D2 Steering issues after alignment

[mastercamper]

I replaced the track rod and drag link bar on my 03. Had it lined up and afterward the wheel had a lot of pay and wasn't centered and the print out had a lot of red on it. it was all over the road. Finally took it back after 1,000 miles told them the issues and the wheel was off center. They put it on the rack brought it out and the guy gave me a long story that the wheel couldn't be centered and that was the nature of the the truck, told him i'd never had an issue in 17 years. The wheel is now off center to the other side and still has play, not as bad on the road. Plus this print out has less red and is more in spec than the first time.
So how can I get the wheel centered? I'm going to replace the stabilizer to see if that helps any other things to check?

 

[boxster]

I replaced the track rod and drag link bar on my 03. Had it lined up and afterward the wheel had a lot of pay and wasn't centered and the print out had a lot of red on it. it was all over the road. Finally took it back after 1,000 miles told them the issues and the wheel was off center. They put it on the rack brought it out and the guy gave me a long story that the wheel couldn't be centered and that was the nature of the the truck, told him i'd never had an issue in 17 years. The wheel is now off center to the other side and still has play, not as bad on the road. Plus this print out has less red and is more in spec than the first time.
So how can I get the wheel centered? I'm going to replace the stabilizer to see if that helps any other things to check?

First off try to get your money back from the guy that doesn’t know what he’s doing. Take your Rover to an alignment shop that gives you results not excuses. Unfortunately now days it’s hard to find reputable shops.

 

[LRDONE]

I've done my own alignment on the our rack and it's really easy to do if you know what you're doing. With new hardware it took me maybe 20 minutes. Find someone new.

 

[4Runner]

I love hearing crap like that. I do my own alignments and took my D1 to get new tires. As part of that, they offered to check the alignment. When I went to pick it up and asked about it , I was informed that there aren’t any adjustments for that so they didn’t check it. I am positive that your wheel can be straight. Where have all the troubleshooter/ technicians gone?
so if your track bar bushings were worn and now they aren’t, the front axle got moved over to the right. That changes the steering wheel center. All you have to do is adjust the bar between the steering box and the passenger side wheel till your steering wheel is straight again. Do small adjustments, lock it down and go drive it. When was that last time someone tightened up the steering box itself? How are the rest of your suspension bushings on both the front and rear? There’s a track bar set up on the rear axle as well. If your rear is moving around, it can feel like the front is loose too. Sometimes when that stuff gets worn it kind of preloads itself to one side and it doesn’t feel that loose till you replace one component that now allows all the slop to show itself. Unless you are on 35’s + with 5” of lift, there is no reason why you can have a good driving disco.

 

[mastercamper]

This was the first alignment its had and was fine. It pisses me off when these guys try to blow smoke up my ass over these trucks. I've got 2 so I almost know what I'm talking about.
The steering box has never been touched. Other than a sway bar end that's been broken for 15 years, didn't change handling. I believe everything is good. I'll double check it when it stops raining.
I'll start with adjusting to get the wheel lined up first.

 

[alw85]

I love hearing crap like that. I do my own alignments and took my D1 to get new tires. As part of that, they offered to check the alignment. When I went to pick it up and asked about it , I was informed that there aren’t any adjustments for that so they didn’t check it. I am positive that your wheel can be straight. Where have all the troubleshooter/ technicians gone?
so if your track bar bushings were worn and now they aren’t, the front axle got moved over to the right. That changes the steering wheel center. All you have to do is adjust the bar between the steering box and the passenger side wheel till your steering wheel is straight again. Do small adjustments, lock it down and go drive it. When was that last time someone tightened up the steering box itself? How are the rest of your suspension bushings on both the front and rear? There’s a track bar set up on the rear axle as well. If your rear is moving around, it can feel like the front is loose too. Sometimes when that stuff gets worn it kind of preloads itself to one side and it doesn’t feel that loose till you replace one component that now allows all the slop to show itself. Unless you are on 35’s + with 5” of lift, there is no reason why you can have a good driving disco.

