Alignment questions (on Hotchkis lowered truck)
08-22-2006, 08:19 PM
#1
Tech Fanatic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alignment questions (on Hotchkis lowered truck)
Today I had a front end alignment on my truck (at Big O tires) which has a Hotchkis 2/4 drop and the mods listed in my sig. when I brought the truck in it was pulling to the right and even fter the shop spent over 2 hours working on my truck (which 8 watched) the truck still pulls to he right. The shop dude showed me the computer alignment print out explaining that everything was in spec.
So the question is why is my truck stil pulling to the right like that? anyone have ideas? could the alignment be good yet my truck still have this problem?
I just can't believe this guy spent 2+ hours without actualliy aligning the truck.
So the question is why is my truck stil pulling to the right like that? anyone have ideas? could the alignment be good yet my truck still have this problem?
I just can't believe this guy spent 2+ hours without actualliy aligning the truck.
08-22-2006, 08:29 PM
#3
Here's what I have learned.
When you lower or raise a vehicle the alignment has to be compenstated for by adjusting +castor.
I went to 2 shops and even went so far as to rotate tires for fear of Radial tire pull.
Ended up setting Camber and Toe to 0* and adding castor to keep from pulling hard to the right. Still have some pull but barely noticible.
See I learned a lot about alighnments too!
When you lower or raise a vehicle the alignment has to be compenstated for by adjusting +castor.
I went to 2 shops and even went so far as to rotate tires for fear of Radial tire pull.
Ended up setting Camber and Toe to 0* and adding castor to keep from pulling hard to the right. Still have some pull but barely noticible.
See I learned a lot about alighnments too!
08-22-2006, 08:59 PM
#4
Tech Fanatic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thanks for the input guys and of course if anyone else has any ideas feel free to post 'em. At this point I'm planning to go back to the shop to give the guy a ride to show him my problem.
08-22-2006, 10:04 PM
#5
As trevor mentioned, adding about a whole degree more of positive caster on the right side may cure the pull, and will not wear your tires. On a side note (not involving your pulling situation), personally, I like to make my camber a little more negative as this helps with performance cornering. I wouldn't go much more than -.6* of neg camber on a truck though, for fear of wearing the inner edge of the tire (even though many cars are coming from the factory with well over a whole degree to two degrees of negative camber in the front...but those are cars).
If adding the extra positive caster on the right side doesn't help, you may try rotating the front tires side to side (if they're not directional), just to rule out a tire pull. If the pull switches to the left, you have a bum tire that's creating the problem. Since you didn't experience the pull until you did the drop, I doubt this is the problem though...just throwing out some other ideas that will cause a pull. Of course, be sure to check and make sure that you don't have a caliper hanging up as mentioned above, and first and foremost, make sure that all of the tires are properly inflated (simple yet often overlooked).
If adding the extra positive caster on the right side doesn't help, you may try rotating the front tires side to side (if they're not directional), just to rule out a tire pull. If the pull switches to the left, you have a bum tire that's creating the problem. Since you didn't experience the pull until you did the drop, I doubt this is the problem though...just throwing out some other ideas that will cause a pull. Of course, be sure to check and make sure that you don't have a caliper hanging up as mentioned above, and first and foremost, make sure that all of the tires are properly inflated (simple yet often overlooked).
08-22-2006, 10:31 PM
#6
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is what you need to look at on your alignment specs. Surely he gave you the print out.......
Look in the middle of the specs.
You should see: cross camber
cross caster
total toe
Now, what does it read exactly next to cross caster? If it doesn't have at least a -.08 to -1.5 cross caster, then it will pull to the right.
The toe and camber spes have nothing to do with your truck pulling to the left or right. If those are out, it will only wear out your tires prematurely.
I do alignments.
Let me know what your specs are reading. Then we can go from there.
Sometimes a tire can cause a pull. It's called a radial pull. If you don't have directional tires, you can just swap the two front tires from side to side to see if that changes your pulling issue.
Just tell me or paste your alignment specs here first.
Jim
Look in the middle of the specs.
You should see: cross camber
cross caster
total toe
Now, what does it read exactly next to cross caster? If it doesn't have at least a -.08 to -1.5 cross caster, then it will pull to the right.
The toe and camber spes have nothing to do with your truck pulling to the left or right. If those are out, it will only wear out your tires prematurely.
