Wheel balancing weights on the wheels from factory?

[darrink]

I love the truck after 1500 miles. One thing is throwing me. The wheel pulls a bit to the right. So to drive straight I have to hold the wheel slightly askew. That throws off my OCD looking at the crooked Ford logo on the steering wheel. Especially with a new truck. I took a look at the wheels and noticed alignment magnets on several wheels. Is that normal for a new truck to leave the factory with magnets to compensate alignment issues? I would think they need to quality control at the factory and make sure everything is straight? Am I wrong on that? Want some second opinions before I bring it in to ask the service department? Thanks.

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[Abraxis]

Those "magnets" are not for wheel alignment, but rather adhesive tape weights for wheel/tire balancing. Nothing too out of the ordinary there.

 

[fossil]

Abraxis might have saved you some embarrassment at the dealer, wheel weights, not magnets.

If your truck has a pull you should ask the dealer to check the alignment.

 

[Chris_G]

Alignment magnets should have been removed by the dealer.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

It is apparently an Adjustment. Someone posted on here that they provided that service. The dealer should also be able to do so. I don't know if it would be physical or computer data table change. I would highly suspect it is the latter.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Duh! Per manual high crown in road can cause car to wander as well as front tires with different air pressures.
I had a rear tire low pressure warning last week on rear tire but it took 9psi to trigger it???

 

[Chris_G]

Duh! Per manual high crown in road can cause car to wander as well as front tires with different air pressures.

This is just silly talk

 

[SLINGSHOT]

I run a pound or two more in the right front on my cars and my Slingshot. Did the same with the right rear on my Honda GoldWing trike.
Start at +1, then go to +2. I would not go more than +3. Get to an alignment shop if it takes more than that.

 

[RLmesc]

My dad was a county sheriff, and he said the alignment of a car was set to make the car drift to the right, he called it the "dead man's drift", should you die while driving (before the accident) it would take the car to the ditch rather than into the on-coming lane - true? Not? who the heck knows.

 

[Darnon]

My dad was a county sheriff, and he said the alignment of a car was set to make the car drift to the right, he called it the "dead man's drift", should you die while driving (before the accident) it would take the car to the ditch rather than into the on-coming lane - true? Not? who the heck knows.

Cars are usually aligned to track straight. If they're going to tend to the shoulder, that's because of the road crown.

 

[Discount Tire]

I love the truck after 1500 miles. One thing is throwing me. The wheel pulls a bit to the right. So to drive straight I have to hold the wheel slightly askew. That throws off my OCD looking at the crooked Ford logo on the steering wheel. Especially with a new truck. I took a look at the wheels and noticed alignment magnets on several wheels. Is that normal for a new truck to leave the factory with magnets to compensate alignment issues? I would think they need to quality control at the factory and make sure everything is straight? Am I wrong on that? Want some second opinions before I bring it in to ask the service department? Thanks.

The pull that you are experiencing could be a simple air pressure issue. I would recommend starting there. If the air pressure is consistent, then move on to having the alignment checked. Start small and work your way up "the food chain" to correct the pull.

 

[Azmig88]

My dad was a county sheriff, and he said the alignment of a car was set to make the car drift to the right, he called it the "dead man's drift", should you die while driving (before the accident) it would take the car to the ditch rather than into the on-coming lane - true? Not? who the heck knows.

No

 

[Azmig88]

Agreed. Check the tire pressure. If that’s ok, go to the dealer.
This is NOT a job for someone who is handy. It requires special machinery.

 

[rlhdweman]

Definitely check your tire pressure, my last new car before the Maverick wandered like a drunk down the road & pulled to one side, the dealer also gave me that 'crown of the road story', wasn't buying it, I said my dad's 40 year old Fleetwood with bagged out A arm bushings goes straight down the road if I let go of the wheel. After taking it back to the dealer the 3rd time, they gave me a loaner identical to my car, on the way home I found it did the same thing, I was ready to trade the car & then found by raising the pressure to 34 from the specified 30 the problem went away, the only reason I tried this is that the front tires always look under inflated to me, it cost me nothing, but took a long time to figure it out.

 

[Jetlat7878$]

I love the truck after 1500 miles. One thing is throwing me. The wheel pulls a bit to the right. So to drive straight I have to hold the wheel slightly askew. That throws off my OCD looking at the crooked Ford logo on the steering wheel. Especially with a new truck. I took a look at the wheels and noticed alignment magnets on several wheels. Is that normal for a new truck to leave the factory with magnets to compensate alignment issues? I would think they need to quality control at the factory and make sure everything is straight? Am I wrong on that? Want some second opinions before I bring it in to ask the service department? Thanks.

irst thing

I love the truck after 1500 miles. One thing is throwing me. The wheel pulls a bit to the right. So to drive straight I have to hold the wheel slightly askew. That throws off my OCD looking at the crooked Ford logo on the steering wheel. Especially with a new truck. I took a look at the wheels and noticed alignment magnets on several wheels. Is that normal for a new truck to leave the factory with magnets to compensate alignment issues? I would think they need to quality control at the factory and make sure everything is straight? Am I wrong on that? Want some second opinions before I bring it in to ask the service department? Thanks.

First thing to check is the tire pressure, 35psi for all tires. If ok, proceed to get the alignment checked. BTW lead weights are not magnetic.

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