Driver Side Tire Sticks out Further

So not to long ago I was involved in an accident. I was sitting at a stop sign and a vehicle was tboned and thrown into my truck. The passenger side of the front bumper and fender took all the damage. My vehicle was repaired and I thought all was good. Well two months later I noticed I have uneven tire wear on my passenger front tire, which is more than likely an alignment issue. Also I noticed my driver side front tire sticks out about .5 an inch further than my passenger front tire. What could cause the discrepancy in the tires? Is this a serious issue that needs to be addressed? I plan on bringing my truck back into the body shop tomorrow to address the alignment issue that went unnoticed.

 

Hi FigNewton, so im very curious if you ever figured this out because i actually have the exact same issue. I bought my 07 Tacoma Sport Crew Cab 4x4 not too long ago and didnt even notice it when i bought it. Come to find out the truck was in a fender bender on the EXACT same side as yours and i can tell by the looks of a replacement fender that was put on and repainted as its not a perfect match. I was told when i purchased the truck from the dealer that it had been in a minor fender bender which was noted on the carfax but i wasn't really concerned due to it having a clean title and it drove fantastic. I didnt notice that my drivers side front tire sticks out about 1"-1-1/2" wider then the passenger side til weeks after i purchased it. Im hoping you have found the cause for this and can shed some light at what its gonna take to correct the problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated Fig! Thanks, Devo.

 

Have the alignment checked and if need be a frame shop can check for frame damage.

 

Your frames bent or not square.

 

I thought the frame was supposed to be rectangular.

/joking

 

Thanks for responses guys! Im going to schedule it today for a 4 wheel alignment. Unfortunately i live in a very small town and i dont believe we have any shops here who has the ability to check if the frame is bent. Im checking on that now but so far no luck. I will post a few pics just to show what im talking about. Thanks again guys, i will follow up with the findings.

 

^^ Hard to tell exactly but it looks like you may have some healthy negative camber going on.

If its not too late, have the alignment place run and print the diagnostic angles SAI (steering axis inclination) and the Included Angle and post back so we can see if something is bent.

 

Did you remove your skid plate?

 

Hi TegoTaco, i did not remove the skid plate. Its the way it came when i purchased it, i guess i was a little naive thinking whoever put the leveling kit on had removed the skid plate, in my mind i was thinking the stock skid may have not fit anymore due to it being lifted by the leveling kit. I do now know that was incorrect. Thanks everyone for the replies, i ended up taking this to a mechanic shop and i was told by the owner of the shop that he was 99% sure the frame is bent. He showed me where someone has tried to latch on to the frame in the front with a chain or whatnot to try to bend it back. I cant believe i missed this when i purchased it. I do believe one thing, there is no way the dealership mechanic did not notice this so im almost 100% sure the salesmen knew what he was selling me. I have contacted the dealership and asked them how to handle this and that i was really wanting to return the truck since i only bought it 8 days ago. So far its looking like im gonna get screwed and im not sure what to do. I paid 23,000 for the truck out the door which i financed the majority of it so if the the dealership isn't willing to correct the problem i may call the credit union in which i got financed through and who the dealership uses as their primary lender and let them know what is going on. Im not sure if they will give a rats ass but at least they will know they are financing a vehicle that is worth far less because of the frame being bent. I may also look into the Lemon Law here in Arizona which i know is 15 days or 500 miles i believe on used vehicles. I dont know much about it but that may be my coarse i have to take. Im just really sick to my stomach over the whole mess. Thanks again everybody for all your input, its been greatly appreciated.

 

23k for an 07??! ouch Good luck with frame issue.

 

Isn’t it 30 days, buyers remorse and you can return it.

 

Yeah Jmaack, thanks for the good luck pal, i know the 23,000 is high for this vehicle but what drew me in is that it only has 80,000 miles on it. Its flawless on the inside with the interior, seats, and carpets looking brand new. Brand new tires was also a great selling point. Obviously not much of this matters with a bent frame now and worth much less i know. The truck was actually 20,500 and with all the high state taxes and high registration fees here in AZ thats what it almost came out to.

 

You know Tego, im not sure on that. I have never heard of that but that isnt saying much. That is something im most definitely going to look into!

 

The frame may be pushed causing the upper control arm to camber the wheel in

 

You are 100% right Scottalot, makes total sense on the tires.

 

Bebop, i believe you also are 100% correct, i believe the impact came at a forward angle.

 

oh only 80k i just assumed high mileage due to age. yeah that isnt bad then.