Truck pulling right after multiple alignments

I installed a 2 inch lift about a month ago. After installing the lift the truck tracked straight, but as with any lift an alignment was still needed. Had the alignment done at the dealer and all was good. However, about 3 weeks after the alignment my truck noticeably started pulling to the right.

I have now had another alignment done and all specs are green, but now the truck is still pulling to the right, I would say it is probably pulling even worse now.

I'm not sure they know the truck is lifted as it is a pretty moderate lift and I haven't mentioned it. Do lifted trucks need to be aligned differently?

I will have the dealer check and align again, but I am wondering what could be causing the pull if the alignment is really good?

 

I would have the alignment at a good shop that normally deals with lifted vehicles. I wouldn’t be surprised if the tech is just using the numbers they’re suppose to use for the stock truck.

 

Take a pic of the spec sheet. It's possible the tires have a pull and need to be rotated to correct the issue due to wear.

Generally with all terrain tires its best to do diagonal left to right rotations anyway.

I'm a Toyota tech and I've done hundreds of lifted tacoma alignments, most dealers did tons of lifts prior to the 2018 debacle.

 

Try cross rotating the front tires too. It's an easy way to eliminate other things being the issue.

 

My tires have maybe, 2000 miles on them and at least visually have next to no wear.

I will try to swap the fronts right to left today to see if it changes the pull direction. Can the rear alignment also cause a bad pull?

Does a lift need to be taken into account when aligning?

 

I will try this today.

 

Like many other things, good equipment in calibration is important.

But the tech using the equipment is important too.

If all they know or are willing to do is 'get it green', you aren't getting your money's worth.

As @Bishop84 suggests, there can be other issues too. But the tech should give you a list of those after he test drives his work and sees there is still a problem.

 

It's a solid axle. Unless it's installed crooked there is nothing to align.

 

All lifts cause unwanted positive camber and negative caster.

When aligning a lift you want to balance both camber and caster while achieving the lowest camber and highest caster. Toyota didn't intend the trucks to be lifted 2+ inches so its a compensation act.

 

What tires, OP?

Also, find a shop who knows what they are doing - not the dealer.

 

Ok, I just rotated the front tires, moved right to left and the left to right, and the truck now is pulling to the left. Something is up with the tire. Of course I checked air pressure (sensor and with tire gauge) and they are good.

Talked to the dealer, they mentioned radial "drift" or something like this and that they occasionaly will see this occur. They mentioned moving the tire to the back may remove the pull. This sounds like a bad tire though, not sure why it suddenly started.

Anybody dealt with something like this? I can imagine getting the suspect tire replaced may be a pain.

Oh and these are Goodyear Duratracs

 

Id contact the place you got the tires from. If you are local i would swap wheels and tires and see if you have the same issue. If so then it’s definitely your wheel or tires. Most likely tire

 

https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=12

 

Agreed. If they only have 2k on them they should not behave this way. The offending tire is likely defective. May have a broken belt or some other manuf. defect. I am a 'little' surprised it was able to be balanced though. Often flaws impact the ability to do that.

Did the installer say anything about that one being difficult, or does it have a bunch more weight on it than the others?

 

OP I also have duratracs and am currently suffering from pull to the right. My alignment shop also told me it was likely radial pull but I haven't tested yet.

 

Plenty of dealers know how to work on lifted Tacomas. Plenty of independent shops suck.

OP get the offending tire road forced. Bet it will be a high number & should have no problem getting it replaced under tire warranty.

 

Got a print out? Get a print out..

 

Got a print out? Get a print out..

 

I have a Firestone lifetime alignment. When I put my lift on the truck, the tech at Firestone told me they can only do what is in "the computer". Not an issue for me since its a TRD Pro kit, and I told them to do a Pro alignment. However, for those who have unique setups, at Firestone and other shops, they could run into issues.

 

I'll give it to you but only if you ask nicely.