Alignment issues

[Samsonlabs]

History:

2014 Ram 1500....34k miles on 3rd set of tires. Truck has never been wrecked or even slid off the road or into a curb.

1st set were oem Wranglers, got about 20k out of them.
2nd set were General Grabber 2s - after 1500 miles noticed odd steering and suspension problems went back to where I got them - tread had one tire at 15 mm one tire at 16 mm one at 12 mm and one at 12/13/15 mm depending where you checked, other 3 were consistent. Running 40 to 42 lbs air. Replaced under warranty.
3rd set are KO2s and have about 10k so far on them. 2 tires are sloughed off on outside edge and about wore out, (front) the other 2 have good tread but are cupped on edges. (rear) Truck gets squirrelly and vibrates over 80 mph and has over last 2 sets of tires.

Always rotated tires every oil change (5k)

OK I had them go over alignment same place I bought tires from. He put it on alignment and said there's a problem with right rear wheel. its out .84 normal is -.4 to .6. This guy says my axle tube is bent more than likely from the dealer having been dogged down too tightly on a rail car or car hauler. He is using a laser alignment device with the reflectors on every wheel. Cant align front because rear is out so bad. Starts talking whole new rear end which is going to cost about 5k in parts and labor or 3.6k if I by an entire unit and just swap them out.

This week I go to 2 other reputable alignment places. 1st one has laser unit. Says toe and camber or so bad its no wonder my tires are eat up. I ask about rear, they dont even want to talk about rear because its a straight axle...no adjustment so it is what it is. So I press them and the top alignment dude comes over and says yea your right rear wheel is out -1.1. Again no need to align because the rear is out. Admit they have seen cars brand new with bent axle housing from the dealer from being dogged too tight. They dont charge me a penny

2nd guy has 40 years in the alignment biz...does not use laser unit uses a manual level and alignment calipers. Says rear wheels are level as can be, one wheel is straight up 0° the other is a little into the negative. About as perfect as it gets. Does the front end and says good grief bad align I can fix this truck in 20 min. Says good luck getting a good alignment using a laser. I say fix it and he does. Says most of my vibration is a balance issue. Charged 71 bux. Truck runs true as can be with the tires being in the state they are in. Took it to almost 100 mph and got a bit of vibration but not squirrelly. Normal driving is pretty smooth now.

Questions: are laser level alignment units not as accurate as they are touted to be? How can laser units tell that one tire is bent in at the top but manual levels say its perfect? Should I put my faith in the laser from 2 places or believe a guy with 40 years experience who oversaw/ helped a guy with 23 yrs experience) I know exactly **** about alignments. Anyone got any insight please?

 

[joshuaeb09]

In my experience an alignment is only as good as the tech doing it no matter the tools involved. Anyone can follow the directions for using a machine, but unless they really know the in's and out's of setting up the suspension they're just following whatever the machine says is ok based on the specs in its database. I would much rather have an alignment from a true professional using basic tools than from a guy with a fancy machine, but doesn't really have much knowledge about what he's doing. I've known a few guys that have gotten better alignments out at a track day from a guy with basic tools than from your run of the mill auto shop using a machine.

 

[misfit77]

If it helps. I have a used 4x4 2014. I swear the crappy Wrangler sra were new when I bought it. Probably didn't get 20k before nearly bald and a blow out on the trail. I just write this down as cheap ass tires.

I have taken my truck to get the lifetime alignment at Firestone multiple times as a maintenance thing. I feel like my new Arturo a/t tires are wearing fast. Recently the dealer aligned it (long story). Now I see my passenger side is cupping.

I am now convinced it's Rams fault.

 

[Samsonlabs]

well now I have been told that since the wheel measures completely different at different areas of rotation, its not the housing but the axle cap itself and possibly the axle....gonna take it back to the original place and see what happens when we take that wheel off and measure...

 

[Gary2]

I think some 1500s had a rear axle shaft issue that Ram will fix . I know FCA replaced my buddys axle on his 2015 he bought a few months ago when doing some of the recalls the previous owner never took care of . . LOOK UP Recall R59

 

[misfit77]

Tell me more of this axle shaft issue.

Mine looks like it came out about .75 inch. I don't how it's possible with the track bar and all.

 

[Samsonlabs]

Well the RC59 is for select 15s and 16s so thats not it. I talked with the original guy stuck it on the lift and measured and came to the same conclusion the manual alignment guy said...the tire is not out, the wheel is not bent, nor is the axle. Rotated and measured the tire/rim at different places and didnt find anything wrong. So now the original guy says hes now wondering about the calibration of his laser tool. Im gonna run these a few 1000 miles and see how bad they wear or if they even wear at all. They are ruined mostly but got enough tread to run awhile. I think the front end was way out of alignment, wore the tires, I rotated them and they ran funny at higher speeds being not level. Then after rotating them back to the front and trying to measure a 4 pt laser alignment it showed the right rear as being way out due to the odd wear of the tire among other things. However I am gonna go one more set of tires soon and see if that changes the scope of the alignment. A buddy told me that most places will tell you that bigger tires or being jacked up, if they can align a truck to within an inch of being true they call it good. I wouldnt but what ya gonna do? I run stock 20" rims and stock tire size in a slightly heavier tread pattern (KO2s). As far as lift I put bilstein 5100s to level the front (to within about .75" rake to front)