Alignment help in PDX

Looking for some help. Recently put 285/70r17 Ridge Grapplers and SCS Ray 10’s in a 17x8.5 with -10 offset on my 2018 ORP. Replaced same size KO2 with 17x9 -6offset wheels. Had 4wheel parts do an alignment and getting pulled to the right. Took it back after I drove off and they said everything is right. I am still getting pulled to the right. Does anyone know of another alignment shop in the Portland area or any suggestions? I am going to have Discount rebalance the tires before I go back to the shop, but curious if anyone has had this experience? Thanks.

 

Unless it is shaking i would not bother with re- balancing, but i would try to find a place for the alignment, sorry I can’t recommend a place.

 

When I would have Toyota do the normal services and they rotated the tires, I would always have to have them balanced because they would pull to the right when I drove off the lot. That’s why I was considering trying to balance them again.

 

You can try cross rotating the front wheels. If the pull then goes to the left, you know the pull is being caused by the tires.

 

Firestone does lifetime alignments. It's like 150 bucks and you can take the vehicle back whenever to have it re aligned. We have a couple firestones down in Eugene. I know there's atleast one in Salem. I would think there are some up near you.

 

You can (pay someone to) do straight track balance. Machines that can road force balance can also straight track, if measures the natural tire pull in each tire and you label them 1-4 you balance them. At the end it will tell you which number to put in which location for the lowest amount of tire pull.

K02S have garbage build quality and they are notorious for not wanting balance out correctly. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if there was a tire pull. The problem with straight track is you need to find a tire guy that’s not a total idiot, that’s hard to come by.
Also what does the alignment look like? If you live in an area with lots of road crown you can tweak caster to make it track better on crowned roads. Is it lifted? You want higher caster than stock spec if you raise it for more stability to offset the higher center of gravity.

There’s a few different things that could be at play here.

 

Had the EXACT thing happen. I took it to Henderson Auto in Tigard. They were AWESOME and fixed my problem. They are off Burnham St in old town.

PS. I cross rotated the tires like someone above suggested. Did no good. Alignment was my problem.

 

I appreciate the feedback. Did the cross rotation, still pulling. Taking it to Alignment Specialties tomorrow to realign based on a suggestion from Accessory Outfitters in Aloha. Fingers crossed. If not, might give Henderson a call.

 

I have an Icon Stage 2 lift with SPC UCA. I took it to 4wheel parts to align since they did the install on the lift and my last alignment. I’ve driven on some recently (within the last two weeks) paved roads, and roads I drive on a regular basis. I know it is pulling to the right. The Toyota logo on the steering wheel has to be turned almost to 11 o’clock while I’m driving. Something is clearly off.

 

Steering wheel being off center is not the same thing as the vehicle pulling.

A crooked steering wheel is a crooked steering wheel, a drift is when you let go of the steering wheel and the vehicle slowly drifts off out of the lane, a pull is when you let go of the steering wheel and the vehicle wants to stuff itself directly into a ditch. Different problems with different solutions...

 

Lol. I do understand that and since changing wheels and tires I am experiencing both drifting and crooked steering wheel. Prior to the change, no drifting issues and no steering wheel issue. I wouldn’t categorize it as “pull” the way you described it. But unless I recenter, I will end up in the ditch as you describe.

 

Assuming nothing major is work/bent/broken the steering wheel being offset is 100% an alignment issue. When you adjust toe you move the steering wheels to straight and level and then mechanically adjust the tie rods based off the steering wheel determining straight ahead. Changing tires doesn’t affect the steering angle.

I can’t even tell you how many times over the last decade and a half people have come in claiming their alignment “pulls to the right” when in the fact the vehicle drives perfect but the steering wheel is off to the left, so when you turn alight right to make the steering wheel visually level it steers the vehicle to the right.

Another common was a pull while driving and you find one tire either very under inflated because they keep resetting the TPMS system instead of actually checking it, or a tire “looked low” so they set it by feel based on when it looked right so there’s now 95 psi one 1 tire.