Am I throwing money away with an alignment??

[mr_speed77]

Just put 31's on and went for alignment and they couldn't align it they needed these things to adjust the wheel more for extra $75. If i go off roading am i going to kill my alignment?

 

[Capt Jay]

If your going to drive it on the road, spend the money and get it done. If it's going to be off road only you don't really have to worry about it as much. Dirt is forgiving on tires, asphalt isn't. As to your question, will off road kill your alignment, it's already out of alignment. It's all about the tires.

That's just my opinion I could be wrong ( but I'm not )
Jay

 

[mr_speed77]

it's already out of alignment. It's all about the tires.

Whats this mean? Im getting it aligned as we speak. Its going to be mainly road and some off road. Whats all about the tires?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Whats this mean? Im getting it aligned as we speak. Its going to be mainly road and some off road. Whats all about the tires?

If it is only offroad the only thing it will hurt is your tires.

As long as you don't hit anything really hard or jump it your alignment should stay fine.

 

[Yellowsplash]

It depends on how many degrees it is out. I assume since you installed bigger tires you also recently upgraded to leveling springs. More than likely, the bushings that were installed at the factory have little to no adjustment in them. You can save some $ by going to your local autoparts (advance, autozone, napa) yourself and getting adjustable camber bushings that have the adjustment range needed for your vehicle. I highly recommend getting the 2 piece dual adjustable bushings from napa, or ingalls. This way you never have to buy new bushings again as they have plenty of adjustment. You can find more info on these by using the search function...

If your truck never sees asphalt, then you can install them yourself and just eye it up to get it close. But personally, I would spend the $40 to get it done right.

Also, most shops cant align a ttb to save their @$$. Find a shop that knows how and become good friends with the alignment tech. If your anything like me (constantly upgrading), you'll be back many times.

 

[MAKG]

Yes you WILL change the alignment by hard offroading. Specifically, you'll sag the front springs. This gives you negative camber. It's probably what's being fixed now (though you REALLY should be sure the balljoints, wheel bearings, and tie rod ends are all good first). However, it will take a while, and the usual 6 month alignments ought to be completely adequate, unless you're jumping the vehicle.

Most RBVs will tolerate 31s without lifting the suspension or the body. But a brand new set of good 31s is expensive enough that it's very much worth the extra money to align it right. Incorrect camber will chew up one edge of the tire, shortening its life (possibly substantially). It will also make the vehicle "pull" to one side (as will caster) on pavement.

 

[4x4junkie]

GOOD quality springs should not sag out from offroading (Skyjacker coils seem to hold their height extremely well, as well as the OE springs also).

Is your truck lifted? And if so, how much, and what drop pitman arm (or steering linkage) you have on it? These factors (specifically, your steering linkage geometry) will make some difference on whether you're pissing away the money on alignments or not.