Alignment on my truck issue

[Taterman]

My truck needs new tires. It pulls to the right when I drive so I figured I'd get an alignment before getting new tires. After the alignment, the truck still pulls to the right but they told me it was likely due to tire wear and the would rotate them for me.
But I also have to turn the wheel slightly left when I drive just to go straight. Could that be from the tires as well or should I have them check the alignment again? I have an appointment to bring it back in tomorrow, but I'd rather not if it could be the tires causing the issue.

 

[hittman]

That opens lots of questions …..
Make model and year of truck?
How old are the tires?
Are they properly inflated?
How worn are they?
Bald on the edges because of driving out of alignment?

I would have put new tires on first ( IF they were needed ) and performed alignment knowing tread is even, straight and tire.

 

[Taterman]

Thanks hittman. It's an '07 Ford Ranger. I should probably just put new tires on like you said, but I just found out my wife lost her job this morning. :mad:

 

[Dan in MI]

I'm on the same page as Hittman.

 

[hittman]

Sorry about the wife’s job, I do sympathize.
However, this is a safety issue, not a random impulse spending for something you can live without.
Best of luck to you both.

 

[TestEngineer]

Roads are made higher in the middle and lower at the edges. That's to drain water off the road.

Your truck pulls slightly to the right because we drive on the right side of the road. Find a piece of road where you can drive on the left side. You'll find your truck then pulls slightly to the left.

 

[ArizonaTea123]

How many miles on the truck? Have a competent shop check the front suspension for wear and bent/ broken parts. Check the ball joints and tie rod ends. Then the idler arm if you have one.
Sometimes it's not an alignment or tire issue.

 

[s4s4u]

If you have hit a pothole or few, you could have bent something. Worn wheel bearings can make a vehicle pull.

Having alignment checked shouldn't be affected by tire wear as it indexes off the wheel/hub and not the tread.

Worn tie rod ends as well. Does it have any "play" in the steering?

 

[Tensaw]

Years ago I had the same problem. The mechanic told the problem was partly due to irregular tire tread wear. I was very skeptical but as it turned out he was right. New tires solved the problem.

 

[hittman]

I would be skeptical about a shop that thought they could perform an alignment if tires are worn out. Doing alignment with bad tires a real fools errand / wasted money.

 

[Jim Walsh]

Part of a wheel alignment is to center the steering wheel. Often overlooked or ignored unless you point it out to some shops. Unless the crown in the road is dramatic it should not affect steering under normal conditions. An 18 year old truck may have several contributing factors and a decent mechanic will check all your body bushings in addition to ball joints and tie rod ends…stabilizer bars etc. The cumulative effect can be dramatic. You may also have damaged and bent components which don’t reveal themselves to the inexperienced shade tree mechanic.
Many shops have an alignment guy and he may not be the best suspension guy…

 

[WAYNO]

Although tire set or wear can cause a vehicle to drift, if it's actually pulling, I would still suspect alignment issues.

 

[Johnnu2]

I'd check your brake system....
p.s. I even had a worn battery that somehow effected some new fangled vectoring thingie in y 2016 Camry. Several mechanics told me I was crazy.... my battery was 5+ years old but "tested" "OK". I bought a new battery and put it in...... Bingo, no more "drifting" to the left or right.
p.p.s. I cannot remember EVER having/needing an alignment in any of my cars after 1962.
J.

 

[Jeepnik]

Before I get tired I always get underneath and check ball joints, bushings control arms A arms, shocks, etc. I'll fix anything that needs fixing, take it to an alignment shop I have dealt with for decades they get tires.

When you get the tires installed make sure the check that the wheel is true (you'll never balance with an out of true rim). The make sure your tire is road balanced m, not static or spin balanced.
There's no since spending good money on tires the putting them on crappy wheels and suspension

 

[Taterman]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Roads are made higher in the middle and lower at the edges. That's to drain water off the road.

Your truck pulls slightly to the right because we drive on the right side of the road. Find a piece of road where you can drive on the left side. You'll find your truck then pulls slightly to the left.

I actually tried that out earlier. On the left side it just kind of evened out.

How many miles on the truck? Have a competent shop check the front suspension for wear and bent/ broken parts. Check the ball joints and tie rod ends. Then the idler arm if you have one.
Sometimes it's not an alignment or tire issue.

The most of the front end parts were replaced after an accident.

Years ago I had the same problem. The mechanic told the problem was partly due to irregular tire tread wear. I was very skeptical but as it turned out he was right. New tires solved the problem.

I'm hoping that works for me too. I guess I'll get tires first and not waste their time of mine it case that gets things straightened out.

 

[Mobuck]

Have someone follow you on the road and see if your vehicle suffers from 'dog tracking' (rear wheels don't follow fronts. Several possible causes for this--some easily fixed but some permanent afflictions.

 

[GasGuzzler]

We really need to know if it's a pull, a lead, or a steering wheel that is not centered.

A pull is caused by a bent or worn part, a tire with a severely slipped belt, or a very out of spec adjustment.