Do you have information on how to tighten up the steering box? Mine has a little play on a 2-3 inch lift and I'd like to see if I could tighten it up.

 

[kris812]

Check those panhard bushings on the front! Have someone wiggle the steering wheel while you look.

It's possible that the steering box is set off to the side and not centered, as they're only Tight in the center position.

If you tighten up the steering box in this situation, turn left or right and it'll get Too tight as you hit the real center of the box.

You can check if this is the case by turning the wheel left and right and see if it gets tighter off center.

So you center the box/steering by adjusting the drag link behind the tires. You then easily center the steering wheel with the box to wheel track rod. 1/2 a turn is equal to about 1/8 steering wheel offset.


I agree, get your money back and go elsewhere that has half a brain.

 

[K-rover]

I bought a set of TMR alignment plates and haven't gone back to an alignment shop since! Start with the front bar. That will get your wheel straight. Once that's straight. Adjust the rear bar until there's about 1/8" toe in.

DIY Toe Alignment Tool

TMR Customs stocks the tools to get your off-road project finished! Check out the DIY Toe Alignment tool and save the cost of an alignment after a rough off-road use!

www.tmrcustoms.com

 

[4Runner]

I bought a set of TMR alignment plates and haven't gone back to an alignment shop since! Start with the front bar. That will get your wheel straight. Once that's straight. Adjust the rear bar until there's about 1/8" toe in.

DIY Toe Alignment Tool

TMR Customs stocks the tools to get your off-road project finished! Check out the DIY Toe Alignment tool and save the cost of an alignment after a rough off-road use!

www.tmrcustoms.com

Oooo. I strap two 5’ levels to the wheels making sure the tire writing or side tread doesn’t interfere and a string on two jack stands for front to back tracking. But I like those too. I would just need a few different sets. That’s the only down side I see.

 

[StangGT5]

Having to find a good shop is very tough these days, but a solid-axle setup is the easiest thing to align. I miss my family's shops for free access to alignment racks and exhaust benders.

Are there any race shops or 4WD stores near you? I lucked into a tuner shop that does track alignments after building a foxbody a couple years ago. They're real car guys (as much as Honda people can be); I just tell them what I want and they do it regardless of the suspension design or vehicle.

You replaced your panhard/track rod and your drag link. What about your tie rod ends? How are the balljoints?

 

[mastercamper]

Having to find a good shop is very tough these days, but a solid-axle setup is the easiest thing to align. I miss my family's shops for free access to alignment racks and exhaust benders.

Are there any race shops or 4WD stores near you? I lucked into a tuner shop that does track alignments after building a foxbody a couple years ago. They're real car guys (as much as Honda people can be); I just tell them what I want and they do it regardless of the suspension design or vehicle.

You replaced your panhard/track rod and your drag link. What about your tie rod ends? How are the balljoints?

Ends were replaced ball joints look good,
No Shops close, I don't even have a shop in town that does alignments. I've got a mechanic friend that I'm going to get to help out. He's done alignments and knows what he's doing.

 

[jvarnadoe]

I bought a set of TMR alignment plates and haven't gone back to an alignment shop since! Start with the front bar. That will get your wheel straight. Once that's straight. Adjust the rear bar until there's about 1/8" toe in.

DIY Toe Alignment Tool

TMR Customs stocks the tools to get your off-road project finished! Check out the DIY Toe Alignment tool and save the cost of an alignment after a rough off-road use!

www.tmrcustoms.com

I just ordered a set. Thanks for posting this. I've replaced the tie-rod ends and I'm in the process of replacing all the bushings, so this will come in handy.

 

[rovercanus]

I bought a set of TMR alignment plates and haven't gone back to an alignment shop since! Start with the front bar. That will get your wheel straight. Once that's straight. Adjust the rear bar until there's about 1/8" toe in.

DIY Toe Alignment Tool

TMR Customs stocks the tools to get your off-road project finished! Check out the DIY Toe Alignment tool and save the cost of an alignment after a rough off-road use!

www.tmrcustoms.com

I need these for my atv. Thanks for spending my money!