How do you know if you need alignment?

Like the title says, wondering how you know if you need to get an alignment?

Took my truck on some trails for the first time this past weekend and after getting back on pavement, I noticed my steering wheel doesn't line up exactly when going straight. I don't notice it pulling one side or the other and when I take my hands off the wheel it tracks straight.

The wheels look alright from the front, but the steering wheel is definitely a little cockeyed.

Is this a warning to get an alignment or does this happen often and nothing to worry about?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

If your wheel is different than before your trail ride, definitely get it checked, many places will check it for free, you can go from there depending on what they tell you...

How difficult where the trails? Any weird off camber that may have slightly tweaked or settled the frame?

Since you have a 2013, everything should still be tight, but if something was loose...

get it checked...

Just for your information, my 2000 has been checked twice, only thing needed was a slight toe adjustment after 100,000 miles added since I bought it with 141,000 to begin with, I do go of road a dozen times a year to a remote property here in the Virginia hills, it has held up remarkably well...

 

Had my alignment done when i leveled the truck out with Billies, set at 1.75, and everything was set within spec. Trails weren't too difficult, at least my truck handled them just fine. To be honest, I haven't ever really gone off roading so my opinion of a hard trail or not is prob way off.

Noob to this whole off roading thing and didnt think I would need an alignment after these trails...