Strange alignment issue

[WSea]

SC did alignment a couple months ago. It’s much better but now I experience a strange behavior. Some days it’ drives straight and other days it will pull right and into parked cars. This all on the same streets. Anyone experience this?

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[R1Tom]

Potential subframe issue. Or maybe ride heights inconsistent left to right?

 

[emoore]

Yep. mine seems to depend on temperature. The warmer it is the straighter it drives. We will see how it is in the summer heat.

 

[WSea]

Yep. mine seems to depend on temperature. The warmer it is the straighter it drives. We will see how it is in the summer heat.

Hadn’t thought of that. Now I’ll pay attention to temps

 

[emoore]

Mine also gets better the longer I drive it in the cold. Maybe the suspension warms up?

 

[WSea]

Mine also gets better the longer I drive it in the cold. Maybe the suspension warms up?

Damn quirky isn’t?

 

[R1Tkc]

Potential subframe issue. Or maybe ride heights inconsistent left to right?

Same issue with mine. In SC now and they said my subframe weld are separating. Getting replaced with the casted revision. Hopefully this fixes it. I’ve gone in about 3 times for alignment issues

 

[R1Tom]

Same issue with mine. In SC now and they said my subframe weld are separating. Getting replaced with the casted revision. Hopefully this fixes it. I’ve gone in about 3 times for alignment issues

I suspect the cast subframes will solve your alignment challenges. If the subframe welds are breaking, that would cause suspension mount points to change, which would then change alignment.

I am hoping the service centers are inspecting these welded subframes each time where they know they have a tendency to crack, which I assume is in a concentrated stress location or maybe they just had poor weld quality consistency so some are good and some are bad. Not sure.

But....good luck.....I do think this will solve your alignment challenges.

 

[emceter]

Few questions I have to learn more.

• Are we seeing this issue on R1S, R1T or both type of vehicles?
• What are y'alls VINs that are having these issues? Are they early cars?
• What's the mileage you started seeing these issues at? Did they develop over time or were quickly apparent?

It's a little worrisome welds are giving out in these vehicles so quickly honestly. That should literally never be the case.

 

[Ingo B]

Glad you posted this. Been noticing a tendency to pull right as well, but only sporadically. Some days, it's fine, others, it pulls. Same roads. Not tracking against temperature, but I did start noticing the behavior recently, which coincides with warmer temps of late. Either way, I'm opening a ticket.

 

[WSea]

I suspect the cast subframes will solve your alignment challenges. If the subframe welds are breaking, that would cause suspension mount points to change, which would then change alignment.

I am hoping the service centers are inspecting these welded subframes each time where they know they have a tendency to crack, which I assume is in a concentrated stress location or maybe they just had poor weld quality consistency so some are good and some are bad. Not sure.

But....good luck.....I do think this will solve your alignment challenges.

My truck was back at the SC last week and they did another alignment. Still does the occasional pull right so it wasn't fixed. They did get my steering wheel aligned. This subframe issue is worrisome. Is it a specific spot/connection that can be visually inspected? Vin 122xx so assuming I don't have the cast subframe.

 

[R1Tom]

My truck was back at the SC last week and they did another alignment. Still does the occasional pull right so it wasn't fixed. They did get my steering wheel aligned. This subframe issue is worrisome. Is it a specific spot/connection that can be visually inspected? Vin 122xx so assuming I don't have the cast subframe.

I am not sure. I have looked closely at mine (I have some noises) and can't see any failures, but I can't see everything. But I have seen some posts about people having them replaced so that says something is up. And it was also noted by some that at one point in production alot of markings started showing up on subframes, indicating additional inspections of welds were happening. I have a very early one(3xxx), so I am more concerned too. You are probably in range with the higher inspections from what I recall. Which is a plus.

 

[R1Tkc]

I suspect the cast subframes will solve your alignment challenges. If the subframe welds are breaking, that would cause suspension mount points to change, which would then change alignment.

I am hoping the service centers are inspecting these welded subframes each time where they know they have a tendency to crack, which I assume is in a concentrated stress location or maybe they just had poor weld quality consistency so some are good and some are bad. Not sure.

But....good luck.....I do think this will solve your alignment challenges.

Thanks man. Yeah makes sense - hoping this is the permanent fix to it. I’ll keep y’all updated

 

[R1Tkc]

Few questions I have to learn more.

• Are we seeing this issue on R1S, R1T or both type of vehicles?
• What are y'alls VINs that are having these issues? Are they early cars?
• What's the mileage you started seeing these issues at? Did they develop over time or were quickly apparent?

It's a little worrisome welds are giving out in these vehicles so quickly honestly. That should literally never be the case.

Mine is an 8xxx R1T with about 11k miles. I’ve had alignment issues since 5k miles in which they’ve had various different “fixes” for, but always seemed like a band aid

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

This subframe issue is worrisome. Is it a specific spot/connection that can be visually inspected? Vin 122xx so assuming I don't have the cast subframe.

Yes! There's some pretty good pictures in this thread:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...-front-subframe-edit.15003/page-2#post-333615

Looks like they changed from welded to cast around Feb. of 2023. I'm not a welder, but someone else on the thread pointed out the welds on the older ones are pretty sloppy...

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