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Steering out of alignment

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Blade29, May 31, 2025.

  1. May 31, 2025 at 8:27 PM
    #1
    Blade29

    Blade29 [OP] Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2024
    Member:
    #447549
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    First Name:
    Blake
    Vehicle:
    2011 Tacoma TRD Off Road
    Went four wheeling and hit my front end pretty hard on a dip on the trail. Started driving home and noticed that my wheel driving straight was pointed at 1 o clock. Anyone have ideas as to what I may have bent/ destroyed? It hit the hardest on the drivers side
     
  2. May 31, 2025 at 9:27 PM
    #2
    winkel

    winkel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2015
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    Corydon, IN
    Vehicle:
    2014 Spruce Mica, TRD Off-Road, 6 Spd Manual
    Sliders, Tailgate Liner
    Have a look underneath and see if anything looks bent or out of place.
    If you don't have a bent tie rod or anything overly obvious, I would suggest that your lower control arm moved. See if any of your alignment tabs are flattened.
    Following an alignment, I always like to shoot a little black paint on the LCA bushing alignment cams, then mark their location with a paint pen. If something moves after that, it's pretty easy to see.
    If you have a tab flattened, you'll have to move the bushing, stand the tab back up (it will be pretty weak at this point) and put a good bead of weld behind each one.
    Take a look and let us know what you find.
     
    TomHGZ likes this.
  3. May 31, 2025 at 9:47 PM
    #3
    TomHGZ

    TomHGZ Well-Known Member

    Joined:
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    #58798
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    859
    Vehicle:
    2014 TRD Frankensport 4x4 AC AT
    Partial list: Vagabond Drifter 3rd Gen OR rear axle 4.30 gears Bilstein 6112s and Tundra 5160s.
    It’s super common to knock the alignment out on these trucks while off-roading, and nothing to be worried about.

    Search around Tacomaworld to find lots of options for reinforcing your cam tabs, and there’s also a great thread on performing alignments at home.

    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-do-an-alignment-at-home.252256/

    If you only learn to adjust your tie rods, you can straighten your wheel until you have time to take the truck into the shop. If your steering wheel is at 1 o’clock, try turning your passenger side tie rod out a third of a turn (lengthening it), and your driver side tie rod in a third of a turn (shortening it.) Try to move both sides the same amount.

    It’s a temporary fix, and previous commenter is right; you probably shifted a lower control arm. Either plan to take it to an alignment shop when you can or learn to do it at home.
     

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