How should the results of a tire alignment look like?

Unlike some people on these forums i am not very technical with cars in general

I can take out a sensor, change oil, and replace some minor parts but not too sure what readings should look like after a tire alignment

Well i took my truck to get aligned because my truck kind of shifted to the right.
The mechanic did a 4 wheel alignment .. well at least that's the ''deal'' he gave me but upon looking at the sheet it looks like he only had to do work on the front ones so he never messed with the back.

I wasn't too sure what to look at on the readings and the shop was closing so i went home.
Upon checking the readings more i noticed the ''primary angles'' on the caster line was barely improved in fact it still shows red . I am no expert at this matter but wouldn't red mean its still bad?

Not sure what the specifications of 2.0 min mean , are those Toyota's official specifications it must match?

As you can see the top readings are still red... and looking at the numbering there was barely a difference. I do notice the truck handles better after the alignment but it still shifts a bit to the side. The mechanic did mention that i should consider getting my tires balanced because my suspension was a bit off . He said i could probably hear the car vibrating on the highway which was not true , but i figured he was trying to up sell me so i declined on the balancing of tires.

The last time i had my tires balanced was when i got new tires last October , since then i have put about 7,500 miles

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/are-these-alignment-numbers-ok.517823/

 

Well looking at that topic it seems my casters are still off based of a poster in there

Seems like other factors also play a part in this such as my lift ( no lift kit ) and my tires ( 265/70R16)

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a forever alignment.. mine was about 85 dollars

 

I can find you several threads on the topic.
You want as close to 0 toe, 0 camber and 3 at caster.
Stock ucas really limit the proper alignment on a lifted truck.
Yes there are many places that offer lifetime alignments. Just need to be careful they dont hammer the cam tabs flat and can over extend the rack and pinion to get the numbers.

 

would the caster being at 1.5 cause my truck to shift a bit still?

I was looking at the file the individual uploaded for his truck but his readings would obviously be different than mine because of his taco model and probably his lift kit

 

Caster is the angle of the steering pivots and will affect your stability, you want as positive as you can get it and be in spec still. You're not there.

Camber is tire lean in or out, relative to straight up and down. It should be even side to side and in spec. If anything you would want a bit more positive (leaning to the outside) on the driver side, to compensate for the crown of the road (road leans right usually).

Toe is tires parallel to each other, or turned towards each other, or away from each other (toe in or out).

If the truck is stock, all should be able to be brought into spec. If it's lifted, you may need other parts installed to make it work.

Assuming it's stock, like you stated, your alignment guy sucks, and owes you another alignment. Even if there's a reason for it not being able to be adjusted, he's not doing his job if he just handed your keys back to you with no explanation for still being out of spec.

Rear isn't adjustable, and shouldn't need to be unless the truck has been in a wreck.

Last time I had mine aligned, after the steering rack was replaced (had developed some play in the gears, long story, huge PITA dealing with shop that replaced it), I had to stand on their desk and raise my voice to finally get them to align it correctly. They wanted to just set the toe and call it good, toe makes no difference in how the truck drives, only tire wear. Caster at the top of the range makes a big difference.

 

It seems my truck is stock as i can't find any paperwork on the previous owners who did such any modifications and i also can see if doesn't appear to have a lift kit

I can definitely go back but should i only mention to change the caster closer to 3 like another poster suggested?

What about the SAI it also looks red still

Lastly someone hit my truck while it was parked like 2 years ago and it caused the metal frame above the bumper to go back about 3/4 of an inch

Sadly this was the one of the best repair shops around the city, in fact is had several positive reviews with only very minor issues

 

It's been a long time since I took the class on brake and front end, but if I recall correctly SAI isn't adjustable by itself, it's a product of the three adjustable angles:Caster, Camber, Toe. It has to do with the way the tires lean in and out when you corner. If it's wrong you can get tire wear issues, tire squeal on sharp turns, etc. I wouldn't worry about the SAI just yet. I would tell them your truck drifts and you want as much positive caster as possible and you want all the number green when they are done.

To be fair, it's not always easy to get specific numbers doing an alignment, but unless somethings tweaked there is no reason it shouldn't all be in spec when they are done.

I doubt the parking lot damage has anything to do with it. That's body, not frame/chassis.

 

Here's some light reading
https://www.google.com/search?q=sto...kj1QKHZ_rBRwQrQIoBDAAegQIARAK&biw=360&bih=560

 

Very standard alignment figures for a lifted truck, if you were lifted I would see nothing wrong.

Another consideration is some of the alignment eccentrics commonly seize and its difficult to get into positive territory. Sometimes you can get higher caster but you can't keep a balanced zero'd camber, they likely did the best they could.

Ideally you'd want high balanced caster, 0 camber, slight positive toe. But I wouldn't be terribly upset with the alignment they performed.

 

I am pretty sure my truck is stock , ill do a bit of reading and talk to the owner tomorrow ( i don't think he will deny ''fixing '' the issue)

You mentioned eccentrics size and its difficult to get into positive territory but based on the caster readings it seems they barely did much on those