Wont hold alignment

[spacecadebt]

So about four months ago I replaced my ball joints (upper and lower), wheel bearings, outer tie rods and sway bar bushings. I had it aligned at Big10 and everything was fine for a month or two and then my camber was off on my left front. I took it back to big10 and they installed a camber kit. Again i drove it and everything was great for about a month and then the alignment was all out of whack.

A few days ago I took it back to Big10 for its third alignment in four months and they aligned it and said everything was fine. I drove it home and it was perfect, tracked straight as an arrow. When I got home I rotated my tires (because the fronts where pretty chewed up from the bad alignment) and then I went out for a spin and now it’s pulling to the right. What the F^$% is going on?!!!!!!

Did jacking up the truck to rotate the tires somehow screw up the alignment? Why won’t it hold? The truck has 250k miles on it so I’m sure that’s not helping. I’m so frustrated right now I just want to drive the thing off a cliff. Any advice would be great!

Note: Suspension is all stock no spacers or anything and I run stock tires.

 

[spacecadebt]

Another thought, could this be tire pull? I would go outside right now and swap the front tires to see if makes a difference but its freakin cold outside.

 

[larivera1989]

if the tread on one tire are too worn down from one than the other side then that could most likely be the problem and it would be best to replace them .as the tread on the tires would still be uneven if you were to rotate them again

 

[swetrid]

Swap the front tires side to side, it will either go straight or now pull to the left.

 

[spacecadebt]

So i swaped the front tires and it still pulls to the right. Its deffinitly an alignment problem.

The only thing i havent replaced on the front suspension is the inner tie rods. Could this have any thing to do with the problems im having?

 

[corkey]

if they aligned it and it needed the tires moved around you should have done that first,,
changing the tires changed the alignment as the tire you took of the front and moved to the back could have been a different size, different cause of the wear on it,,

 

[spacecadebt]

I have to disagree with you. An alignment is measured from the wheels not the tires, therefore rotating your tires shouldn’t make a difference unless they have uneven wear.

FTR the tires that I have up front right now are like new. They only have a couple thousand miles on them

 

[OneLever]

EDIT: Never mind. Didn't catch the most recent post.

 

[Heavymentill]

I have to disagree with you. An alignment is measured from the wheels not the tires, therefore rotating your tires shouldn’t make a difference unless they have uneven wear.

FTR the tires that I have up front right now are like new. They only have a couple thousand miles on them

You couldn't be more wrong. The first step to doing an alignment is checking to make sure the tires have adequate pressure.

Check all your bushings and pivot points to make sure they don't allow movement.

 

[MountainMonkey]

strange, i have the same problem with my 93 xlt. i got the upper/ lower ball joints and the tie rods replaced when i had an alignment done and it fixed everything like brand new for about a month then all of a sudden my truck is pulling left and right depending on the direction of the last corner i did. so i had it realigned with the same result.

edit, just saw your sploders a 96 so i dont think were having the same problem

 

[corkey]

I have to disagree with you. An alignment is measured from the wheels not the tires, therefore rotating your tires shouldn’t make a difference unless they have uneven wear.

FTR the tires that I have up front right now are like new. They only have a couple thousand miles on them

I worked in a alignment shop for 4 years and saw all kinds of people that thought Just set it up, i will fix the tire problem after you get the front set up,, they always came back to get it redone,,

hey why do you think alignment shops also do tires ??
or tire shops do alignments ??,,

 

[budwich]

I am kind of confuuussssseeeedddd. You had this thing align 3 times!!! BUT have you asked what the shop is actually doing to bring your alignment back into spec??? I would think that's at least part of your clue as to where to look otherwise you might be just chasing you a$$....

 

[swetrid]

If they put in the camber/caster bolts, sometimes they loosen up and let the arm move and change alignment settings.

 

[spacecadebt]

I worked in a alignment shop for 4 years and saw all kinds of people that thought Just set it up, i will fix the tire problem after you get the front set up,, they always came back to get it redone,,

hey why do you think alignment shops also do tires ??
or tire shops do alignments ??,,

So you are telling me every time i rotate my tires i need to get an alignment??? Im not trying to start an argument here, i just dont understand.

And yes i agree with you that i should have rotated the tires before i took it in but i have been really busy lately and i just happened to be by the shop.

I am kind of confuuussssseeeedddd. You had this thing align 3 times!!! BUT have you asked what the shop is actually doing to bring your alignment back into spec??? I would think that's at least part of your clue as to where to look otherwise you might be just chasing you a$$....

I have been taking my cars to this shop since i got my license. They are probably the only shop i trust and they are working with me to try and figure out the problem cause they are tired of aligning the thing for free

 

[corkey]

if they aligned it with a worn tire, that had issues, and you moved that tire, the new one with no issues definitely would affect the alignment,,
even if it was only 1/2 inch taller in circumference,,

 

[spacecadebt]

Corkey

I just rotated my tires back to the way they were when i took it to the shop and everything is fine now I opologize for being a bone head and i understand now.

Im kinda pissed that they didnt notice the tire wear and take care of it before they aligned it but now i know.

 

[waskly]

if you align the vehicle to bad tires, when you put good tires on it will pull

a real alignment shop will not align a car with bad tires.

just for that reason. others dont care, and do what you ask for.

 

[spacecadebt]

I wouldnt say the tires were bad thy just had some shoulder wear