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Alignment issues

Sierra706

By Sierra706
in Troubleshooting & Recalls

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Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
Posted

Has anyone here ever knocked out their alignment on normal day to day driving? On my way home the other day I noticed a shimmy in the truck driving, and my tires rubbed the fender liner turning right. Upon visual inspection it seems as if my right front wheel is toed out slightly, and the camber plates look as if they have moved recently, as the dust and road grime is scraped/moved right next to it. My steering wheel also now has a slight cock left.

 

Haven't hit any major potholes, but I did drive over a curb at the ATM that day. When I say drive I mean pull up to and slowly crawl over, not smash into, with only my right side wheels. Is it possible the camber plates moved with a slow speed articulation? I have cognito UCAs and currently have stock shocks with a 2.5 inch spacer as my fox coilovers are being serviced. Everything seems nice and tight.

 

 

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SuperSierra Enthusiast

SuperSierra

Posted
Posted

Has anyone here ever knocked out their alignment on normal day to day driving? On my way home the other day I noticed a shimmy in the truck driving, and my tires rubbed the fender liner turning right. Upon visual inspection it seems as if my right front wheel is toed out slightly, and the camber plates look as if they have moved recently, as the dust and road grime is scraped/moved right next to it. My steering wheel also now has a slight cock left.

 

Haven't hit any major potholes, but I did drive over a curb at the ATM that day. When I say drive I mean pull up to and slowly crawl over, not smash into, with only my right side wheels. Is it possible the camber plates moved with a slow speed articulation? I have cognito UCAs and currently have stock shocks with a 2.5 inch spacer as my fox coilovers are being serviced. Everything seems nice and tight.

 

 

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I honestly would take it to your dealership, have them look at it. It's most likely nothing you did and it's probably under warranty.

 

Worst off they give you a Tahoe to rip around in for a couple days.

 

 

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O_J_Simpson Senior Enthusiast

O_J_Simpson

Posted
Posted

I honestly would take it to your dealership, have them look at it. It's most likely nothing you did and it's probably under warranty.

 

Worst off they give you a Tahoe to rip around in for a couple days.

 

 

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Warranty does not cover driving over a curb on a lifted truck with an aftermarket suspension.

 

OP - Time to find a good front end shop. Something is bent and needs to be replaced.

SuperSierra Enthusiast

SuperSierra

Posted
Posted

Well you don't say what you did lol, I also didn't read he had a lift.

 

If it's a level, that is factory approved your warranty is fine.

 

He probably just need an alignment.

 

 

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Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
  • Author
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Yeah I'd have to pay for an alignment. I'm gonna stop by for a quickie alignment check after work. But seriously I crawled over it. No way that moves the camber plates right?

 

 

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OldBlue61 Enthusiast

OldBlue61

Posted
Posted

Yeah I'd have to pay for an alignment. I'm gonna stop by for a quickie alignment check after work. But seriously I crawled over it. No way that moves the camber plates right?

 

 

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In my experience, I would say no, something like that should not move them.

Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Update. Well the right toe was off by 1 degree. Caster and camber were still within spec, but caster had gone from 2.3 to 3.7 and camber from 0.2 to -0.96. So something must have happened. Left side was almost exactly the same. Still baffled by it, no way that slow speed articulation did that. And I don't recall any colossal bumps.

 

 

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Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
  • Author
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My guess is they were not properly torqued after alignment. Get it aligned then "torque" stripe it so you can monitor the plates.

 

This is a common problem in the off-road world even with torqued to spec alignment cams. So much so they make a fix for it!

http://shop.dirtkingfabrication.com/Upper-Arm-Alignment-Cams-DK-632919.htm

 

 

Great idea I will do that thanks. If it ever happens again I will be getting those cam plates

 

 

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Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
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Went back today to have them adjust the caster and camber and he marked the plates. I think he must have used brake cleaner [emoji849]. Gonna have to recoat that area before it rusts. 35aa95837bb2435b3c20800d6e7c6ba0.jpg7b35fe8cff3d99c47f55b0bfac3afc7e.jpg6224c9b424492899ba3d5b29ff22c17c.jpg

 

 

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Thomcat Senior Enthusiast

Thomcat

Posted
Posted

Yeah I'd have to pay for an alignment. I'm gonna stop by for a quickie alignment check after work. But seriously I crawled over it. No way that moves the camber plates right?

 

 

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Not necessarily....everything works fine until it doesn't. Some other jolt or just vibrations from driving with a bolt not torqued to spec loosened the adjustment it to the point where the curb was the straw that broke the camel's back.

aaronarf Enthusiast

aaronarf

Posted
Posted

Went back today to have them adjust the caster and camber and he marked the plates. I think he must have used brake cleaner [emoji849]. Gonna have to recoat that area before it rusts. 35aa95837bb2435b3c20800d6e7c6ba0.jpg7b35fe8cff3d99c47f55b0bfac3afc7e.jpg6224c9b424492899ba3d5b29ff22c17c.jpg

 

 

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I hate the factory coating...nasty stuff. I'd hate to be a Chevy tech just for that reason.

SuperSierra Enthusiast

SuperSierra

Posted
Posted

 

 

I hate the factory coating...nasty stuff. I'd hate to be a Chevy tech just for that reason.

so true

 

 

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Dezrado Enthusiast

Dezrado

Posted
Posted

I was running with the same issue but i have a complete bolt on midtravel kit and even lost the nipples the plates guide off from, i know that i was putting alot of pressure on the cam bolts when i was offroading

 

I got so tired of it that i went ahead and modified my UCAs to heimed ends for alignment, and welded plates to the chassis to bolt the heims, no elongated hole to align off of, now i jus move them heims in or out and my alignment is locked in for ever, only way to change it is by removing the bolt and turning the heim. Havent had an issue since then.

Sierra706 Senior Enthusiast

Sierra706

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I was running with the same issue but i have a complete bolt on midtravel kit and even lost the nipples the plates guide off from, i know that i was putting alot of pressure on the cam bolts when i was offroading

 

I got so tired of it that i went ahead and modified my UCAs to heimed ends for alignment, and welded plates to the chassis to bolt the heims, no elongated hole to align off of, now i jus move them heims in or out and my alignment is locked in for ever, only way to change it is by removing the bolt and turning the heim. Havent had an issue since then.

Got a picture of your setup?

 

 

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