Steering wheel off after alignment

[EdGs]

I got my 2015 SLT QC 2wd in Sept of 2017 with 28.6 k miles. I took it in to a new Ram dealership that had only been open for a month or two for recalls when it had about 48k on it. I come back after a couple hours, and the service adviser shows me this, and says I should get my alignment done because it is out of whack:

I said to him, "If my alignment is so bad, how come I have put almost 20k miles on her, and there is NO pull and my tire wear is even?"

He stammered a bit and said, "You're not the first one that's said this. Maybe our machine is off."

Yeah, maybe. Or maybe you just tried to screw me, and got called on it.

I did not have it realigned then or since. Still drives straight and still has even tire wear, almost 80k miles later.

 

[bm02tj]

A good shop will find a piece of road and lane to be in to check alignment as not all roads have correct crown

 

[BWL]

I give them the one more shot then I will get the money back and take it to the dealer to fix. Just sucks lately, just seems every shop around is under staff or filled with new people. I been going to this shop for years and they done a number of cars and suv for me and never had this issue.

I feel you. My local dealership has always been excellent, but since the pandemic they've had massive staff turnover and nothing seems fixable there any more with the current staff. Going to try a 5th time to get my power locks to work next time I have a chance. Fingers crossed. I'm sure you'll get your steering wheel straight eventually. Just sucks having all that down time waiting on the same problem to be corrected multiple times.

 

[GsRAM]

Having the steer ahead alingment (steering wheel straight) is also a major pet peeve of mine. When my dealer replaced my drag link I asked them to ensure my wheel is dead straight before they call me that its done and thankfully it is.

 

[GsRAM]

I got my 2015 SLT QC 2wd in Sept of 2017 with 28.6 k miles. I took it in to a new Ram dealership that had only been open for a month or two for recalls when it had about 48k on it. I come back after a couple hours, and the service adviser shows me this, and says I should get my alignment done because it is out of whack:
View attachment 474003
I said to him, "If my alignment is so bad, how come I have put almost 20k miles on her, and there is NO pull and my tire wear is even?"

He stammered a bit and said, "You're not the first one that's said this. Maybe our machine is off."

Yeah, maybe. Or maybe you just tried to screw me, and got called on it.

I did not have it realigned then or since. Still drives straight and still has even tire wear, almost 80k miles later.

What a bunch of crap. More stealership games. How would they know if your alingment is off unless they put it on the alingment rack and installed the sensors like you would for an alingment? Absent of any obvious irregular tire wear or pulling going down the road, crooked wheel or other obvious broken suspension components, how can they put that on paper?

I couldn't sleep at night if I treated people that way.

 

[EdGs]

What a bunch of crap. More stealership games. How would they know if your alingment is off unless they put it on the alingment rack and installed the sensors like you would for an alingment? Absent of any obvious irregular tire wear or pulling going down the road, crooked wheel or other obvious broken suspension components, how can they put that on paper?

I couldn't sleep at night if I treated people that way.

It took me by surprise as well, because I only brought it in for the recalls.

I was more p*ssed off that they did something that I never asked for in the first place. I was going to have the other Ram dealership in my area change my transmission pan and fluid, and was prepared to be hosed in the process, but they never called me back (twice) to quote it.

I ended up doing the work myself, with help and guidance from this forum, and glad that it worked out that way.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Reminds me of the time I had my tranny fluid replaced at a shop ..20 years ago. I would normally always do my only fluid change, but I flew out cross-country to get this car. Anyway, shop guy pulls out a cup with a big hunk of aluminum in it and says they found it in the pan. They recommended replacing the tranny. I'm like, "Put er back together boys!" ha ha. Well I never had any issues.

About a yr later my aunt (who lives in that town) said the shop had been on their their local TV where they got busted for trying to sell bogus repairs. Then apparently a lot of people came out of the woodwork and had their own stories how the shop tried to scam them... lol.

I don't want to paint all shops negatively, most (I HOPE) are good and honest. But sadly, the few bad ones make ya gun-shy when presented with issues. So, yaeah, always ask follow up questions.

 

[Doug Ram]

The bottom line is that most dealers and franchise tire and auto repair shops really don't know how to do a good alignment, so I am not surprised.

But if they can't even get the wheel straight, I'd be asking for my alignment money back and taking it to a real alignment shop.

I am spoiled, in "nearby" Auburn, NY we have a suspension shop called BEE-LINE ALIGNMENT. They do nothing but suspension work. He tells me his biggest customer base is local government road snow equipment and fixing cars that supposedly could not be aligned at other shops. It's been there for 50 years, same family, same location. They've practically taken over the alignment business locally. Every reputable auto repair shop around here uses them to do the final alignment after any suspension repair they do themselves or after any lift installation, accident etc.

Most larger cities have someone like this, but you have to look for them.

