Alignment knocked out on an easy trail, what could be bent?

If you suspect spindle damage, that will usually show up in insignificant differences of cross-SAI/included angles.

 

This is very helpful, thank you, really.

 

Yeah, That's the thing, this happened when I was going easy on it. It happened once a week previously when I probably deserved it, but this time was literally a gravel access road, going about 30. Nothing that should have caused this. The truck still tracks straight, it only seems like the steering wheel is off.

Spent some time under it today, everything measured symmetric. The only thing left that I could suspect is the spline that connects the steering shaft to the rack and pinion, looking at the design, if it wasn't torqued properly it *could* slip. I'll be getting an alignment readout and then checking that.

 

An alignment is a good place to start. With any luck it was just vibrations from the trail. IDK how likely that is, but I'm sure it is possible.

 

Oh yeah this was more a random post about me being annoyed none of the other mechnically inclined guys I offroad with understand why I go slower than everyone else. I just know too much can go wrong than to start beating this thing around. Though, this does sound pretty damn random, lots of vibes at 30 MPH on gravel though if you weren't aired down too much.

 

Oh it was vibey, but it's never been an issue before, I don't get why people on this forum seem to be so anti education. Like is the general consensus that alignments are magic and that you simply lose alignment sometime but not because anything is wrong? Like jeeze, trying to figure out the weak point here because I've never had a problem when I actually DO beat the bajeezus out of it, so it was strange pulling off a relatively leisurely gravel road and having a crooked steering wheel.

 

i'm just talking out of my ass here, but it seems logical in my head...

I would imagine when you do beat the crap out of it, you're doing more big bumps that actually have enough force to compress the suspension thus soaking it up and not actually transmitting that through other components but when you're on something like a gravel road or even very fine washboard type roads the bumps are so small and light the suspension does little to absorb it thus transferring that little bit of energy through more components, but now over and over thousands of times as you ride down this thing and it eventually starts loosening stuff?

Again, talking out of my ass but I feel like I could make an argument for it lol

 

Have you taken a big hit before? Stock LCA mounts are a weak point and could easily throw off the alignment if it’s been bent before.
Check intermediate steering shaft and the joint as well.

 

That definitely makes sense to me, could be. None of the alignment tabs had moved nor had the tie rods loosened.

Yeah, I've taken a few hard hits in the past, what are you referring to when you say the stock LCA mounts? All four alignment tabs are marked and have not moved, if that's what you're referring to.

 

The stock lca mounts (behind the alignment tabs) are thin sheet metal and will bend from a hit. I know, I just had to have mine beefed up.

Check em

 

the mounts where the LCAs and cams mount on are easily bent from hard wheeling. Mine were bent and I was able to get it lined up again, but the integrity of the metal was compromised. I would be able to get an alignment perfect every time but as soon as I hit a curb or rock with some force it would go out again.

so I decided to beef it up with the JD fab LCA pivot kit.

 

OH! This is the type of insight I needed. I'll take a close look at mine, I would definitely believe they're fatigued

 

There are a few companies that make gussets for them. Total chaos, Marlin Crawler to name a couple.

I have the MC.

 

YES I agree with you on that. I didn't want to say that because most people do not know that, including alignment tech's.