Alignment issues.... HELP!!!

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USMCBuckWild

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Took my 2012 El Limited 4wd ESC rear air suspension to get a 4 wheel alignment. It drove straight as an arrow, no pull, no drag. When it was on the rack getting aligned BOTH passenger side wheels were toed in out of spec.

Set all 4 wheels to perfect spec (literally right on Ford OEM spec) and the truck pulls to the right. Back on the rack and verified all alignment measurements, everything was still spot on. Truck still pulls.

Rotated all 4 wheels and teat drove again. Still pulled right. Back on machine and verified, still spot on. Now attempted to aleviate the right drift by setting caster forward on right side. Its now well out of spec for right side caster but doesn't pull much at all.

All suspension components are good and tight. No ball joint issues, no wheel bearing issues, no brake drag, nothing bent or misaligned. Truck has never been hit or wrecked.

WTF can we do?!?!?
 

Big Brian

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I would still look at tire pull. I worked for a few years in a Ford dealer as a front end mechanic (many years ago)

Did you try swapping the 2 front tires with each other? Why did you have it aligned? Were the tires wearing unevenly?
 
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USMCBuckWild

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I would still look at tire pull. I worked for a few years in a Ford dealer as a front end mechanic (many years ago)

Did you try swapping the 2 front tires with each other? Why did you have it aligned? Were the tires wearing unevenly?

Rotated tires all the way around. Front tires were initialy swapped side to side them properly rotated.

Front tired had a mild amount of chop on inner AND outer tread blocks but no other uneven wear on any of the tires.
 

Flexpedition

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At a shop raise the vehicle so all 4 tires are slightly off the ground. Center steering wheel. Start the vehicle and let it idle. After a minute or two at most, are the front wheels still nice and strait? If still strait, enter the vehicle and with your hands never touching the steering wheel, rev it up and hold a couple thousand RPMs. The wheels should stay strait & centered. Slightly turn left and allow it to recenter. Do the same for right. If any issues, you should see them here.

If the truck is turning itself, could be a seal inside the steering rack, boost cylinder piston, hydraulic line damaged, etc. This is all assuming power steering fluid is nice and clean and at 90K hopefully not original, there are or have been no leaks, and reservoir is and has been full. You've eliminated brakes and alignment, so check out steering rack.

Also assuming all 4 tires are of the same make/model and tread wear/PSI are all about even.
 

Flexpedition

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Sorry - also, on a nice flat spot measure center of wheel opening to ground at all 4 corners. Not sure exactly what the height should be, but you are looking for consistency. Both rear measurements should be the same, fronts should be as well. For S&G, maybe try with the rear air suspension turned off in the message center.
 

Adieu

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The shop screwed it up, it was good before right?
 
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USMCBuckWild

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At a shop raise the vehicle so all 4 tires are slightly off the ground. Center steering wheel. Start the vehicle and let it idle. After a minute or two at most, are the front wheels still nice and strait? If still strait, enter the vehicle and with your hands never touching the steering wheel, rev it up and hold a couple thousand RPMs. The wheels should stay strait & centered. Slightly turn left and allow it to recenter. Do the same for right. If any issues, you should see them here.

If the truck is turning itself, could be a seal inside the steering rack, boost cylinder piston, hydraulic line damaged, etc. This is all assuming power steering fluid is nice and clean and at 90K hopefully not original, there are or have been no leaks, and reservoir is and has been full. You've eliminated brakes and alignment, so check out steering rack.

Also assuming all 4 tires are of the same make/model and tread wear/PSI are all about even.

Looked over the rack and and the power steering fluid was flushed and changed when I bought it (by me with AMSOIL)

All 4 tires are new Michelins with about 10k on them, are at 38psi and balanced out as they are.
 
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