A lead is usually a tire, the road surface, or a less drastic adjustment issue.

A steering wheel not in the center is usually a toe adjustment incorrect.

First and foremost before any alignment is to ensure there are no worn or damaged parts. This should be done by the person doing the alignment. Usually then the tires would get replaced and the alignment last.

Were the old tires worn evenly? If so, there is likely no major alignment issues (now we go back to question 1) and the alignment can be corrected with either the old or new tires installed.

I am not a F*** expert but I think 2WD or 4WD makes a huge difference on your vehicle...major difference in the suspension design and therefore what parts could be worn.

Alignments are not cures in most cases, they are the period at the end of some sort of repair sentence. It's uncommon I do an alignment without a vehicle complaint, a part replaced for wear, or new tires.

Did you tell the shop BEFORE the alignment there was a pull/lead/centering issue? If not, many shops will "put you in the green" on the alignment machine and kick it out the door. I was taught to drive them all beforehand because the service advisors are not trustworthy on asking questions to the customer who asks for an alignment ... and to drive them after for safety sake.

 

[KIR]

I have NEVER had an alignment on any vehicle I have owned and never had any problems. Due to my not being mechanically inclined, I have always been under the impression that an alignment was done with tires on the vehicle...but what do I know? From WAR...<singing off-key> " Absolutely nothin'!" :eek:

 

[Huskerguy72]

These are the basic angles for front ends of vehicles. Note that rear ends can have some of the same angles but not all.

Caster. It is NOT a tire wear angle but is a directional control angle. Ever drive a bike and take your hands off the handle bars and it goes straight? That’s caster. It’s described as the forward or backward tilt of the king pin or struts at the top.

Camber. This is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel at the top. It can wear tires and in extreme cases cause directional pulling. You will notice tires wearing on the inside or outside edges.

Toe. This is the total toe in or out measuring the center front and comparing to the rear of the tires. Toe is given as a single number such as 1/4 so it is split between each tire. The toe allows for slack to come out of suspension when it is traveling down the road so tires roll straight or resting toe.

True that some roads have more crown for water. A car will pull to the side with the leading king pin so if the right is 2 degrees and the left is 1 degree it would likely pull right. Some techs do account for road crown with a very small difference.

I am surprised the alignment shop would even align a tire that is worn. Once a tire gets worn in a certain way, it can be a problem. Belts can also slip and break.

A good tire person can look at your data and tires and determine the problem easily.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

Thanks hittman. It's an '07 Ford Ranger. I should probably just put new tires on like you said, but I just found out my wife lost her job this morning. :mad:

New tires, and alignment, in that order, preferably at the same time.
A lot of places will have offers for a free alignment with purchase of tires. Also, you might want to see if you don't have a brake that is dragging, causing that pull to one side.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I have always been under the impression that an alignment was done with tires on the vehicle.

What in the heck does that mean?

 

[Fox Mike]

Rod ends and bushings (all), if even slightly defective, will cause steering problems.

 

[Jeepnik]

When I was learning how to inspect a front end I was taught work up and out. Same goes if you need to replace parts. So tires are the last thing replaced leaving just the alignment.

Oh, and if you have one bad ball joint or bushing do them all. Same for shocks or brakes. All of the components have been through the same use / abuse. You're there, you're dirty and the tools are already out.

One more thing. Even if you change one part, get the alignment checked. Especially these days when tires cost so much.

 

[Hertervillian]

It’s important for the alignment guy to see the old tires to understand what was happening. There is a range of acceptable numbers for each measurement.

Something else barely touched upon is the static balance of the tire. Thosepaint dots and the circumferential line on the tread have meanings. That line indicates which way a tire will naturally drift. This is why a tire rotation can cause the car to pull after rotation was done. Straight front to back or cross rotation changes the way the tires can interact with one another.

Finally there can be tolerance stacking as it relates to tire wear. When every joint is on the edge of needing replaced none is individually the cause. The sum total however is giving that alignment guy fits. At that point frequently rotate those tires is about all that can be done to mitigate uneven wear.

 

[ArizonaTea123]

Thanks for the replies guys.




I actually tried that out earlier. On the left side it just kind of evened out.



The most of the front end parts were replaced after an accident.



I'm hoping that works for me too. I guess I'll get tires first and not waste their time of mine it case that gets things straightened out.

Your truck was in an accident? How bad was it? Frame damage?
Depending on the severity of the damage and the quality of the repair, you may never get a good alignment.

 

[Taterman]

Your truck was in an accident? How bad was it? Frame damage?
Depending on the severity of the damage and the quality of the repair, you may never get a good alignment.

It was in a couple accidents, but there supposedly isn't/wasn't any frame damage. One of the tires is really worn though so new ones are the next move.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I hope no shops static balance tires any more and even if they do it would have ZERO to do with tire wear or alignment.

There are tire balance machines that can not only measure DYNAMIC balance but also road force variation and likeliness to cause a lead or drift. We have one.