Alignment, how frequently? I think I have a toe problem!

Hey, everybody, every 6-8 months my truck begins pulling to the right and I have to have the toe adjusted. Again! 4 times since buying my 2017 Tacoma, the first time with only 5,000 miles on it and now it has 32,000. I do not, as the dealership is rather accusing about, hit potholes, hit curbs, do a lot of towing, or bomb down rough roads. I infrequently, and for only a couple hundred miles round trip, pull a camp trailer well within weight limits and I have weight distribution bars. As well, the truck has the Toyota tow features/package. The dealership has checked everything and they don't have an explanation for why I have to pay $90 every 6 months because it's pulling to the right. I feel I bought a truck touted as super durable and tough as nails but it actually seems so delicate it can't make it to the Safeway for groceries without getting thrown out of alignment. Seriously. That's what I do with my Tacoma. I drive to Safeway.

Your thoughts?

 

Have you noticed anything change when you rotate tires? I had a bad tire that was causing me to pull a certain way.

 

I have done everything that you say that you haven't except for pulling a TT and do not have this issue. Hell, I whacked a curb at full lock and thought for certain that I'd need an alignment. Nothing. If it wasn't for the camber of the road, I could drive hands off.

Just over 36k here.


Hopefully your dealer can sort out the actual root cause.

 

I don't have a solution but Firestone service centers do offer a lifetime alignment for $120ish. Hope you find a solution sounds frustrating....

 

Toe won't cause a pull. A pull would be camber or (less likely) caster. Toe does cause tire wear (usually feathering).

What do your before and after measurements look like from your last alignment?

 

That's a good point about the road crown. Often that will make it seem a vehicle is pulling to the right.

 

I've had one done at about the 2 year-ish mark and still seems fine 2 1/2 years later. Truck only has 44K on it... has been at 44K for the past 6 months though

 

Thanks!

 

I had not thought about that, and I am due for some tires soon. Haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary but sure worth a check. They were rotated today so the tech might have some info.

 

I bought a Tacoma with up front money really not wanting to put money in down the road (ha ha) so I feel a bit betrayed with the sales pitch vs the service pitch. Dealer Service recommends once a year, seems excessive given the way I drive. I am like you! I think I should be able to hit a curb and not injure this truck!

 

So true some of the roads here (Oregon) are deeply rutted and if not for two hands on the wheel I would be colliding with cars left and right, literally! Some roads are not for coffee drinking. But it pulls right strongly on my neighborhood road, too, and it doesn't have much of a crown. Hmmm.

 

The roads seem to be getting bad everywhere these days. Not to mention the failing bridges.

Interesting. Something is certainly not correct.

 

Well, a call back from the service manager yielded more information than the implausible pot hole theory. He said the Tacoma is a multi-point and very specific adjustment needing extra careful attention due to a Tacoma's suspension. Although i keep comparing it to our Subaru (never needs alignment) and Ram 1500 (never needs adjustment) and the many Ford's, Chevy's and Dodge's I've driven for work in rough terrain (needing alignment about once a year sometimes less often) he said they don't compare at all because the suspension is entirely different. I was assured it was tweaked perfectly and the alignment this time should last longer. We'll see! I'll keep you posted because while I'm glad for his answer I still think it's quite a large pile of bologne a Tacoma can't make it back and forth to Safeway.

 

You must be on the Covid19 fuel and mileage saver program. I am!

 

I get one just about after every wheeling trip, Firestone has my numbers and I keep a sheet in my truck and hand it over and go, “make it this!” The first few times they were reluctant but now just get it right every-time!

 

Haha! There is nothing too unusual about the Taco IFS. It's a nice short arm / long arm setup with coil over dampers and a real hydraulic rack.

I believe it was said that the rack is mounted in slots to relieve impact strain versus bending a joint. If it moves, it does need realigned, but that's less $$$$ than hard parts and an alignment.

Good luck!

 

Driving in New Orleans, like all drivers here, destroys alignment. My truck pulls decently right, regardless of tire rotation. I'm waiting for when my Goodyear's are ready for changing to get it fixed.

I wouldn't be surprised if many forest roads are in better condition than many NOLA streets.

 

They are taking your money if you go in for a pull and you get a toe and go. Any chance the pull is in your head? Not saying that to insult you, but I have seen my fair share of customers that insist something is wrong and demand a correction and even though nothing is done, they are happy. Hell, I am guilty of that myself. I once swore that my pedal was soft after doing my brakes and replaced nearly every component until I realized that was just the way it was.

Simple rule for pulling with alignments is they will pull to the direction with the lower caster and you usually need at least 1 degree or more to notice. More common to the right than left because of road crown. Try not to confuse pull with drift. Low caster causes drift. Pull is you let go of the wheel and you are headed to the ditch. Drift is if the steering is light and you kind of bounce from side to side. As mention tires can cause pull. This can be easily narrowed down by cross rotating your front tires. Pull goes away or moves the other direction it is the tires.