I noticed all the alignment discussion. I have a problem with pulling also even though alignment is good. My steering wheel is not centered. How can you center the steering wheel? The alignment shop said you can't, but that doesn't make sense.
1) Find a good independent shop with a Hunter alignment rack equiped with their CAMM console. Don't expect a dealership to do it to the specs below...they're within Toyota's spec, but much tighter. The alignment can be "good" within Toyota's too-broad spec, and the rig still doesn't drive like it should.
3) Centering the steering wheel is easily done during alignment by shortening the adjustment on one tie rod and equally lenthening the tie rod on the other side.
Ken
__________________
You get what you inspect
Not what you expect.
S&S Long Tube Hi-Torque Headers
TRD/Eaton Limited Slip Differential
Gibson exhaust system
Hellwig Rear Antisway Bar
Sylvania Xenarc H.I.D. X1010 Auxiliary Low Beam Driving Lights
Schaeffer Engine Oil, ATF, Differential Oil
Racor LFS22825 full-flow transmission filter
Towing a 21' Bigfoot trailer using a Hensley Arrow hitch, Jordan brake controller, McKesh mirrors
I noticed all the alignment discussion. I have a problem with pulling also even though alignment is good. My steering wheel is not centered. How can you center the steering wheel? The alignment shop said you can't, but that doesn't make sense.
Thanks for help
Went through the exact same issue on my, "prior to Tundra" owned, Nissan Frontier. The dealership nor Nissan's factory rep could get the steering wheel straight. They continued to work on it over and over without success, several. Told Nissan to stick it and traded it for the Tundra. Couldn't be happier.
At least someone has taken the time to determine how to correct this issue on the Tundras.
__________________
Win or Lose, but Finish the Game
Centering the steering wheel is a routine part of aligning any vehicle. The fact that it is not centered means the alignment is not correct. The fact that "the alignment shop" said it can't be centered means they are utterly incompetent.
1) Find a good independent shop with a Hunter alignment rack equiped with their CAMM console. Don't expect a dealership to do it to the specs below...they're within Toyota's spec, but much tighter. The alignment can be "good" within Toyota's too-broad spec, and the rig still doesn't drive like it should.
3) Centering the steering wheel is easily done during alignment by shortening the adjustment on one tie rod and equally lenthening the tie rod on the other side.
Ken
Thanks Ken, that gives me confidence. Actually more had happened, but I didn't want to cloud my first request for info. I found that steering wheel centering procedure on ALLDATA DIY. I did it myself and got the steering wheel straight!! I knew I had jacked the alignment though so I took it back. The camber was way out and the toe was a little out. The SAI, however, was 20deg on the left wheel and 10.8 deg on the right. The right is in spec, but the left is out. The alignment shop got the camber,caster, and toe in spec. but they said they don't adjust the SAI. Do you think I am OK as far as tire wear goes. I am now happy with the "straightness" and the steering returnability. Thanks for info.
Thanks Ken, that gives me confidence. Actually more had happened, but I didn't want to cloud my first request for info. I found that steering wheel centering procedure on ALLDATA DIY. I did it myself and got the steering wheel straight!! I knew I had jacked the alignment though so I took it back. The camber was way out and the toe was a little out. The SAI, however, was 20deg on the left wheel and 10.8 deg on the right. The right is in spec, but the left is out. The alignment shop got the camber,caster, and toe in spec. but they said they don't adjust the SAI. Do you think I am OK as far as tire wear goes. I am now happy with the "straightness" and the steering returnability. Thanks for info.
Something's fishy.
SAI, which means "Steering Axis Inclination", is the INWARD lean of the steering axis. Caster is the REARWARD lean of the steering axis. Caster is independently adjustable, but SAI is not. Consider why.
Camber is the outward lean of the wheel. If you make the wheel lean MORE outward, thereby making camber more positive, you unavoidably make the steering axis lean LESS inward, thereby making SAI less positive. The point is that the SUM of camber and SAI stays constant. This sum is called the "Included Angle", and its value is fixed by the design of the spindle.
So, if camber is "in spec", then SAI is "in spec" also. Camber of about 0.25 degrees produces an SAI of about 10 degrees (I'm going by memory here).
What's fishy? How in blue blazes could SAI be 20 degrees on the left? It can't, but it CAN be measured incorrectly. I suspect it was, which means I would not trust ANY of your alignment measurements.
SAI, which means "Steering Axis Inclination", is the INWARD lean of the steering axis. Caster is the REARWARD lean of the steering axis. Caster is independently adjustable, but SAI is not. Consider why.
Camber is the outward lean of the wheel. If you make the wheel lean MORE outward, thereby making camber more positive, you unavoidably make the steering axis lean LESS inward, thereby making SAI less positive. The point is that the SUM of camber and SAI stays constant. This sum is called the "Included Angle", and its value is fixed by the design of the spindle.
So, if camber is "in spec", then SAI is "in spec" also. Camber of about 0.25 degrees produces an SAI of about 10 degrees (I'm going by memory here).
What's fishy? How in blue blazes could SAI be 20 degrees on the left? It can't, but it CAN be measured incorrectly. I suspect it was, which means I would not trust ANY of your alignment measurements.
Thank you very much for detailed information. I am an engineer and I really get tired of having to research and figure things out on my own from documents and resources such as yourself. I guess we don't pay the service industry enough to employee people that enjoy understanding details of their trade and fixing hard problems!!
I thought they may have measured it wrong because they weren't even paying attention to it and said the vehicle had to have the wheels lifted for it to be measured or some crap. Anyway, I will try to find a better alignment shop.
Here is some very detailed and interesting info I found. I think the SAI was measured wrong because I noticed the brakes have to be locked and I did not see them do that at all.
Here is some very detailed and interesting info I found. I think the SAI was measured wrong because I noticed the brakes have to be locked and I did not see them do that at all.
Steering
Reference Info
Linear Mode
