Alignment

I’ll try that before I take it in but I noticed the crooked steering wheel as soon as I hit the pavement after wheeling for 1/2 a day, wasn’t even wheeling really, mostly driving dirt roads some we’re pretty rutted but it’s not like I was slamming into the ruts

 

I've learned that the alignment goes out stupid easy. Often after I go off roading its out. The tabs are weak and bend. It's def a thing for our trucks unless you're all street driving.

 

Mine is a bit to the left on most roads. I've taken it for alignment, but they told me that everything was spot on.

 

the tabs are only utilized during the alignment process. Once the control arm bolt(s) is torqued down the tabs are not in play

 

I have a lifetime alignment and rotate and align every 5k religiously. I don't take my truck off road and it's always out a bit when it's aligned. Tires are expensive. Keeping it aligned helps with tire wear, not just to keep it from pulling or your steering wheel straight. Taking it in if your steering wheel is off is always a good idea if you have the cash or it's under warranty.

 

I’ve probably put less than 100 miles on dirt roads in 2 1/2 years with this truck. My alignment got knocked out with full dashboard xmas tree light array and steering wheel cocked over 2 separate times now just puling over to let someone pass and running over a fairly rough turnout with a few ruts (but nothing major) at about 10 mph… Something that my ‘97 4runner could hit at 3xs that speed and not phase it at all. And another time it got knocked out when my wife hit a pothole on our street that I’ve hit the exact same one with my ‘97 and it didn’t care.

 

After 2.5" lift and new tires the shop purposely has my steering wheel pointed toward 1:00.
D.S. LCA bolt was seized and their reasoning was if they put the steering wheel straight they were afraid the tires would wear funny.
Went from top to bottom (actually 265/75's)

 

Seem like one of the Cam bolts moved upon impact. Dealer should cover this since you only have about 500mi. On the thing. You can tell them you hit a road bump or something. I recommend anyone to mark their tabs right after alignment and retorque every oil change. I know a place locally that does good alignment.

 

Have you guys checked your alignment tabs? I just put in the marlin crawler lca gussets and some of my tabs were bent pretty bad and I don’t even remember taking any big hits lol.

 

I called the dealer today and evidently the warranty covers alignments for 1 yr/12k miles as long as it wasn’t knocked out of alignment by driver error, hitting a curb, accident etc. I told him I drove over a rough patch of road and it went out of alignment, so as long as the tech finds no damage it will be covered