94 k1500 alignment issues

[Jjbiskup]

I got a 94 k1500 that I was driving in heavy rain and slid out going around a turn and crashed into a curb going sideways going about 35 which bent my rear inner axle and messed up my alignment. My steering wheel is now turned like 60 degrees to the right to go straight. The crash also greatly messed up my toe (one wheel straight while one wheel turned in). I took it to the shop around the corner from me for an alignment and they could not fix it. They said that nothing looked bent or broken. They did fix the toe but did not fix the steering wheel being turned to the right to go straight. Should I try to adjust the tie rods myself after turning the wheel straight or is something more severe wrong with my truck? I also wrote down the what I believe alignment specs for my truck after digging around online for them.

 

[Jjbiskup]

The shop did suggest that I loosen the steering shaft going into the gearbox and moving it over a spline or two as they think it skipped a tooth. The truck was driving straight before the accident though

 

[GrimsterGMC]

Check the rag joint where the shaft goes into the box as 60 degrees is quite the difference so may have torn the rag joint. Also check the axle hasn't moved some on the side of impact, the u-bolts on the k models rust inside the bottom plates and get real thin so may not have put up much resistance.

 

[Erik the Awful]

It sounds like they're not much of a shop. Ask around and find a better shop.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

I perform alignments at my job and I have a couple questions and comments:
You state you have a '94 4x4 1500, but the printout shows a 2wd. Why?

What is a "rear inner axle" and how did it bend?
Did you or the shop replace the "rear inner axle" before it was aligned?

If the damage was done to the rear, how did the front get out of alignment?

Where are the rest of the alignment angles?
Axle setback, SAI, included angle...

Setting the toe IS straightening the steering wheel. They didn't "set the toe"...

It is not possible to "skip a tooth" or move the intermediate shaft on the gearbox. The pinch bolt acts as a key way on the input shaft of the p/s gearbox. Ignore and laugh at that whole nonsense.

Go find a better alignment shop.

 

[Hipster]

Agree with Erik. Looks like all those clowns did was adjust the toe and let it go. Find somebody that does trucks and knows what they are doing and be upfront you hit something. You said rear inner axle??? Doesn't appear anything is wrong with the rear. To diagnose bent components, you need more than camber, caster, and toe numbers. SAI, IA, Turn radius, set back numbers matter. Caster, camber and toe can all be in spec, and you can still have bent components on the vehicle. It might be a bent tie rod , a knuckle, a control arm, or nothing. You won't know until somebody that knows what they are doing gets on it.

 

[Hipster]

I perform alignments at my job and I have a couple questions and comments:
You state you have a '94 4x4 1500, but the printout shows a 2wd. Why?

What is a "rear inner axle" and how did it bend?
Did you or the shop replace the "rear inner axle" before it was aligned?

If the damage was done to the rear, how did the front get out of alignment?

Where are the rest of the alignment angles?
Axle setback, SAI, included angle...

Setting the toe IS straightening the steering wheel. They didn't "set the toe"...

It is not possible to "skip a tooth" or move the intermediate shaft on the gearbox. Ignore and laugh at that whole nonsense. Go find a better alignment shop.

Was typing out a response and you beat me to to it.

 

[Jjbiskup]

Check the rag joint where the shaft goes into the box as 60 degrees is quite the difference so may have torn the rag joint. Also check the axle hasn't moved some on the side of impact, the u-bolts on the k models rust inside the bottom plates and get real thin so may not have put up much resistance.

Rag joint looked fine. I lifted up the plastic guard and looked like everything was fine.

 

[Jjbiskup]

I perform alignments at my job and I have a couple questions and comments:
You state you have a '94 4x4 1500, but the printout shows a 2wd. Why?

What is a "rear inner axle" and how did it bend?
Did you or the shop replace the "rear inner axle" before it was aligned?

If the damage was done to the rear, how did the front get out of alignment?

Where are the rest of the alignment angles?
Axle setback, SAI, included angle...

Setting the toe IS straightening the steering wheel. They didn't "set the toe"...

It is not possible to "skip a tooth" or move the intermediate shaft on the gearbox. The pinch bolt acts as a key way on the input shaft of the p/s gearbox. Ignore and laugh at that whole nonsense.

Go find a better alignment shop.

The rear inner axle (the actual axle) the hub got bent as I explained that I slid out and hit a curb going sideways, as in I was sliding about 30mph into a curb going sideways, hitting both my passenger side wheel and rear passenger side wheel. The hub of the axle got cocked and now my wheel wobbles going down the road which makes it look like it’s about to fall off. I am going to get under the truck myself and measure everything with the wheel straight to confirm nothing is bent.

 

[Hipster]

The rear inner axle (the actual axle) the hub got bent as I explained that I slid out and hit a curb going sideways, as in I was sliding about 30mph into a curb going sideways, hitting both my passenger side wheel and rear passenger side wheel. The hub of the axle got cocked and now my wheel wobbles going down the road which makes it look like it’s about to fall off. I am going to get under the truck myself and measure everything with the wheel straight to confirm nothing is bent.

You really need an alignment rack to tell the truth here, and somebody that can use it proficiently. Your talking about measurements where 1 degee or less makes a difference. When you hit the curb, the wheels stopped instantaneously, 5k lbs worth of truck and inertia kept going. The chances of not bending a knuckle/control arm/ tie rod are in the slim to none category and you need diagnostics, not a $49 alignment special.

Nad is an alignment guy and I spent my life as a collision tech. Your still not describing things correctly. In the front you have a knuckle, hub, and cv axle, and steering linkage components,. All separate pieces that could be damaged. Rear alignment issues are not showing on the sheet other than identical + and - amounts on opposite sides(frame tweaked? and it's why set back #'s on the front matter). In the rear you have a one piece axle. It could be damaged inside the housing but still a singular bent piece if it didn't destroy the brake backing plate. You're looking for damage that could be less than 1/16 of an inch. You're not going to find it with a calibrated eyeball or tape measure unless it's fubar'd. I don't have a lot of confidence in your abilities as your not sure how to refer to the parts yet.