Caster still off after Alignment. Is this normal?

[KRATOCT]

Needed new tires so upgraded the shocks at the same time with the stage 3 Kryptonite leveling kit (UCA, keys, shocks) plus the CCM diff drop spacers. Tire size went from a 275/65/18 to 285/75/18 (snow tires to mud terrains).

Expected more sway in the corners due to taller sidewall and slightly higher center of gravity but it sure sways. You pull the wheel one way pretty good and it seems like a 1-2 second delay for the rest of the truck to follow. Seems to drive fairly straight with maybe a slight pull to the shoulder (hard to tell if that’s the crown of the road or the truck).

Alignment results sheet attached. Looks like caster was never adjusted. Think they could’ve done better or am I just not used to taller tires and center of gravity?

(Slight vibration under a load, say going up a hill. I feel like this might be U-joints starting to go though, just thought I’d mention in case I may be related.)

 

[Bdsankey]

You went from a ~32.07" tall tire to a ~34.83" tire (or a 8.6" increase in height). Are they both the same load rating?

 

[gmduramax]

Typical they just adjusted toe and called it a day. I would go back and talk to the alignment guy personally and call him a lazy pos but that’s me

 

[KRATOCT]

You went from a ~32.07" tall tire to a ~34.83" tire (or a 8.6" increase in height). Are they both the same load rating?

From a set of GY Duratrac 8 ply load range E to Toyo MT 10 ply load range E

 

[Chevy1925]

I dont see an issue with those adjustments. i would rather have high caster numbers than low. specially for taller tires. typically you adjust caster for road crown. if you are driving alot of city street or highways with high crowns, i would have less caster on the left side than the right. then it will cause the truck to pull to the left but the crown would even it out and make it feel nuetral. That slight pull you have now can be adjusted out with less caster on the driver side.

as for sway, well thats from your leveling kit. when the suspension and steering gains alot of angle from flat, on road characteristics faulter. the truck will reach more numb, then add in more sidewall and you get what you are feeling. lower the truck back to stock and i bet the truck feels more reactive to steering inputs.

 

[darkness]

Check your tire pressures too. I bet the rears are at 80psi and the fronts at 55 or 50 (I think the door sticker says 60 for the fronts?). That 80psi will make the truck feel really unstable unloaded.

 

[08lmm72mm]

Take it to another shop for an alignment

 

[KRATOCT]

You went from a ~32.07" tall tire to a ~34.83" tire (or a 8.6" increase in height). Are they both the same load rating?

Take it to another shop for an alignment

Just trying to figure out if the numbers are good or worth calling them up saying they need to take another look.

I don’t care to spend another $100+ for a second alignment at either a second shop or the original place it was aligned if I were to take it in when it’s as good as it can get.

 

[gmduramax]

Just trying to figure out if the numbers are good or worth calling them up saying they need to take another look.

I don’t care to spend another $100+ for a second alignment at either a second shop or the original place it was aligned if I were to take it in when it’s as good as it can get.

Take it back. I like to see 4.5° caster at least. You’ll have more camber gain with more caster. On a heavy vehicle you don’t need to go crazy high. The tires will also want to stay straight while driving. I keep caster even on all my vehicles because race car life.

Camber I like to be -.5 on a daily driver at the very least 0.

Will you have issues with your alignment now, probably not. You may see wear on the outside edge of your tire because of the +camber. But it could have been done better. The alignment person was just lazy and didn’t actually care and just sent it out the door.

 

[Hoser]

The sway delay is because of new mud tires. If you need mud tires to get where you are going off-road and the extra tiny bit of ground clearance is what you need to crawl over obstacles, then that’s the price you will have to pay. Mud tires have one single benefit and purpose, if you are not using them for that purpose they are a total waste. They handle like garbage, they sway, wear fast, are noisy, lower MPGs quite a bit, and they are expensive. There was a time when I needed MTs and I hated having them on my trucks. Now I don’t need them and run mild AT tires, mainly for the siping for snow, and they are sooooo much better.

 

[Chevy1925]

Take it back. I like to see 4.5° caster at least. You’ll have more camber gain with more caster. On a heavy vehicle you don’t need to go crazy high. The tires will also want to stay straight while driving. I keep caster even on all my vehicles because race car life.

Camber I like to be -.5 on a daily driver at the very least 0.

Will you have issues with your alignment now, probably not. You may see wear on the outside edge of your tire because of the +camber. But it could have been done better. The alignment person was just lazy and didn’t actually care and just sent it out the door.

he gains caster as is. the fronts of these trucks have anti-dive built in which is where the front UCA pivot point is higher than the rear and all together a different plane than the LCA pivot points.




this is why i still hate leveling kits. (not directed at you anthony) guess what happens when you lift the front end with an anti-dive style control arm setup... you loose caster and it becomes harder to achieve on alignments. part of the reason you still see some guys have issues getting a proper alignment done even with different control arms. then you got the added bump steer these things have and shit just adds up.

 

[08lmm72mm]

It's your truck. If it's vibrating because your alignment is out then I'd gladly spend the $100. I've been driving one of these lifted with the t bars cranked for years now. $100 is better than a vibrator. Unless your into that sort of thing

 

[JoshH]

I've never heard of an alignment issue causing a vibration.

edit: unless it is causing weird tire wear pattern that leads to a vibration...

 

[TheBac]

Tires or driveline issue is my opinion.

 

[08lmm72mm]

Mine was vibrating and an alignment fixed it, toe was out a fair bit. I put in new upper ball joints recently and had to take it on a road trip before i could get an alignment and a vibration developed. Inside tire wear occured and after the alignment the vibration is almost gone, few more miles on it and its gone for good.