Wheel alignment?

[lockwoodjd]

I've got 13,000 on my truck and the service agent just asked me if I wanted to get a recommended wheel alignment. I haven't noticed any pulling or uneven wear. I haven't done any crazy offloading, or hit deep potholes or gone over large rocks, etc.. asking you experts- Is this really necessary? TIA.

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[josiahg52]

I've got 13,000 on my truck and the service agent just asked me if I wanted to get a recommended wheel alignment. I haven't noticed any pulling or uneven wear. I haven't done any crazy offloading, or hit deep potholes or gone over large rocks, etc.. asking you experts- Is this really necessary? TIA.

I just have 4000 miles on mine and didn't notice anything. I like to run very low toe-in on the front so I took it my alignment guy and it was pretty bad from the factory. I feel better knowing what it is aligned to and that it's going to help minimize tire wear. I have the alignment rechecked every 10k miles, every other 5k tire rotation.

Necessary? I say yes. Having the dealer do it? Absolutely not. Factory alignment specifications are way too wide for my taste. Find an alignment shop and probably pay less (my guy charges $70-100) and get it done right.

There's a couple alignment threads with detailed numbers.

 

[sscarter]

I've got 13,000 on my truck and the service agent just asked me if I wanted to get a recommended wheel alignment. I haven't noticed any pulling or uneven wear. I haven't done any crazy offloading, or hit deep potholes or gone over large rocks, etc.. asking you experts- Is this really necessary? TIA.

"Recommended wheel alignment"? Is this officially recommended by Toyota for 6th-gen? I've never seen anything about frequent alignments in the 5th-gen maintenance recommendations.

I have 180K on my 2019 and have never had an alignment after the initial one following my installation of a modest, front-leveling lift when the vehicle was new. My tires have always worn evenly and have had long life. I don't do any rock crawling but have been on plenty of rough terrain in the back-country. The alignment has remained good.

 

[lockwoodjd]

"Recommended wheel alignment"? Is this officially recommended by Toyota for 6th-gen? I've never seen anything about frequent alignments in the 5th-gen maintenance recommendations.

I have 180K on my 2019 and have never had an alignment after the initial one following my installation of a modest, front-leveling lift when the vehicle was new. My tires have always worn evenly and have had long life. I don't do any rock crawling but have been on plenty of rough terrain in the back-country. The alignment has remained good.

Thank you, I told him that I didn't think I needed a wheel alignment, but if he saw anything sus to call me. He did not call.

 

[SteveS]

Its an upsell. I would have asked where that is on the official Toyota maintenance like for 13K. Its not. Now, if you had uneven wear, it might be worth looking at. When I get new tires, I'll check the wear pattern carefully a for a few months before. If even, no alignment needed.

If you want reassurance you can always get it done as stated earlier but I hear some shops do not have the correct data for the alignment machines and the 4Runner.

 

[lockwoodjd]

Its an upsell. I would have asked where that is on the official Toyota maintenance like for 13K. Its not. Now, if you had uneven wear, it might be worth looking at. When I get new tires, I'll check the wear pattern carefully a for a few months before. If even, no alignment needed.

If you want reassurance you can always get it done as stated earlier but I hear some shops do not have the correct data for the alignment machines and the 4Runner.

yeah, I just looked at the maintenance plan and also did a Google search, alignment is not even listed as scheduled maintenance. Now I'm just annoyed that they came at me with that shit.

 

[MikeK]

"Recommended wheel alignment"? Is this officially recommended by Toyota for 6th-gen? I've never seen anything about frequent alignments in the 5th-gen maintenance recommendations.

I have 180K on my 2019 and have never had an alignment after the initial one following my installation of a modest, front-leveling lift when the vehicle was new. My tires have always worn evenly and have had long life. I don't do any rock crawling but have been on plenty of rough terrain in the back-country. The alignment has remained good.

Wheel alignment should be checked every couple of years or 12,000-15,000 miles. That's just a fact with all cars, it's not just a 4runner thing.
Does that mean an alignment is always needed at those intervals? No
Driving conditions are a big factor, but I can guarantee that at 180k miles, your vehicle can use an alignment. Suspension and steering components wear out and that wear affects the geometry/ angles.

 

[MikeK]

yeah, I just looked at the maintenance plan and also did a Google search, alignment is not even listed as scheduled maintenance. Now I'm just annoyed that they came at me with that shit.

Wheel alignment, on any car, is recommended to be checked every couple of years or 12,000-15,000 miles.
That doesn't necessarily mean your vehicle needs an alignment, but as components wear over time, it's good to have it checked because some angles can be out of spec.

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