2014 Tahoe - Still slight right pull after tie rods + alignment… anyone else?

[2591tdj]

Hey guys,


Quick update on my 2014 Tahoe LT saga. Replaced both inner tie rods myself (Moog EV800084) after Les Schwab spotted tiny play (~1/8” more on one side). Boots had a couple drops of PS fluid — seals were cooked/greasy/loose. Steering feels smoother now (looser in a good way, no fighting), no clunks or pops since the strut/end link job I did earlier.


Took it back for alignment today — printout showed barely out of spec (minor toe/caster tweaks). Tech did thrust-angle total alignment, said it’s good. But… still drifting slowly right when I let go of the wheel on flat roads like Sixth Ave SE in Aberdeen (no crown). Not bad, but noticeable — feels like same pull or maybe a hair more now.


Paid $130 and feeling like it was for nothing lol. Truck’s at 183k miles, new inners, new struts and new end links. Drives normal otherwise, no noises, no vagueness.


• should I try the Tire swap test?


• No new clunks/groans (old intermittent groan on return seems gone for now said they didn’t hear it).


• Thinking road crown still playing a role, or thrust angle not perfect?


Anyone else with 07–14 Tahoes have mild right drift even after alignment? Or did I miss something? Should I go back under 30-day warranty for re-check, or just drive it and see if it settles? Appreciate any input — trying to stay positive after fixing most of it myself.


Thanks.

This might not apply to you. I took a Tahoe I had years ago to several dealers because of steering pull. They each aligned it, rotated the tires, etc. but the pull was still there. A Goodyear repairman in another state asked me if I had replaced one of the tires, which I had done due to damage from my son’s driving. He said he noticed slightly different tread depths on the two front tires. Cause of problem solved!

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

This got anything to do with struts, tie rods or alignment? Weird noise when I turn? Under the sound of a blinker kinda gotta listen for it. whenever I turn seems like there’s a revolving type of humming noise or something.

Video

 

[mikez71]

can't watch video, but wheel bearing makes sense.

Jack it up, spin to check for noise, push/pull on wheel to check for play.

 

[West 1]

Most alignment shops today will only adjust your Toe in and Toe out and give the car back to you saying it is within specs.

Caster helps your steering wheel return to straight after a turn and helps the car want to go straight down the highway with your hands off the steering wheel.

Camber is the angle of the wheel, is it straight up from the road or does it tilt in at the top or out at the top. Camber does help it go straight on crowned roads.

Camber and caster are adjusted with the bolts holding the upper control arms in place.

IF the shop does adjust caster and camber when you get home remove the tire and check the torque on the upper control arm adjusting bolts.

Shops will tighten the upper control arm bolts with a long extension a swivel socket and an impact driver. They usually get about 65 ft pounds of torque doing this. Double check me on this but I think GM calls out 140 ft pounds on those bolts and they should be tightened with the weight of the car on the suspension. So jack it up under the lower control arm to remove the tire for access, this keeps the weight of the car simulated as if it is sitting on the ground.

I point this out because I have had alignment shops leave these upper control arm bolts loose and the alignment moves when you hit your first hard bumps in the road.
IT is worth taking an hour and double checking the torque on the upper control arm bolts after an alignment.

The shop is only getting $130 for this job while they are billing $260 per hour labor in these shops. Tells you the alignment guy is given 30 minutes Max to do an alignment. That is not enough time to do a proper job.