Alignment issue
 

I had an alignment done to my truck today.

When I test drove it to note the difference, the only difference I noted was that the steering wheel was now straight as opposed to being tilted to the side. However, despite the supposed alignment I got (or was supposed to get), my truck is still pulling except that now it's pulling to the left. Before the alignment, it was pulling to the right whenever I would free-hand it.

It seems pretty obvious that after an alingment, the vehicle should drive straight for a good length of distance without pulling to one side while driving free-handed.

I want to be sure of this before I go back to the shop and scream all over the dude's face.

Even though the truck may be aligned, it may still "pull" to one side. That's becasue most roads aren't flat and level. Usually roads are sloped with the high spot in the middle so that water will not collect in the road. So, the vehicle will usually drift to the right when you allow it to go where it wants. Pulling to the left seems a bit unusual though. If it is very noticeable, it sounds like something may not be quite right. Its hard for me to judge since I haven't driven it. However, if it is pulling immediately to the left when you loose your grip in the steering wheel, it might be a bad alignment.

I would take it back and have them do it again. They shouldn't charge you for their F up.

Road crown can go both ways, and you can also pull to the left if you are on a road in the left lane.

If you want, ask for a print out of your alignment sheet and write up your toe, and camber specs on here and I'll match them to what Alldata states. I remember on my runner, it was quite sensitive to road irregularities

Quite frankly, I have no idea what you're asking for here.

All I can do is ask them for the sheet that contains the toe and camber specs.

The truck does pull to the left just after I left go of the steering. I'm going to be quick and rule out the road surface.

I'm definitely going to take it back.

When on the freeway, I have to keep the steering wheel slighly tilted to the right or else it tries to move to the left a little.

I think I might also have a bad pitman arm. Earlier, as I was on the freeway, I noticed a bad shake coming from the from end. I moved lanes and it went away. :con:

I had a bad idler arm that was causing my yota to wander. Damn dirty steering :bang: I had it replaced and all was well.

Been worried the front frame tweak? Install a Downey lower front cross member. It's worth the 50 USD.

Ya, ask actually for your alignment spec sheet and I was going to go to our alignment machine or alldata and retrieve specs (you have a certain tolerance or range for where toe, camber, and caster are supposed to be). Idler arm is also a possibility for cause, but I think I remember is that it more causes hard steering and steering wander. I don't remember what we did to test out the arm but I think we yanked on the arm some how and measured play. I don't have class tonight, but tomorrow I do, what year is your truck or runner?

Okay but is your truck the same as his?

Flat surface
 

Try driving in a large parking lot or private driveway and see if it still does it, as they are flat and usually not crowned.

:guitar:

A shop had my alignment all screwed up, even after I changed the idler arm.

While my caster numbers were "in spec", they were in fact positive and negative, and it pulled to the right badly.

After 5 visits (and a free motor, long story), they finally messed with the caster settings and got it right.

Free motor? I got to read about this. Do tell, oh please do.

It's a '94 P/U.

I'll try what BRIAN suggested tomorrow, if it still pulls, I will be taking it back.

For whatever it's worth, I went back today to complain and arrangements were made for me to go in tomorrow without delay.

I mention the toe and camber specs and he said that they were zerod in just before he unplugged the truck from the machine.

He will try to adjust the points a little but other than that, he said there is not much he can do.

He also suggested to have the tires re-balanced but they're brand spanking new.

Updates to come tomorrow.

Well, I went back today and it now pulls to the right even though it is aligned.

They tried doing a lot of adjusting but they were never able to get it precisely where it's suppose to be, but they did it get close enough to where I was satisfied just that the pull never went away.

He said the only option left now is to crank up my right torsion bar since it's sitting a little lower on the right as oppossed to the left.

I hope there isn't something bent in the suspesnion components because there is also a slight vibration.

I like talking to myself.

Are you sure want us to interfere then?

If your right torsion is sitting lower then it sounds like all you need to do is get that adjusted and see how it rides then...if everything is fixed then you should be ok. But if they find something wrong when adjusting the bar then you might wanna start worrying...

Fink:devil:

I had that same problem when I got into a wreck with my old Runner. "Tweeker", who I like to call the adjuster, though it was okay to replace one side that was messed up and leave the other side stock...no, it does affect ride as at the same height, one can hold more load, and the other old one from all the twisting it has done in it's lifetime can't hold as much as it used to. I just lived with the problem...that and Corey convinced me at the time that the Runner's steering are super sensistive. Damn Corey...look what you made me go and do, buy a Tundra, damn I hate you :D

when I worked in a machanic's shop, the first thing we did when a car came into the shop and it was pulling, whe switched the front wheels to see if it pulled the other way. If it did you had a bad tire. Alot of vehicle weren't really out of alignment they just had a bad tire. Not to say that your truck wasn't out of alignment, but the tire that was on the right side might have been worn oddly, and is now on the left side, and is trying to pull the other way. Drive it for a while and let the tire get worn a different way and see if the pulling lessens or stops.

ejr

The tires that are on my truck right now and brand spankin' new--two weeks old, 1,000 miles.

The worn tire can be ruled out.

I would much rather pull to the right than to the left, unless I lived in Japan.