alignment ques. Should it be routine
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alignment ques. Should it be routine
So, I've had my '03 4Runner 4WD for almost 20 months w/ 32k miles. I've done the oil changes and irregularly rotated and balanced the tires.
Should I have the wheels aligned ? I feel no physical reason to do it (the truck tracks straight) I get a little shimmy every now and then on the interstate... Should a wheel alignment be a routine task ?
Should I have the wheels aligned ? I feel no physical reason to do it (the truck tracks straight) I get a little shimmy every now and then on the interstate... Should a wheel alignment be a routine task ?
#2
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Originally Posted by JGage
So, I've had my '03 4Runner 4WD for almost 20 months w/ 32k miles. I've done the oil changes and irregularly rotated and balanced the tires.
Should I have the wheels aligned ? I feel no physical reason to do it (the truck tracks straight) I get a little shimmy every now and then on the interstate... Should a wheel alignment be a routine task ?
Should I have the wheels aligned ? I feel no physical reason to do it (the truck tracks straight) I get a little shimmy every now and then on the interstate... Should a wheel alignment be a routine task ?
The toe is the biggest one for tire wear and pulling and camber seems to effect the handling the most. I don't know what caster does, I don't think caster even has an adjustment on our trucks but they always print it out.
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Increasing caster will increase the front wheels' tendency to self-center. Picture a bicycle front fork - notice the angle of the forks - it they were straight up and down the bike would be very hard to steer straight. Increasing caster increases the tire rolling up on it's shoulders when not straight ahead - this is precisely where the self-centering in yoiur steering comes from - the weight of the car keeps the tires pointing straight ahead since they have to lift the weight of the car to roll up onto their sidewall. Too much will increase tire wear and accentuate tire balance issues. Too little and steering is exhausting as it just will not track straight. Caster is adjusted on IFS by moving one upper or one lower (or a combination) pivot point. I.e. rotating the upper forward cam outward would increase caster. Or, rotating the lower rearward cam outward would also increase caster. On a solid axle rig you really can't adjust caster without moving the spring perches. It's the least critical alignment parameter though, so not much of an issue with solid axles as long as its in the ball park. Toe and camber specs are pretty critical, and need to be very close to spec. (I'd say plus/minus 1/4" on camber and 1/16" on toe.)
#4
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Originally Posted by Flamedx4
Increasing caster will increase the front wheels' tendency to self-center. Picture a bicycle front fork - notice the angle of the forks - it they were straight up and down the bike would be very hard to steer straight. Increasing caster increases the tire rolling up on it's shoulders when not straight ahead - this is precisely where the self-centering in yoiur steering comes from - the weight of the car keeps the tires pointing straight ahead since they have to lift the weight of the car to roll up onto their sidewall. Too much will increase tire wear and accentuate tire balance issues. Too little and steering is exhausting as it just will not track straight. Caster is adjusted on IFS by moving one upper or one lower (or a combination) pivot point. I.e. rotating the upper forward cam outward would increase caster. Or, rotating the lower rearward cam outward would also increase caster. On a solid axle rig you really can't adjust caster without moving the spring perches. It's the least critical alignment parameter though, so not much of an issue with solid axles as long as its in the ball park. Toe and camber specs are pretty critical, and need to be very close to spec. (I'd say plus/minus 1/4" on camber and 1/16" on toe.)
Last edited by mt_goat; 08-04-2004 at 01:02 PM.
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This is a good basic primer: http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm
Has to be some way to align it...
On my 90, the upper suspension arm has two bushings, and the lower arm has two bushings, at the pivots. These all have adjustment cams. (Maybe I better say: Both lower ones and the front upper one do for sure, I was just looking at them last night thinking about how tough it might be to take the arms off and put in poly bushings...) You 93 should be identical.
Has to be some way to align it...
On my 90, the upper suspension arm has two bushings, and the lower arm has two bushings, at the pivots. These all have adjustment cams. (Maybe I better say: Both lower ones and the front upper one do for sure, I was just looking at them last night thinking about how tough it might be to take the arms off and put in poly bushings...) You 93 should be identical.
Last edited by Flamedx4; 08-04-2004 at 01:09 PM.
#6
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Originally Posted by Flamedx4
This is a good basic primer: http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm
Has to be some way to align it...
On my 90, the upper suspension arm has two bushings, and the lower arm has two bushings, at the pivots. These all have adjustment cams. (Maybe I better say: Both lower ones and the front upper one do for sure, I was just looking at them last night thinking about how tough it might be to take the arms off and put in poly bushings...) You 93 should be identical.
Has to be some way to align it...
On my 90, the upper suspension arm has two bushings, and the lower arm has two bushings, at the pivots. These all have adjustment cams. (Maybe I better say: Both lower ones and the front upper one do for sure, I was just looking at them last night thinking about how tough it might be to take the arms off and put in poly bushings...) You 93 should be identical.
Last edited by mt_goat; 08-04-2004 at 01:31 PM.
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Amazing they didn't include that. With my lift there would have been no way to get the Camber right if both the top and bottom couldn't have been adjusted to do it. It was Waay out! Plus the bushings are pretty shot - all squished to one side - and that probably doesn't help one bit...
#9
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Originally Posted by Flamedx4
Amazing they didn't include that. With my lift there would have been no way to get the Camber right if both the top and bottom couldn't have been adjusted to do it. It was Waay out! Plus the bushings are pretty shot - all squished to one side - and that probably doesn't help one bit...
