Question regarding lift kit installations

[Arc Light]

I just got my rig back down on all fours, test drove it around the block, it pulls to the side (which side I don't remember), the steering wheel is off centered, and the front end alignment is way out of whack. Am I correct to assume that this is normal after a lift install? I also replaced the radius arm bushings and the pivot arm bushings, replaced worn out wheel bearings, and tomorrow it goes to the Ford dealer to have the ball joints replaced and aligned. After doing all that work, I expected the alignment to be out, but not out in left field.

 

[Roadkill]

You altered a lot of parts that affect steering geometry; radius arm bushings, pivot bushings, and even if you put a drop pitman arm in, you probably altered the tirerod geometry a little bit so I would expect the alignment to be pretty off.

Why do you want to pay a dealer a boatload of cash to do your ball joints? From the list of work that you did, it sounds like you know your way around in the garage. The ball joints are really not that difficult and when you changed the bearings, your were halfway there. I'd do the ball joints my self, save $300 and only pay to get the alignment done.

 

[Arc Light]

You altered a lot of parts that affect steering geometry; radius arm bushings, pivot bushings, and even if you put a drop pitman arm in, you probably altered the tirerod geometry a little bit so I would expect the alignment to be pretty off.
Why do you want to pay a dealer a boatload of cash to do your ball joints? From the list of work that you did, it sounds like you know your way around in the garage. The ball joints are really not that difficult and when you changed the bearings, your were halfway there. I'd do the ball joints my self, save $300 and only pay to get the alignment done.

Thanks. I've done lift kits before, but this is my first IFS lift, and the worst I'd ever seen one after installation. And since it's my truck, obviously, I'm a little paranoid over it.

I would do the ball joints myself, but my air compressor just ain't got the umph, I did the whole job in my driveway (see pic...no garage), and since I still have my 4x4 shop business credentials, it's a tax write-off. I've done them before, I'm ASE certified and I was Ford certified a few years ago, so I'm very picky as to who other than myself works on my trucks. I don't trust smaller "fly-by-night" shops that are filthy and unorganized, and I'll only trust a dealer after I've been convinced they aren't ripping me off.

I was trying to open a 4x4 shop here after I got out of the Army, but the bank wouldn't help. Now I'm stuck with a ton of shop equipment, and alot of headaches.

 

[Roadkill]

Sounds like you got a plan. Too bad the shop didn't work out for you. I also only have a driveway to work in. When I did my ball joints, I pulled the knuckles and took them to the auto craft shop on post to press the ball joints out/in. The ABS sensors were a real PITA though.

What did you do in the Army? I was a tank mechanic for a long time before changing MOS back in 2001. Now turning wrenches is fun again since its just a hobby and not a job so I just do it to relax. B)

 

[Arc Light]

I was a 13P Fire Direction Specialist. Fancy name for a janitor. I started life in the Marines, which is where I got my mechanical cherry popped. I tinkered with bikes and farm trucks as a teenager, but the Corps opened the door for me. After I got out of the Marines, I worked at Ford dealerships around my hometown and eventually got Ford certified in Gasoline Engines, 4WD, Climate Control Systems, Electrical and Electronics, and CNG, EV, and Hybrid vehicle powertrains. Then 9/11 hit, and I joined the Army. I joined to go to Iraq/Afghanistan and eventually retire, but they instead sent me to Korea where I tore up my knee beyond repair, so they booted me out. Again.