Alignment Issues After Lift

Williev810

Williev810

New member
[I have a 2012 limited with a cornfed 3/2, spidertrax wheel spacers and a 1" differential drop.

I took my truck in for an alignment and they can't get it rite after 3 attempts. the guy is telling me that my rear axle is off and he can't adjust it. I have also told him about caster as well but didn't touch it.

the truck seems almost unsafe. I was going about 75 yesterday and I hit a bump and I thought the truck was going to switch lanes on me. Need some help please have to get this right so sick of messing around and the search bar isn't exactly the easiest thing to navigate here. thanks in advance.

attached are both alignment spec sheets that he gave me after he finished. I don't think he knows what he is talking about.

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the rear is not adjustable. ya, why no front caster angles? those are important. if they are very low, that can make the vehicle very flighty, especially with the newer type of steering. if they caster angles have a large difference left to right, that can cause pulling to one side.
 
Coming from a guy with an alignment rack readily available, those guys are crooks! There is no setting for caster according to your pics. They also changed the "specs" for toe. How did the factory specs change 15 days later?!

Take it somewhere else, suck it up, and pay a real shop to do it. Cut your losses.

Sorry for sounding like an *********, but shops like this really pi$$ me off. Makes the rest of us look bad!
 
loss of positive castor will make your vehicle drive like that. even tho i'm a toyota newb, i'm gathering that aftermarket upper control arms will have the ability to give you more adjustment for you castor to get it closer to stock. i'm sure someone here will correct me if i'm wrong.
 
What a pain. I'm having a similar issue. Under highway speed I cant hold a straight line and when I hit bumps I can definietly feel the front wheels shift a bit. The front tires had some lovely feathering on the inside which only exacerbated the issue. Recently had some routine service done and those tires are now on the back and would like to get the alignment done so the tires wear evenly again. Been meaning to ask if anyone in the Orange County/Costa Mesa area knew of a good shop that has knowledge of lifted vehicles that will be able to fix the problem the first go round. And yes, I have UCA's with the lift.

And sorry if this is a highjacking.
 
Briton said:
Been meaning to ask if anyone in the Orange County/Costa Mesa area knew of a good shop that has knowledge of lifted vehicles that will be able to fix the problem the first go round. And yes, I have UCA's with the lift.
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Purrfect Auto in Tustin (off Edinger, adjacent to Metrolink station). Ask for Jim. He was a Toyota mechanic for more than 15 years and his son builds and races offroad. Jim owns the shop and his was the first to get all settings to exactly where I wanted. I also have lifetime alignment at Firestone in Brea and take it there almost every three months to readjust as necessary.
 
Ducmonsta said:
Coming from a guy with an alignment rack readily available, those guys are crooks! There is no setting for caster according to your pics. They also changed the "specs" for toe. How did the factory specs change 15 days later?!

Take it somewhere else, suck it up, and pay a real shop to do it. Cut your losses.

Sorry for sounding like an *********, but shops like this really pi$$ me off. Makes the rest of us look bad!
Click to expand...

^THIS^

Willie I got your last PM not much more I can add. Take your truck to another shop that will set the caster to where you want it! Ask to speak to the tech before he starts and make sure he will do it the way you want it! Have them set caster first to 4+ or even to 5+ then dial in the camber and toe. Don't get discouraged bro, once it's set up right you're gonna love the new lift!!

Good luck!
 
Ducmonsta said:
Coming from a guy with an alignment rack readily available, those guys are crooks! There is no setting for caster according to your pics. They also changed the "specs" for toe. How did the factory specs change 15 days later?!

Take it somewhere else, suck it up, and pay a real shop to do it. Cut your losses.

Sorry for sounding like an *********, but shops like this really pi$$ me off. Makes the rest of us look bad!
Click to expand...

Not wanting to sound like a sycophant, but give some thought to what Ducmonsta says here. These are the folks that did my lift and alignment and it came out perfect. Full disclosure, I only did 1.75" (and happily so), but experience tells me there is merit in the suggestions here.
 
T Ill
Briton said:
What a pain. I'm having a similar issue. Under highway speed I cant hold a straight line and when I hit bumps I can definietly feel the front wheels shift a bit. The front tires had some lovely feathering on the inside which only exacerbated the issue. Recently had some routine service done and those tires are now on the back and would like to get the alignment done so the tires wear evenly again. Been meaning to ask if anyone in the Orange County/Costa Mesa area knew of a good shop that has knowledge of lifted vehicles that will be able to fix the problem the first go round. And yes, I have UCA's with the lift.

And sorry if this is a highjacking.
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There's a place in HB by beach and warner that fixed my alignment that the first shop screwed up on. Ill look it up for ya if you need it.
 
Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I knew the original guy that did it was full of S**t and just didnt want to look like he didn't know what he was doing. (even though he obviously doesn't)

This is what tipped me off, the guy calls me and tells me that he switched the front wheels and that it helped a ton. Then I get there and he tells me the rear axle is what is really the problem and when I ask him about swaping the wheels he has that dumbfounded look people have when they feel stupid haha.

Took it in to another shop today told them to change the caster and they said they would. Lets see how it comes out!!

If they get this right ill be back at the other shop after work for my refund and a bit*h slap.
 
Qjake said:
How'd you make out today??
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Not so good $90 still pulling. Probably going to tell me I was the stupid one but I manned up and ordered the LR UCA finally so that's next. Should have done it in the first place.

I got +2.4 caster on the stock ucas but pulling to the right just as before. More to come.
 
which way does it pull? does it pull based on the crown of the road? does it pull into low spots in the road? lift and aggressive tires such as the Toyo MT's can contribute to more pulling.

more caster should still help it though. is your caster even now?
 
Stifler said:
I find it hard to believe they cant do better than 2.4
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????????? What do you base this off of?

It's actually hard to believe they could get 2.4 caster with a 3/2 lift. Nobody else could or at least prove it with a printout. I suspect they sacrificed camber to even get the 2.4 caster and the reason for bad alignment.

I would like to see the alignment print-out .
 
harper7 said:
????????? What do you base this off of?

It's actually hard to believe they could get 2.4 caster with a 3/2 lift. Nobody else could or at least prove it with a printout. I suspect they sacrificed camber to even get the 2.4 caster and the reason for bad alignment.

I would like to see the alignment print-out .
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Here is the printout they gave me for the alignment. I now they definitely got more caster because I am rubbing now on the front and I wasn't before.

Also it looks like the passanger side wheel sticks out more on top then bottom but looked like that before this alignment. Not that bad but can see it.

If I get the aftermarket arms I know I will get more caster but will I be rubbing even more in front?
 

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4RBob said:
which way does it pull? does it pull based on the crown of the road? does it pull into low spots in the road? lift and aggressive tires such as the Toyo MT's can contribute to more pulling.

more caster should still help it though. is your caster even now?
Click to expand...

pulling to the right all the time even on the oposite side of the crown somtimes. gets worse with more bumps and letting off the gas.
 
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