Alignment gone wrong with pics

[Lorenz]

After installing my control arms, I still needed a little fine tuning to pull my front axle back a hair. The 37" Toyo was rubbing the front bumper when turning just right.

I took it to my local alignment shop, told them exactly what I wanted, and watched over the guys shoulder the whole time.

"4* of caster, add a couple tenths to one side to account for the road crown, and I'd like to see the passenger side pulled back a hair using the control arms. I need to center the tire better in the wheel well so it doesn't rub" Simple right?

He was noticeably frustrated after the job. I'm sure he felt I was telling him how to do his job when I thought he was cranking on the adjustable arms more than I felt would be necessary to pull it back 1/8" - 1/16".

After it was all said and done, there were two techs on the job, visibly frustrated at each other, reading the computer screen along the way. I had lost count of how many turns the 1st guy cranked into the arms, and I was basically relaying on the computer and laser at this point just like the techs were.

They got the specs to read all "green" after a while and called it good.

I drove off, the truck pulled right under braking and drifted a little too. Oh well, were off on our month long road trip and I don't have time to deal with it until we get back.

The pictures show the results of an axle that is <. 75" out of square, and compensated for by adjusting the steering linkage.

I can't say enough for taking your truck to a shop that knows what they're doing, even if you're there to guide them along the way.

I gave the first shop a second shot when I came back from our trip, and I could feel it still wasn't right.

Here's the front passenger side wear compared to the driver side. Oops.

 

[AH64ID]

I bet you took a huge hit on fuel economy from that too.

 

[Lorenz]

No kidding, I didn't consider my MPG loss.

 

[ENafziger]

Wow! Did they offer any reimbursement for the obviously premature tire wear do to their (mis)alignment job?

By the way, I recently had my truck aligned, after getting 12mpg on a tank. The toe was way off... this tank has come back to 16!

--Eric

 

[Bob4x4]

Did you pay them for the time spent or just
A standard alignment?

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

All I have to say is WOW!!! Glad that those aren't my tires!!!

 

[Lorenz]

I don't feel right going back to them for tire damage/wear. I was the knuckle head who drove the truck knowing things weren't right.

I paid for a standard alignment the first time. They took it back in for free the second time. The 3rd time they said my warrantee was voided last time because I wanted something very specific. I wanted "The passenger side pulled back to center it better in the wheel well. "

I would've been better off going in the second time myself instead of sending Suzy in with specific directions. I could've taken a peak at the read out in real time, if I was there, and dictated the work be done more specifically. (and really agrivated the tech by telling him how to do his job. )

 

[Bob4x4]

When they agreed to do custom work for
A standard price it should have been your
Clue.
There is very little to adjust on our trucks
From the factory as opposed to what you
Requested.
Their mistake was agreeing to do or attempting
To do custom work with out the required
Experience.
I think that also point out to the reason
Most premium suspension companies have fixed
Length control arms

 

[Lorenz]

Agree'd, if you want more adjustment, make sure your tech knows how to do his job.

 

[JMarketos]

my 0. 02 (get your rotten tomatoes ready... )
Yes, shame on them for doing shoddy work and letting it out the door wrong.
But also... Not a good idea to leave for a month-long trip when the driver seemed to know the truck wasn't right...
Understand "didn't have time to deal with it", but then that gives the shop a good reason to deny obligation to pay for unevenly worn tires, etc.

 

[Bob4x4]

my 0. 02 (get your rotten tomatoes ready... )

Yes, shame on them for doing shoddy work and letting it out the door wrong.

But also... Not a good idea to leave for a month-long trip when the driver seemed to know the truck wasn't right...

Understand "didn't have time to deal with it", but then that gives the shop a good reason to deny obligation to pay for unevenly worn tires, etc.

I would not go so far as calling it shoddy work

They did what they were directed to do by

Sean

Now the fact is generally known that 37 Toyota mt's

Have a rt pull so... ... ... ... .

The only spec that is adjustable that can cause

Tire wear is toe in. Iregular tire wear is caused by

Worn parts or lack of rotation

 

[ENafziger]

The only spec that is adjustable that can cause
Tire wear is toe in. Iregular tire wear is caused by
Worn parts or lack of rotation<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

That's normally true... however, with Sean running adjustable control arms, it's very possible that the axle was not "square" with the truck, and was crab-walking down the road.

--Eric

 

[Bob4x4]

True... ... but at Seans direction

 

[JJPage]

Now the fact is generally known that 37 Toyota mt's

Have a rt pull

So do the 35's

 

[chipster]

That's normally true... however, with Sean running adjustable control arms, it's very possible that the axle was not "square" with the truck, and was crab-walking down the road.



--Eric

the only thing that causes "crab-walking" is the rear axel not being 90 degrees to the vehicle center line. if the rear axel is perpendicular to the center line, the vehicle will go straight down the high way, and the front wheels will too, even if one is set back like the truck in this thread. the two alignment angles that can cause the tire wear in the picture is toe-in or excessive positive camber. toe-in will show really quickly. just a few hundred miles if it is a lot out of spec. camber will take many thousands of miles to show if the toe is correct. if the toe and positive camber are way off spec on the same wheel the wear will be like in the picture in just a few hundred miles. the feathered edge on the worn tire point to the center of the truck, meaning excessive toe-in.

 

[Regcabguy]

So do the 35's

So do the 285's. Until I got these MT's,I could never use a pressurized ss. Even 80# would induce a left pull.

 

[Lorenz]

So do the 35's

I don't believe 37's (or 35's) will cause pull. As it sits now, NTG and Joe got my truck tracking straight and I'm still running 37s. I'll burn them down to the wear bars before I off them for my 19. 5 Rickson Singles.



If you have a defective tire, a worn part, a bad alignment, or a nitrogen charged shock as a Steering Stabilizer, you'll get pull to varying degrees.

 

[TCDiesel]

The shop should have said NO... You owners bring these lifted BFTs in and want prefection(s)... hell those tires are not even recommend for hwy use. If I see one of those on our rack, someone Gets to collect unemployment.

 

[JMarketos]

I would not go so far as calling it shoddy work
They did what they were directed to do by Sean

... Acknowledged

 

[Lorenz]

... Acknowledged

Well, not exactly.



If the fist tech would have done it as I had asked the first time, there wouldn't be a problem.



NTG Racing got it done 1st time, I didn't feel the need to stand over his shoulder, AND it's "Perfect".