Wheels not centered the same?

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Just noticed this for the first time.

The drivers side wheel

Passengers side wheel



I have the alignment papers from last month. All was good. Last set of tires went 55k. So is this ok, or the sign of some catastrophic event?
future
 
Using panels especially plastic ones is the worst way to measure caster or any other angle, there is just too many variables in fit. What are the measurements from the alignment?
 
I'd find a long straight piece of wood and make sure it's square at one of the tires and lay it across and see where the other one lies.
 
Originally Posted By: HoosierJeeper
I'd find a long straight piece of wood and make sure it's square at one of the tires and lay it across and see where the other one lies.


Measuring from front center-cap to rear center-cap seems like a good idea as well.
 
I had a 1974 Chevy Nova hatchback that measured out like this. Showed it to an uncle who was a retired Chevy mechanic and he was stumped!
 
I used to work for a guy that was a service manager for a chevy dealer in the late 70's/early 80's. He told me of a run of cars in that era (i forget which model) that had some brackets welded to the chassis in the wrong position that made it almost imposible to properly allign.

The tailgate bowtie emblem on my '07 silverado always looked crooked to me. One day I pulled a tape on it, 3/16" difference from one side to the other using the bottom edge of the tailgate. I always thought it was obnoxtiously big so that gave me a reason to remove it. Every so often ill notice a bowtie on a gmt900 ahead of me at a redlight that was applied by the same guy that did mine.
 
There are prescribed measuring points in the GM alignment manuals to properly measure from.
 
Originally Posted By: ddrumman2004
I had a 1974 Chevy Nova hatchback that measured out like this. Showed it to an uncle who was a retired Chevy mechanic and he was stumped!


Nova's and their cousins were notorious for sliding the rear axle on the leaf springs. Locating pins rusted off.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Using panels especially plastic ones is the worst way to measure caster or any other angle, there is just too many variables in fit. What are the measurements from the alignment?


Was thinking the same thing, it looked like he was measuring from the bumper cover.
 
He was measuring from the bumper cover. The problem is that is a body on frame vehicle, a small difference between body and frame or on unibody cars the engine cradle and body can be multiplied many times when measuring like this.

It also is not an indication of damage from an accident, it could be something as simple as the engine cradle being lowered to replace an oil pan, engine mount, steering rack, sway bar, etc and bolted back up without aligning the cradle.
On full frame vehicles it is not uncommon for the body to be lifted to gain access for some repairs that may result in a very slight insignificant shift.
 
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