Wheel alignment off after installing skid plates?

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP TODAY EVERYONE

 

I think i would try what @5nahalf said and after they are all loose move the truck around just a little to get things to relax before tightening .

 

There is no way aluminum skid plates twisted the truck enough for it to crab down the road. OP just needs an alignment

 

He said it was driving straight before he added them .

 

to clarify cuz it seems to be getting missed.

The truck isn't driving any differently. It's the steering wheel that's off alignment, not his actual alignment.

 

So when I drive my steering feels normal. I cant really notice a difference just my steering wheel feels off. Ill turn slightly to my left when I hold it straight.

 

It was 100% tweaked while wheeling and you just didn't notice. There is nothing that could have possibly tweaked the steering wheel from installing some AL skids. The fix is to just get an alignment.

 

Take the skid plates off and see how it drives.

 

I just loosened everything, shifted things back and forth then realigned them. Still off. Ill take them off if the alignment guy I have scheduled tomorrow cant align it or tells me I fucked up.

 

Yea thats what im thinking. I just really notice things like my car acting funny so im shocked I didnt notice it sooner. Thanks for the advice.

 

You mentioned driving a windy canyon road, so maybe you just didn't notice it was off because you weren't really driving in a straight line? I agree though, I typically notice stuff like that right away too. It's just the most logical answer here vs some skid plates tweaking it.

 

There's the 2 cat tube bolt guards to make 9 total.

 

If you have the old sensors, you can make a pipe bomb to get the lights off or it will cost you $150 or so to get aftermarket sensors + installation.

 

My steering was off center (pulled to the right) all the time (regardless of road/angle, road crown, tire pressure, etc). I took it to shops and they all said "alignment is perfect".

I said fuck it, these idiots obviously don't know what I'm talking about and just reading what the machine says. So I read up online and do my research.

I moved my passenger tie rod a quarter turn IN, and driver tie rod a quarter turn OUT (exactly the same amount on both ends, with measurements). And now steering tracks perfectly STRAIGHT.

 

I would never have thought of that. Makes sense. Hah!

 

My truck came from the dealer slightly misaligned and a summer of off-road driving caused my steering wheel to be slightly misaligned and the truck pulling to the right slightly. I took it in for an alignment in both cases and it drove better afterwards. I drove mine fairly hard though. In one case a dropped into a 4' crevice and slammed my front skid into the ground . I wouldn't think a trip down a canyon road would cause any harm.

 

Which is exactly why I run spindle gussets on all of my Toyota’s. I bent a spindle off-roading in my FJ and had to replace it and did so with Total Chaos Spindle gussets. I can’t recommend them enough!

 

The internet is a funny place...
OP: My steering wheel is off
Us: Check the alignment.
Other half of the internet: Do all this extra stuff involving your Al skid plates
OP: Ok

lol

 

Just for the hell of it, check your tire pressure.

 

I think this case

OP: I installed skid plates, now my alignment is off
Other half of the internet: Well, if it didnt do it before the skid plates, then something may of gone wrong there. I would recheck how you installed the skid plates because since you didnt mention any outside factors there is a good chance something you did during your skid plate install created the issue and that could lead to other issues if not fixed.