Tires are 225/75/15.

I still suspect AIM beams are off from the factory as my truck has never been hit or wrecked. Radius arms are the same length and frame mounts all measure up equal and correct. Wheels were centered with stock beams.

[elgemcdlf]

Do not use track width as a usable dimension. Track width is from the center of the tire to center of the tire. This varies depending on wheel width & BS. Hub to hub is a dimension that remains constant.

[dsrtjeeper]

Do not use track width as a usable dimension. Track width is from the center of the tire to center of the tire. This varies depending on wheel width & BS. Hub to hub is a dimension that remains constant.

All I'm saying is the front hub to hub distance with disc is greater than with drums. Same tires and rims.