Alignment issues, will arms correct my issue?

Did they say the frame was bent and would it cause alignment issues?

Did the alignment tech do a decent job, or tell you they couldn't get it any better? Did you take it to another place and get the same answer? They are prone to doing shit jobs.

 

The frame was straight, just body panel damage. Airbags didn't even pop off.

Yes. The first shop I took it to was recommended by a 4x4 shop locally. They got what you see above, $110. "Best in town" by all the Facebook pages. Then I took it 3 hours to the shop I normally dealt with back in the day. He looked it over and said they did everything they could because the right side front cam is already pulled all the way in. Said I needed new aftermarket upper arms to help alignment. Didn't charge me anything, but I did bring him some deer sausage.

 

Apparently this is the way it is done at the Toyota factory. The cams are placed middle(ish) tightened and no further refining is made. This is why ToyMoCo's specs are so very broad one way or another but still in the "green".
The exception is toe, since toe is the most critical setting affecting tire wear. They have two elaborate mega-expensive machines to set toe. One is in operation while the other is under maintenance.
Heck, both my brand new Tacos had steering wheel off center and drove funky. But toe was good.

 

That's awesome! But if everyone is doing their job correctly and their assessments are accurate you've got something bent. The LCA brackets are flimsy, the LCA cam tabs are flimsy and are known to flatten over, could be a spindle is bent(I've done that...), etc. I definitely wouldn't throw aftermarket UCA's on to bring it back straight and still have something else wrong.

 

@UncleRick what lift do you have? When was it installed? When did you start getting bad alignment numbers?

 

The fact that 2 alignment guys said that’s the best they can do proves they’re both freakin idiots. Like I mentioned, moving that rear cam would improve things a lot. The alignment is not horrible the way it is, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

 

Update: went to a recommended shop by tacoma world users. They slid underneath it in the parking lot, looked at it, went to the shop, came back with a $1500 quote for SPC arms and rotate and balance and an alignment.

 

For just the upper control arms???

 

For SPC arms, installed, rotation and balance, and an alignment.

I told them I could buy the arms and install them myself and then he couldn't guarantee my alignment would get any better.

I'm to the point of giving up and living with my funky looking tire angles.

Talked to another recommended tacoma world shop, they wanted 175 to align it, but again, he also recommended the SPC arms without even looking at the truck. A little cheaper than the first quote but not by much.

 

Dang, $1,500? Where are you located? There has to be some TacomaWorld help near you to do it in your driveway on a Saturday for beer.

 

I can put the arms on in my driveway. I have the space and tools for it. Heck I have a FJ40 that I restored from the ground up (and modified). So wrenching isn't a big deal. Time is the bigger issue.

 

Are you telling them about the SPC Arms? And they're just agreeing with you? Strange 2 shops would outright suggest the same arms with how flooded the market is with UCA's

 

The first said that he have used and installed JBA, Icon, Cambrige, and SPC. But recommended the SPC since they are an enclosed ball joint and highly adjustable, he seemed very knowledgeable about Tacomas. The secound recommended them by name after I mentioned that others have said I needed them. But again, he said we could "give it a shot with stock arms, but would still cost $175".

Alignment shops in my area suck . Went thru the same mess with my FJ40. If its "green" then send it out.

 

I bought those "used" JBA arms. Threw them on yesterday and got it aligned. Told them I wanted 3/0/0 and I was firm on the 0/0. Guy said no problem. 15 mins and it was done.

My numbers are 2.9/0/0 so I'm happy.

The guy did say he could get my Camber zero with the stock arms looking at my cams, but I would of been pretty close to 1.25 on my caster. He also gave me a 90 day warranty on the alignment. Only cost me $90 for the alignment. Hole in the wall shop, but a local TW member said he knows what's going on with lifted IFS