 

[Mark DeRoncey]

Hey guys

Last week I had our local tire place replace my tires with Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT and they said my alignment was out, they check every car they put new tires on. I told them to make sure the steering wheel is straight because it bothers the heck out of me when its not. Well I get it back and its not, its few degrees to the right. So yesterday I made them redo it and they still cant get it straight. They gave me the print out and each time the markers are all in the center and green. Now they are telling me I need to bring it back next Monday because they want their advance tech to look at it, he was on vaca this week. Are these trucks that hard to get teh wheel straight after a alignment? My truck is a 2018 Ram 1500 Express, Hemi with 20" wheels. The truck drive straight, no wondering, just the steering wheel is off.

Thanks
Joe

 

[Mark DeRoncey]

The alignment can be correct and the steering wheel be off-center. Whoever did the alignment just forgot to center and lock the wheel before starting. Made this mistake a couple of times when I first started doing alignments. Easy fix - they can put it on the rack and adjust the toe. It can even be done off the rack but it is easier on the swivels.

 

[Gary Fields]

This is a simple adjustment. They may have the toe-in set correctly and the driving wheels are aligned, but this has to be in relation to the steering wheel. Basically they need to adjust the toe-in to add some on one side and remove from the other till the wheels are aligned when the steering wheel is straight. In effect all three need to be aligned. The guy doing the alignment is either not well trained or simply being lazy. Keep pestering them till they get it right.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

This is why I still have a tape measure, a level and a old school bubble balancer. All the technology machines and nobody knows how to use them!

 

[br427]

Having done Alignments for 30 plus years, I can tell you that some vehicles have a bit of slop in the steering box and if you don't work it back and forth and basically center the slop before you lock the steering wheel, (asuming you do), the wheel center will be off. Poor Alignment job, especially on a Pick Up, where things are easy.

 

[br427]

Don't get me started on alignment shops! My experience is they arent very good at getting the wheel perfectly straight because to do that really requires a road test and possibly several tweaking adjustments ...which take time that is hard to charge for. You probably had a 'beginner' doing it in the first place and they obviously didn't road-test it (a lot of shops don't).

Get the 'good' alignnment guy on it and ask him to road test your truck before you pick it up and you'll pay a little extra if need be to get the wheel 100% ON THE MONEY. Not 5% off kilter ...100%.

Getting the steering wheel 100% 'perfectly' straight going down the road is a finicky adjustment. More than most guys think. You have to accommodate for the crown in the road (different road conditions), different vehicle speeds, and other variables that machines don't always match. It really does take a road-test (usually multiple adjustments and multiple road tests) to prove it's 100% straight on a few different kinds of roads and speeds. Shops don't always want to do because it's difficult to recoup that time on a 'budget' alignment. It takes a good alignment guy who has that 'get it 100% right' mentality vs the tech who thinks 'close enough' is good. I always set my own vehicles' tow and have for man. Crown of the road applies to Castor and Camber, not Toe. Toe affects Steering Wheel position, not the other adjustments.

 

[njjeff201]

Correct alignment will save your new tires. It’s kind of an ‘investment’ Best time for an alignment is with new tires. Ask for the print out when done… if they got lazy you will see it before you leave. Toe in/toe out used to be last but remember all alignments effect one another. Get that print out!!

 

[daCelt]

As has been mentioned, locking the wheel and making sure setting the correct toe during the job will take care of it. I think I messed this up once... my first time on a Hunter machine. After that, I knew... My shop foreman made me buy the crew a pizza lunch... I never forgot again... that was 1989. I'm sure alignment machines and even steering tech has changed since I turned wrenches for a living but I also agree that truing up the steering wheel is "Alignment 101"

 

[oldguy2]

I was a mechanic for 30 years and I could straighten your wheel in my driveway with no alignment machine. The toe is correct but one tie rod is pointed in too much and one is pointed out too much. When I started in the business we had to get the wheel straight by eye but now there is no reason to get it wrong unless the machine is not correct.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

I was a mechanic for 30 years and I could straighten your wheel in my driveway with no alignment machine. The toe is correct but one tie rod is pointed in too much and one is pointed out too much. When I started in the business we had to get the wheel straight by eye but now there is no reason to get it wrong unless the machine is not correct.

Amen 100%

 

[TomB 1269]

Road crown can make a perfect alignment seem as though the steer wheel is not centered and that the truck is pulling.

 

[John Sabatula]

I called the local ram dealership last week to make a appointment to get my 18 cc lb ram lined up as I just put new tires on it and it seemed to pull a lil bit right. I drop the vehicle off b4 they open and get a ride back after work , the dealership said we couldn't line up your truck . I asked why they said it's to long for the machine never called or anything. Now these jackwagons knew the length of the truck prior to making the appointment. They reccomended that I go next door to the Ford dealership to have the alignment. Make a appointment take it the Ford dealer , they line it up all seems OK, I asked the lady what was wrong with it and she had no idea. I pay the bill and leave go home and see she hit my credit card twice for the alignment. Guess I'll try and stop by or call my credit card company.
Honestly is everyone that incompetent anymore?

My dad was none happy either with the same ram dealership 1hour 15 minutes to change the oil with a appointment, they called the next day and asked him how the service was, he let them have it with both barrels for his truck and my alignment fiasco there. Sorry for the rant..