Alignment issue perhaps??

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I do have a 3rd gen

I have a slight pull to the right and when I had my alignment checked today at a Les Schwab, the tech said it was in spec. Yet, when I center the steering wheel as best I can, it noticeable pulls to the right.

My sister even said she noticed it.

The tech said they could adjust the camber, but other then that, it should be fine and not cause any excess tire wear.

Should I have a second opinion?
Does this sound right or normal?

My tires are 265/75R16 Bridgestone Revo 3
I have a very mild Bilstein lift
Stock upper control arms.

Here is the spec sheet from the original alignment done Nov 21. The tech said the final numbers are exactly the same when checked a few days ago

 

Next step is always a tire rotation. Side to side and front to back.

If the pull reverses, its tire pull.

 

The "Spec" is so broad that even "In Spec" it can still drive like crap. (as you just found out)
No two vehicles and drivers are the same.

Lot of times dealers will do a "toe and go" alignment.

First do the tire rotation mentioned above,
check tire pressures also.

Always eliminate the easiest fix.
Especially when you can do it yourself.

Without a printout showing Caster, Camber and toe.
It's hard for us to give you the exact thing to adjust.

Ideally for your Tacoma, an alignment shop should,
In this order,

First adjust the Caster as much Positive as possible, 1.5 deg plus positive is achievable on stock control arms and a small lift.
Because the roads have a crown on them, it you want to reduce how the crown affects the truck running true,
specify that the Passenger side must be more positive by .1-.5 deg than the driver.

Then Adjust Camber, in my case I was at 1.7" front lift , and I wanted 0.0 deg as the camber both sides. (you'll lose some caster when they adjust camber)

Then they adjust Toe. you want an equal toe both sides, and toed in (Positive) in the 0.2 to 0.5 range

Most dealers will just do step 3 and get greens on the screen and call it complete. (toe and go)
Not even take it for a test drive.

If they don't do it in that order, no chance of you getting the best alignment possible.

Next time have whomever does the alignment give you a printout .
It will show you the before and after numbers.

Then it is "In Spec" when it drives straight with the steering wheel centred, and does not wear the crap out of the tires.

For me my happy numbers were achieved by giving the tech the instructions.

"Im OCD so the steering wheel needs to be straight,
I want you to adjust the Caster first to max it out positive, then back the driver side back .1 to .5 deg from what the passenger is.
Then I want the camber to be equal at 0.0 deg.
Then the toe to be equal at +.2 both sides.
please check the .1 to .5 caster spec again at the end
please give me a printout when you are done and we'll take it on a road test"

 

As mentioned rotate front tires left to right, if pull is now the opposite then one of the tire needs to be replaced . Happened to my duratrac years ago .

 

I'd check the air pressure before messing with the rotation.

 

I forgot to mention the tires are brand new.

I will post the alignment sheet when I get off work. I had it checked 6 months ago and the same tech worked on it then. He claims it's the exact same from where he left it 6 months ago.

 

Brand new tires can come with broken belts.

Brand new tires are often over inflated.

So dont ignore the suggestions above just because. Sure, the odds are low, but the cost to check is free too.

 

I have 35 psi in the tires. I will switch the front two across the axels and see.

Toyota recommendeds 29 psi in the tires per the placard on the door jam. Is that the best psi?

I'm also going to have a second opinion at a local garage. See what they say

 

You mentioned it pulls when the steering wheel is centered. What about when it is not centered? Another words does it pull only when you center the steering wheel? If that is the case when they aligned your truck they should have done it paying attention to your steering wheel position. A good shop should easily be able to center your steering wheel properly. Usually when they adjust toe they just work under the car and forget all those adjustments can move the steering wheel. You can usually adjust the steering yourself without screwing up the alignment. A turn out on the tie rod on one side and a turn in on the other side each time to keep them equal.

 

What exact tire do you have?

 

The steering wheel should not move if it is properly locked down and leveled with a steering wheel holder. Also, the tech should use a brake pedal depressor to lock the wheel to the turnplate so there's no forward or backwards on the turnplate.

If the tie rods are not close to equal by counting the exposed threads (and assuming nothing is bent) you can do what you said but you should not go back and forth between the 2 tie rods when adjusting toe. Get your readings, adjust one side to where it needs to be while making sure the other side stays exactly where it was with your readings. If it does move you can bump the front or rear of the tire to get it back. Lock down the tie rod your working on and repeat on the other side. You will have a perfectly aligned steering wheel every time.

 

One other possibility is an out-of-round tire from the factory. No balancing or alignment will ever make an out-of-round tire feel nice going down the road.

 

Bridgestone Revo 3

 

"Slight" pull to the right, could it be the pitch of the road? Mine has it also but I never bothered with it . I do not have 20,000 mile on it yet.
Rather have a right side pull than a left side pull IMO.

 

Could be a radial push or pull, I would take it back to the shop and have them do the rotation/alignment check.

 

I had an alignment done during toyota care after the dealer claimed the toe was off.....they think it was a factory error. Told him i didn't notice any pulling, but said the passenger front tire had a bit more wear on the outer edge. Supposedly they set the toe to spec.

 

Here is the spec sheet. The tech said the final numbers are unchanged:

 

The rear toe is a bit whacky. It looks like you might have a bit of a drift from rear axle, but not a lot.

Personally I don't believe in shifting the rear axle, but if the pull is strong enough you may need to loosen the ubolts and shift the axle.

 

I wonder if I messed it up when I did my lift? Hum...
If I am reading it right, I would need to shift it to the right slightly?

 

I assume you have a Sport?
Door placard is only good for a P265/65/17/110.

Adjusted recommended psi is:
26 psi for a P265/75/16/114
or
37 psi for a LT265/75/16