I do alignments.
Let me know what your specs are reading. Then we can go from there.
Sometimes a tire can cause a pull. It's called a radial pull. If you don't have directional tires, you can just swap the two front tires from side to side to see if that changes your pulling issue.
Just tell me or paste your alignment specs here first.
Jim
08-23-2006, 03:31 AM
#7
Tech Fanatic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok Jim attached below is a scan of my alignment specs. Great to have an expert alignment guy help me out with this. 
Now an important point to consider is that these tires are brand new (recently mounted and balanced) and my old set of tires (the exact same brand and size) also pulled like this. When my trucks tires were recently installed the guy putting em on said my brakes looked o.k. (I asked him to look since I have never replaced them with 27K on the odomoter) yet I do hear some squealing occasionally. Regardless of this fact the brakes are very strong and give me no trouble during extreme driving, so if it was a brake problem I would be surprised.
Now an important point to consider is that these tires are brand new (recently mounted and balanced) and my old set of tires (the exact same brand and size) also pulled like this. When my trucks tires were recently installed the guy putting em on said my brakes looked o.k. (I asked him to look since I have never replaced them with 27K on the odomoter) yet I do hear some squealing occasionally. Regardless of this fact the brakes are very strong and give me no trouble during extreme driving, so if it was a brake problem I would be surprised.
Trending Topics
08-23-2006, 04:06 PM
#8
Tech Fanatic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok I went back to this shop and clearly told him everything I had learned on the forums. He then proceeded to spend another 2 hours (3 times up on the lift) trying to get the right hand pull to go away. Finally the manager just told the mechanic to stop working on my truck and gave me my money back.
I then went to another shop and explained what had happened. This guy said since the previous mechanic had aligned the truck to specs that he could charge me to do the same again but that I probably had a bad tire, which was causing radial pull. I still find this hard to believe since this same problem occured with another set of the exact same tires. Personally I think the odds of having another bad tire in the exact same place are way to slim. I am about to go on a 1200+ mile drive from Cali to Lake Tahoe and dont want my current setup to cause any premature wear. Do you all think this is anything I should worry about in this amount of miles?
I was/am planning to go to another shop to see if they can fix the issue. Also attached to this post is another print out of the alignment job the guy did the second time around.
I then went to another shop and explained what had happened. This guy said since the previous mechanic had aligned the truck to specs that he could charge me to do the same again but that I probably had a bad tire, which was causing radial pull. I still find this hard to believe since this same problem occured with another set of the exact same tires. Personally I think the odds of having another bad tire in the exact same place are way to slim. I am about to go on a 1200+ mile drive from Cali to Lake Tahoe and dont want my current setup to cause any premature wear. Do you all think this is anything I should worry about in this amount of miles?
I was/am planning to go to another shop to see if they can fix the issue. Also attached to this post is another print out of the alignment job the guy did the second time around.
08-23-2006, 05:00 PM
#9
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Spring, TX
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The second print out looks a lot better. The first on was obvious why it would go to the right, but why are the befores so different from the first time??? Makes no sense to me unless he began adjusting prior to saving the before alignment settings when you came back.
I'm sure that the second time around helped out with the pull to the right?
Your still going to need a more negative caster split.
At least a -1.0
Some of these techs just don't know how to deal with lowered or altered trucks. You can align most vehicles correctly without even having the manufacturers recommended allowed specifications of to the left on the print out.
I'm use to that print out that you posted. It's identical to ours. Same digital alignment machines. Hunter.
I'll post my print out later. I'm in a rush and have to go.
Jim
I'm sure that the second time around helped out with the pull to the right?
Your still going to need a more negative caster split.
At least a -1.0
Some of these techs just don't know how to deal with lowered or altered trucks. You can align most vehicles correctly without even having the manufacturers recommended allowed specifications of to the left on the print out.
I'm use to that print out that you posted. It's identical to ours. Same digital alignment machines. Hunter.
I'll post my print out later. I'm in a rush and have to go.
Jim
08-23-2006, 06:04 PM
#10
Tech Fanatic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yea after the second time the truck definitely is better, overall far more tolerable. Looks like I will have to find a good shop experienced with alignments on lowered/modified vehicles. So should I worry about tire wear on my trip?