#10
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Originally Posted by JGage
Should a wheel alignment be a routine task ?
Last edited by mt_goat; 08-04-2004 at 04:46 PM.
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If you drive a domestic, I'd say about every 30k miles. But my Toyotas don't seem to go out of alignment anywhere NEAR as much as the domestics I've owned. I've been using this as a rule of thumb:
Align when you put new tires on or if you begin to see or feel signs that your alignment is out, whichever comes first. It's worked for me for over 750,000 cumulative Toyota miles. I often would go 60k on a set of tires without any unusual wear.
Align when you put new tires on or if you begin to see or feel signs that your alignment is out, whichever comes first. It's worked for me for over 750,000 cumulative Toyota miles. I often would go 60k on a set of tires without any unusual wear.
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Heck my tires look as new as they did when I picked up the truck... It's so nice, I was changing two tires a year on my 300Z and I did all the proper align and bal stuff.
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My Toyota dealer performed a 'free' four wheel alignment check for me as part of the 15K and 30K service. Even gave me a purty color printout with graphs, lines and x, y points.
#15
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Originally Posted by Sac State
JGAGE: what is up with your avatar? Is that a Hamas or Qaeda figure of some kind?
#16
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I always take advantage of the free first wheel alignment and tire balance offered by Toyota (described in the Warranty Guide).
I'm back to the dealership within the first week of delivery with the following description that never fails to produce the alignment: "Steering wanders at a continuous high speed on a flat, level, dry road." That's what they need to hear from you to authorize the warranty adjustment. They'll also be too lazy to take your truck out on the freeway at high speed to try and reproduce the complaint.
This is also the time to request any custom alignment settings. My dealer will comply, but if my request is out of factory spec (as happens with my sporty cars and custom camber and toe specs), they'll have me sign a waiver before starting repair.
When I check the alignment sheets pre and post, it usually shows that those corners of the vehicle that were lashed down to the ship/train/truck (tow hook equipped) are those that required adjusting. And, the rig will often track better and become easier to drive at high speeds.
After that, if I keep them long enough, I'll get an alignment either every Spring or whenever the tires or any suspension components are changed.
I'm back to the dealership within the first week of delivery with the following description that never fails to produce the alignment: "Steering wanders at a continuous high speed on a flat, level, dry road." That's what they need to hear from you to authorize the warranty adjustment. They'll also be too lazy to take your truck out on the freeway at high speed to try and reproduce the complaint.
This is also the time to request any custom alignment settings. My dealer will comply, but if my request is out of factory spec (as happens with my sporty cars and custom camber and toe specs), they'll have me sign a waiver before starting repair.
When I check the alignment sheets pre and post, it usually shows that those corners of the vehicle that were lashed down to the ship/train/truck (tow hook equipped) are those that required adjusting. And, the rig will often track better and become easier to drive at high speeds.
After that, if I keep them long enough, I'll get an alignment either every Spring or whenever the tires or any suspension components are changed.
Last edited by BT17R; 08-05-2004 at 08:12 AM.
#17
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Originally Posted by BT17R
I always take advantage of the free first wheel alignment and tire balance offered by Toyota (described in the Warranty Guide).
I'm back to the dealership within the first week of delivery with the following description that never fails to produce the alignment: "Steering wanders at a continuous high speed on a flat, level, dry road." That's what they need to hear from you to authorize the warranty adjustment. They'll also be too lazy to take your truck out on the freeway at high speed to try and reproduce the complaint.
This is also the time to request any custom alignment settings. My dealer will comply, but if my request is out of factory spec (as happens with my sporty cars and custom camber and toe specs), they'll have me sign a waiver before starting repair.
When I check the alignment sheets pre and post, it usually shows that those corners of the vehicle that were lashed down to the ship/train/truck (tow hook equipped) are those that required adjusting. And, the rig will often track better and become easier to drive at high speeds.
After that, if I keep them long enough, I'll get an alignment either every Spring or whenever the tires or any suspension components are changed.
I'm back to the dealership within the first week of delivery with the following description that never fails to produce the alignment: "Steering wanders at a continuous high speed on a flat, level, dry road." That's what they need to hear from you to authorize the warranty adjustment. They'll also be too lazy to take your truck out on the freeway at high speed to try and reproduce the complaint.
This is also the time to request any custom alignment settings. My dealer will comply, but if my request is out of factory spec (as happens with my sporty cars and custom camber and toe specs), they'll have me sign a waiver before starting repair.
When I check the alignment sheets pre and post, it usually shows that those corners of the vehicle that were lashed down to the ship/train/truck (tow hook equipped) are those that required adjusting. And, the rig will often track better and become easier to drive at high speeds.
After that, if I keep them long enough, I'll get an alignment either every Spring or whenever the tires or any suspension components are changed.
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Originally Posted by mt_goat
Yeah really, no wonder they won't do a free alignment check for you with that scary Qaeda hood on. Try dancing around like Sac State and maybe then they will do a free check for you.
#19
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Originally Posted by mt_goat
...what are your custom alignment settings for your truck? What is the best camber and toe (for an IFS) for handling at highway speeds and optimum tire longevity?
As for other cars, too many variables to list so it comes down to "it depends."
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