Front tires seem to lean outward from the top...?

Recently installed front Bilstein 5100's set at 1.75" and BFG KO2's on my 2015 DBSB. Also had a full alignment done at the local Toyota service center afterwards and the guy said he had no problems getting everything in spec. Ever since installing the 5100's the front tires seem to visually lean outward... Like where the top of the tire is leaning out over the bottom. It's very slight but I can definitely notice it. (Wasn't able to get a clear picture of it with just my iPhone because of the weather today)

What's causing this, and what can I do to fix it? Do I need to worry about it?

 

Do they still lean out with you in the driver's seat?

 

You need aftermarket upper control arms to get the camber into spec as the stock arms don't have enough length/angles.

Just search for Light Racing UCA's and get them. I got mine off Amazon for around $375 and used my Amazon credit card for 3% back on a purchases!

 

Haha not sure, thats hard for me to see and I haven't asked anyone else.

Damn I was afraid of that. How do I make sure new ones are the right length and don't do the opposite and make my tires lean inward? Also, is this just hit or miss on whether people have to get new ones or not when they put on 5100s? All of my research into the 5100s and I never saw anyone mention having to get new UCAs just putting them on 1.75".

 

Sounds like too much positive camber. If you don't get it fixed your tires won't wear right, wear on the outside of tire tread.

 

The mechanic most likely aligned your truck and got caster in spec and then ran out of adjustment for the camber numbers. After that just toe'd the truck in and shipped it. I was a BMW technician and still work in the business and doing the alignment on my truck after installing the LR-UCA's was a 2hour ordeal. Get the arms and go to a real garage or truck shop and have them do it right the first time.

 

you shouldnt need new UCA's until you get to around 2.5" or so of lift over stock, id take it and have somone else double check the specs, sometimes with alignments they just adjust the toe and send it out the door, hoping you wont notice. not saying thats what happened, but thats a way to be sure.

 

Another variable is initial lift height. My "3 inch" lift was more like 4.5" at first then settled A LOT.

 

Lies..... 1.75in setting here..... needed SPC uca's to get any half decent alignment numbers......

OP do yourself a favor... get spc uca's shoot for 3* of caster. -.2 to -.4 of camber (top of the tire in) and .1* of toe in per side.

 

Why those specific numbers? Sorry I am clueless about aligning, looks like I need to read up so I can be informed instead of just taking the mechanic's word at the shop.

I've had mine on for >1 month and it did actually settle about 1", so that's definitely no the problem. Looks like I'll be spending another $400 on what I thought would be a fairly cheap way to level the front haha.

 

3* of caster will make the truck drive nice and straight and not follow the road without giving too heavy of a steering wheel feel.

-.2 to -.4* of camber will make the inside and outside of the tire wear evenly. a 0 setting of camber makes it to where the outside edge will wear more as there is more force on it around turns, causing it to roll under. To combat this you add a lil negative camber so the inside of the tire "hits the road first" and around corners becomes "flat"

.1* of toe in per side will make it to where the truck also doesnt follow the road, aids in self centering, as well as combat the general nature for the tires to want to toe out as they are being pushed by the rest of the truck.


Also if your suspension has settled ~ 1inch... your alignment isnt even close to what was set originally.

 

Ok cool thanks for the info. And I drove a week (~100 miles) after the install, then went out of country for two weeks, then got it aligned. So I figured it had plenty of time to settle first. Either way I'll be taking it in to get the alignment checked again before I drop another $400 on new UCAs.

 

good call.

I ran mine at 1.75in setting with stock TRD OR coils for about a year. But i had right at 0 camber and only about 1.5* of caster. which are both in spec but at the low end of said spec. Also the stock UCA hits coil at full droop for me.

 

Did you notice any unreasonably uneven wear on your tires? I'm thinking the guy just didn't get my camber anywhere near right, it's too noticeably off. I mean not to the point where the inside bottom of the tire is off the ground or anything, but I might do a chalk test to see how bad it is.

 

at 0 camber they always looked like the top was slightly out unless you were looking them dead on with the wheel dead straight.

Now at -.4* on both sides, it looks proper and i can tell the tires are wearing more evenly

 

Whoever align your truck probably didnt take their time, take it back. I at the same setting on my 5100s and they got my truck close to 0 degree camber. Mine is at .3 or something of positive camber. Which isn't bad, much better than the +1.3 degree of camber it originally had, the alignment guys said it was in the green at 1.3, I said no way. Some of those guys are taught to put it all in green and give it an okay which doesn't always give you good alignment specs.

I'm still wanting to fix my alignment for a little more negative camber
Give them the specs you want and have them get close to it.

 

You can check you LCA cams and see if both the front and rear cams can be rotated more to push the LCA out some more on both sides of the truck. If so, then the guy was being lazy.

 

I have a 2.5 leveling kit- took to Big O Tires for alignment since I purchased a 1 year alignment with them- I kinda have same problem. I was gonna take to another location for next alignment since they kinda gave me a BS answer. Ill post pic of spec sheet they gave me- they said as long as I'm in green I was fine. Even when them saying I was in spec, my tires where bowing out. Do you think Ill be ok with not having to get UCA's with just having a 2.5 leveling kit? I'm hoping if I take to another location they should be able to get alignment down with no negative/positive camber showing. Thanks!