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I think 3rd free service is at 15k when oil is changed

Or 12 months, whichever is earlier. My 12 months get over on 28th of February. Have fixed an appointment for the 24th just to be safe - and because the workshop guys prefer it like that for my truck as Mondays are their lightest days normally (Saturdays heaviest).

Guys, for wheel alignment, what are the parameters and values in the print out that they give you that are important and that need to be either perfect or close to perfet and/or within target spec/ tolerance limits?

First the Toe.

The manual mentions toe in (front) as 2-5 mm but the print out I got has toe mentioned in terms of degrees and minutes (60 minutes to a degree right?).

And while the Toe values are ok for the front wheel alignment after correction (16 and 15 minutes for left and right respectively - target being 17 minutes with tolerance min max of + 4 minutes), the values for the rear wheel alignment for Toe are +8 minutes for left and -40minutes for right (no target or tolerance is mentioned in either the print or the manual for rear wheel alignment, but is such a wide difference between the two wheels ok?).

Next the Camber.

Target for both front wheels is supposed to be 0 degrees 0 minutes. Tolerance min max is + 30 minutes.

After correction, front wheels, my left wheel is is 0 degrees 2 minutes and right wheel is actually out of spec at - 34 minutes.

After correction, rear wheels, the remained same at 14 minutes and 18 minutes for left and right respectively (no target or tolerance is mentioned in either the print or the manual for rear wheel alignment).

Last the Caster.

Target for both front wheels is 3 degrees with tolerance min max as + 30 minutes as per the manual - but the printout says + 45 minutes. Which is correct?

After correction, both my front wheels seem to be out of spec at 2 degrees 10 minutes and 1 degree 42 minutes for left and right wheels respectively.

Please advise.

I understand that that you had earlier complained about turning radius and got it fixed in the workshop? Did they adjust the toe out to get you a better turning radius?
Ideally the toe in/out should be close to zero to give you neutral handling, and the camber and castor values given by you look quite tolerable and within parameters.

Can you check how all 4 wheels have worn out? In case you see an outboard wear on the tyres there is a toe out and inboard wear suggests a toe in. Also driving the car with windows down, low speed and lock to lock turns on a smooth surface, ideally tiled ones or smooth cement floor, like a mall underground lot, should give you an indication, the wrongly set wheel will keep squealing...

This is most probably a faulty workmanship, not a manufacturing defect. The technician who assembled that piece on your safari must have had an hangover from last evening or was a trainee whose supervisor was not doing his duty :)

-BJ

@Doc, If I remember right, for the Storme, Caster cant be adjusted - main adjustment is toe & Camber only. I could be missing something, though.

You are exactly right. The original gasket was crimped at one part and it finally parted there. Naughty boy (probably a strong case to be careful with Monday assembled trucks) !

What cannot be adjusted in the Storme are the following (per the printout):

Front Wheel:

Runout
Kingpin
Included Angle
Setback

Rear Wheel:

Runout (skipped)
Camber
Thrust Angle
Toe
Total Toe

Got the truck alignment done again as I was not convinced by their explanation that the alignment was perfect, even if the values were out of company spec (they go by experience and feel - which is ok I guess, but my point was why does the company have specs in the manual if they are not meant to be adhered to???)

The new values:

Front Wheel:

Camber -

Target 0 deg 0 min ; Tolerance + 0 deg 30 min

Left 0 deg 4 min
Right 0 deg 6 min

Caster -

Target 3 deg 0 min ; Tolerance + 0 deg 45 min (manual says + 30 min but the machine calibrated per Storme specs at National has it as 45 - need to confirm this one)

Left 2 deg 18 min (this would be out of spec per the manual, but not as per the machine)
Right 2 deg 36 min

Toe -

Target 0 deg 17 min ; Tolerance + 0 deg 4 min

Left 0 deg 17 min
Right 0 deg 17 min

Rear Wheel:

Camber -

Left 0 deg 0 min
Right 0 deg 18 min

Toe - (this keeps changing as per the adjustments they do for the front wheel alignment, and there is no way to adjust the rear wheel settings)

Left + 0 deg 37 min
Right - 0 deg 50 min

Is this big difference (almost 1.5 degrees) a cause for concern? The alignment guy said it was due to small differences in the rear suspension, even brand new/factory fitted ones).

Look forward to some expert inputs from someone who actually understands the black art of wheel alignment please!

Just a heads up to guys who may not know of this I surely did not, and am really excited about learning new things about my Storme even 10 months into my ownership!

When you shut off the Storme with the key, and pull the key out in your hand, and you find one of the 4 power windows down, you can happily bring it back up, and down, and up again - for as many times as you want, as long as you do not open any door.

The moment you open the dooor, this feature is deactivated. Apparently both the Aria and Storme have this feature. I found it pretty cool so sharing! Magic ...... :)

I don't understand the black art/magic of wheel alignment, however if I keep my hands off the steering and whiff down a perfectly straight road, and my car keeps straight, I am sure my wheel alignment is perfectly fine...

That's only the toe part of the alignment. While the other settings determine how your truck is balanced, how it moves other than in a straight line, and how it consumes its tyres. Especially how it consumes its tyres, and where it consumes its tyres, and which tyres it consumes (were you not to rotate).

But you are right. Till I raised a stink, the TATA service guys normally (and self admittedly) only concentrate on the toe and pooh pooh the company recommendations on the other bits citing real world experience and the like .....

Definitely wheel alignment is a voodoo art. I've tried to understand the various parameters. I think I know what they all mean, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

But thankfully, if something is wrong with wheel alignment, you will know!

1) Is the steering wheel in the "straight ahead position" when moving?
2) Does the vehicle track straight on a flat road at 40 - 50 kmph?
3) Is the ride quality is normal and you don't hear sharp "thunk" sounds over broken roads?
4) When you take your hands off the steering wheel after a turn, does the steering wheel turn back smoothly (this is the key) to the center position?

If the answer to all the above questions is YES, then the wheel alignment is fine.

1) Steering is centered. Surprisingly, when they did the alignment first, inspite of locking and centering the steering during the process (with that rod and clamps etc. on the driver seat), when I first drove the truck, the steering was croked to the left with the truck going straight. Then they loosened the steering and straightened it on the test drive and checked again. Straight now.

2) Yes, but that is the most difficult part and comes with exerience. Because most roads are not even, and city roads are cambered to the sides for drainage. So more often than not the truck will drift slightly (usually to the left as we drive on the left side of the road and the slope is to our left away from the median). But the test guy drove the truck extensively and gave the thumbs up to it on this.

3) No thuds.

4) Steering auto rotates back freely when you leave your hands.

Good seat of the pants points bro!

Hi how do I know the replacement is due for my storme. I have a 2012 storme probably the first lot. Recently I am noticing a thud sound from my front right shocker when the storme goes over potholes. Can this be an issue?

When they raise the truck on the hoist and examine the shockers, they will see oil leakage. Post photos, that warrants instant replacement no questions asked. The TASC guys are supposed to keep an eye open for this everytime your or similar vintage truck comes to them for anything, and replace proactively if a leakage is found.