TACOMA WANDERING

I have a 2012 Tacoma DCSB, (8.3k miles..never offroad) and since I have owned it, it seems like I have to constantly "make a slight correction" to keep it going straight. This is on almost any road/surface. It is most noticeable when I am going fast. Last week, I took it to the dealer to have the alignment checked, and then had it all morning, and told me that the alignment was perfect, and it drove straight.
When I drive the Tacoma and then my 08 RAV4, it drives so much straighter.

Is this just "how" the Tacoma drives, and am I off comparing it to a RAV4? Thanks!

 

Have you owned pick up trucks before? I'm guessing if the alignment is correct this is a driver issue just getting used to how a truck drives.

 

Yes i have owned a ranger and f150. I also owned a couple tjs that i lifted as well. I have thought about trying to drive another tacoma to see.

 

I bought my wife a 08 Camry when it was new. From the day we bought it, it always drifted to the left. Had the alignment checked a few times and it always came back that it was good. Until the day we sold it, it drifted.
Hopefully your's is just out of alignment or the "slight" correction is due to the angle on the road for water to run off it. Does it drift left or right? If right, I would think it is due to the angle of the road.

 

Tires over inflated? That'll do it.

 

Make the tire on the left lower pressure by 4 psi or so than the right if it drifts right or vice versa if it drifts left and see if it helps out. That's what I did on a "perfectly" aligned car we had once that did this. The lower psi tire will have a bit more resistance than the higher pressure one and help correct the drift. Maybe do couple of pounds over what you'd normally have them set at on one side and a couple lower than normal on the opposite side that it drifts toward. It may not totally eliminate it but can take the annoyance out of it. Rotate tires and see if same thing happens would be another idea.

 

Mine seems to wander a little bit too. It a '13 DCSB with 5K miles. I just assumed it was because it is so much lighter than my previous tundras. They both felt a lot more sure footed than the Tacoma on the highway.

 

Wandering may be tire pressure too high or caster too low. Drift with proper tire pressure and good caster settings might just be the nature of the vehicle. Figure out which thing it is then remedy accordingly. Could also be the brand of tires compared to another as well.

 

My 2013 dbl cab doesn't drive as well as I think it should either. In my opinion, it seems to lack positive caster.

 

Could just be the tires. I've owned pickups since I started driving and the Tacoma is the first one that seems to be sensative to the tires that are on it. I ended up selling a set of tires because the truck would not track right at highway speeds with them. I swapped tires, did NOT realign or do anything else and it drove fine so the issue was definitely the tires. I sold the tires to my old man, he put them on his truck and they drove fine on his Chevy.

 

Pugga, I would agree with that.

Whenever I've had a vehicle that didn't drive quite as well as I thought it should, a set of Michelins always seemed to make it drive better. Michelins always seem to be a great driving tire and always seem to get very good mileage out of them but they aren't always the "coolest" looking truck tire on a lifted vehicle.

 

Would the bushings in your control arms cause a "wandering" effect?
My 07 PreRunner wanders pretty bad, I went to get it aligned today and found out the bushings on my left lower control arm were basically shot, and the others weren't looking so good either. 145xxx miles

 

yeah these truck do not like wind, just that simple. these truck are one of the lighter options for trucks, and its suspension geometry doesnt help, lift it a few inches and youre all over the place. went from a 07 civic coupe to this and yeah, big difference, when i drive my f350 work truck, you cant feel the wind because it weighs about 3000 pounds more.... not so much alignment its just how these truck are...

 

It's a truck. A tacoma thing to a certain point. There are lots of variables to this issue. My rig also can wonder From time to time. I'm not going to get into details but go ahead and search. Just the way it is.

Brett

 

Your truck should drive straight. I have an '08 5 lugger that I lifted and put 265/65/17's on and I still track straight. You need to get a good set of tires on a true set of wheels. I had a 4 wheel alignmet with a Hunter "road force" balance and am on my second different set of tires...both wore evenly and didnt pull. btw...maybe you have a problem with suspension or alignment components?

 

I have the same issue with my 13 Tacoma it pulls a lot , wanders but it done it from day one. I change the tires about 3000 miles to toyo open country m/t and it really gives you a wandering route sometimes but when pulling a trailer you notice it more.

 

Old thread, but I'd suggest rotating the tires and see if that helps.

 

Drove a Dodge the other day maybe 40K on it and was thinking how much more my Taco felt like a sports car then a Dodge.

 

I swapped to my Tacoma from a 2000 F150 this past Fall, and I felt like the Taoma steering was a little more loose. Now I'm completely use to it and hug curves. At first, I concentrated a little harder on steering out of nervousness. I think you'll get use to it.

At work, I drive a Crown Vic with a steering column shifter. Once or twice a week, I get in my Tacoma and reach for the shifter on the steering wheel.

 

My truck wonders, 20 thousand miles and off road about 10-15 times a year for 2.5 years.

It's not bad though. If I take my hands off the steering wheel, after a hundred yards or so it'll start to move towards the other lane. If I have my hands on the wheel though (like you're supposed to) I've never noticed it.

Does the same thing with my new tires...

It doesn't bother me though. Overall I'm beyond pleased with how well the Tacoma's drive!

We have a Model A and a Model T Ford. On the T, you control the accelerator where the windshield wipers are on the Tacoma and on the A you control the idle there. On both of them, you control the spark arrest where the turn signals would be on the steering column. After I drive the A or T and get into my truck, I always go to arrest the spark and turn my right turn signal on!