Driven

The reason I am interested in this is because my truck was recently damaged in a accident. The alignment shows that camber is out of spec by -1 on both sides and toe is set out 1 degree between both wheels. The cross camber and cross caster are within spec, giving a SAI of 15.25/15.35. No required SAI angle is given. The alignment shop thinks the housing is bent. It seems odd to me that the cross specs would be so close on a bent housing, so I am trying to narrow down exactly what, if any, damage there is.

First off, Excellent write up, nice to see some thoughtful and relevent information out there! I am curious what the SAI and included angles should be on the Dodge Rams with a 9.25 AAM front axle? Also, when doing adjustments how do they interrelate? What I mean is by rotating the axle with caster will the camber or toe be effected? Would adjusting toe effect camber? Etc. Moses Ludel, on 27 Jul 2013 - 3:16 PM, said: I mentioned another specification that is of concern during alignment: steering axis inclination (SAI). We can go into this if you want, but the important thing to note for DIY alignment purposes is that strange caster and camber angle readings over the full turning arcs (illustrated in the XJ Cherokee alignment how-to article and shown in the TJ Wrangler HD video coverage) are an indication of a bent steering knuckle on a later beam axle 4x4 or a bent spindle on 2WD and vintage 4WD vehicles. On alignment equipment that will identify SAI error, if all measurements are correct and SAI is off, we inspect the steering knuckle, spindle or unit bearing hub for damage. Make sure any strange readings are not from bad steering knuckle ball joints or worn wheel/hub bearings! Better yet, inspect for ball joint, wheel bearing and unit hub bearing wear before attempting the alignment. Check steering linkage for loose joints, too.