Got an alignment and it still pulls both ways??

[tjhaf2007]

I put a lift on my new 2007 Limited 4WD V6, it went in for an alignment today and after getting it back, it still pulls to either side inconsistently, its a little squirrelly, i have to fight it to keep it going stay straight sometimes. it was that way before the lift. i just assumed it need an alignment. the tires on it are 265/60r18 cooper discoverer h/t. they have about 40% tread left. even wear on them, so im not sure if its the tire or not. they checked my front end and everything looked good. My 2003 SR5 V6 was never that squirrelly, what am i missing?

 

[KidVermicious]

They should have given you a printout showing your alignment specs before and after. Post it.

 

[ebg18t]

If you installed a lift and kept the stock UCA's your caster is probably low which results in wandering. As Kid requested, post your alignment specs so we can confirm that your caster is low.

 

[tjhaf2007]

I have total chaos UCA installed.

 

[Sungod]

Your alignment looks good. They could dial in a little more caster, but I doubt that would make much difference. It could be the tires or it could be that you are a little more sensitive in driving from the change in ride height.

 

[nevada]

does it do this on all roads? or just some.
the fact, that its both directions is odd. maybe its just following the grooves in the road?

the alignment sheet looks pretty good. caster might be a touch low, but plenty high for it to track correctly.

rack mount bushings tight?

 

[olsen_karl]

That alignment report shows 3* of caster -- that should be fine.

For the guys saying it could be higher -- isn't the top of the factory range only 4*?

FWIW, my 4R after last alignment was at about 2* of caster, stock control arms. Drives fine, no wandering.

 

[Mike07SE]

It could possibly be your tires. Aged and worn tires can become out of round and sidewall stiffness inconsistencies can cause this. I'd locate a shop that has a Hunter balancer with load roller (like a GSP9700) or similar machine to diagnose this.

 

[tjhaf2007]

Your alignment looks good. They could dial in a little more caster, but I doubt that would make much difference. It could be the tires or it could be that you are a little more sensitive in driving from the change in ride height.

im use to driving at this height though, it sits just about identical to my 03 sr5 i drove all summer. its the same setup that was on my 03 thats now on the 07.

does it do this on all roads? or just some.
the fact, that its both directions is odd. maybe its just following the grooves in the road?

the alignment sheet looks pretty good. caster might be a touch low, but plenty high for it to track correctly.

rack mount bushings tight?

i dont think it has to do with the roads, because it happens anywhere, its just wanders whenever it wants too. its frustrating.

i was thinking about rotating my tires and seeing if that would make a difference.

im use to driving on at tires, and right now it has ht tires on it, not sure if that would make a big difference in the wandering, but i thought id throw that out there.

my 2003 had 265/75r16 on it and the 2007 has 265/60r18, so it has a wider tread and shorter sidewall, while the 2003 had a much taller sidewall and a little narrower tread. sunday im hoping to pick up a set of used 275/65r18 toyo at with about 60% tread left. i just want to make sure to solve the issue before i pick them up.

 

[sonerick]

Just curious, is there any change in handling on your '07 between 2WD and 4HI settings?

You said the tire wear is even and they checked out the front end and everything looks good. Worn ball joints, bushings, etc. could cause wandering, but usually that would be manifested in some uneven tire wear.

Wider tread might change the feel a little bit, but not to the amount you describe.

FWIW, I run over 4* of caster with 3" lift and SPC UCAs on my '05. Handles the same as my sister's stock '06 (maybe even a little bit better). Maybe ask them to dial in the caster more and see if it helps.

 

[tjhaf2007]

i just took it out and compared 2wd to 4hi. i couldn't get it to really wander like it did yesterday in either 2wd or 4hi. but i did notice that the steering has seamed a little stiffer in the 2007 compared to the 2003. i just assumed the 2003 was more worn and thats why the steering wasnt as stiff in 2003. i really suck at describing stuff haha.

im wondering if it could be my intermediate shaft? this car does has more visible rust than the 2003.

 

[ebg18t]

That caster is much better than I expected.

 

[preacher35]

I'm not sure if you or anyone else has mentioned this, but have you thought that maybe your tie rods are shot? I mean, they're at a steeper angle now and any play is going to be that much more noticeable. Just my 2 cents.

 

[gm350reratliff]

How much air do you have in the tires? May want to drop the pressure a bit. I would do a close check on all the bushings and tie rods to make sure there isn't an issue there.

I would also see if they can dial in a little more caster as well.

 

[TechWrench]

How much air do you have in the tires? May want to drop the pressure a bit. I would do a close check on all the bushings and tie rods to make sure there isn't an issue there.

I would also see if they can dial in a little more caster as well.

:iagree:


I found that on my '03, with the original Bridgestone H/T's, I could run at 37 psi and it rode and tracked well. But when I installed a set of Bridgestone Dueler Revo's I had wandering problems at 37, and had to run them at 34 to get a satisfactory ride.