R1T Alingment

[cff1349]

don’t think this is normal, right? Gen 1 QM.
Rotated every 4-5k miles, last one as recently as Feb 2025
3 alignments, last one Feb 2025.
Vehicle pulls to the right at highway speeds…. And the last time service center tech in drive-along said this is by design… to not let the vehicle run into oncoming traffic on the other side…
99% AP, standard ride height, mostly highway miles (130 mile 3x weekly commute to work).
Next appointment last week of May.
Higher wear on Passenger side tire, and worst wear on passenger rear tire.
Took multiple measurements each time just to make sure I’m not over or under reading the gauge and getting a good amount of data points.
This can’t be normal for as frequently as I rotate/balance them and having had 3 alignments done for the same reason.

Sponsored

 

[Ilovejunebugs]

Gen 1, once they replaced the front subframe and did an alignment the truck tracks straight. Prior to that it had a horrible rightward pull.

 

[bbonkk]

I have had three alignment and ready to do my fourth. From the factory it was out of alinement really bad and I was 500 miles away from any service center and once I got an appointment, it was three months out. One thing I did notice which was kind of surprising is with the latest update. It doesn’t seem to pull to the right. It shouldn’t have affected at all, but I’m testing it on a few other roads to see if that’s true. Normally on most highways, it’ll pull just very slightly to the right because of the crown on the road. So I usually have to go on both sides of the road and if it’s still pulls to the right, you know you have a problem. I know my Tesla does not pull to the right at all no matter how much of a crown there is on the road.

Update: been testing it on the Freeways in LA and the R1s seems to track straight. I think it could be that the power to each motor has been evened out or modified to track better.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

If you want to check alignment go into the ride menu. Find a straight and flat road or parking lot (most roads have a crown). Then as you drive down the road look at the steering angle. Should be very close to 0 degrees. If it’s not your alignment is off.

I have spoken to various different techs during my ownership. The sub frame mounting has been an issue on some trucks.

 

[zymolysis]

Took them about 7 or 8 attempts to fix it and they finally figured out they had to replace the subframe. Never had to pay a penny. It’s definitely a known issue. Vin 15xxx

After reading your invoice, I'm worried about the subframe (whatever that is) on mine (~12000 Vin). My alignment has always been pretty good (still fine at ~40,000 miles). Is there is something about the early subframes that prevents alignment? Is that what it said on the invoice?

 

[zymolysis]

And the last time service center tech in drive-along said this is by design… to not let the vehicle run into oncoming traffic on the other side…

Not normal - he's blowing smoke to cover for his inability to get it right.

I don't know how many miles you've got on yours, but with my R1T quad 20" first gen, I replaced the front tires at 39,500 miles (I never got around to rotating them). The front tires were down to or almost down to the wear bars; the rear tires are still in good shape.

 

[zymolysis]

"
R1T Alingment
"
That "g" is definitely out of alignment.

 

[cff1349]

If you want to check alignment go into the ride menu. Find a straight and flat road or parking lot (most roads have a crown). Then as you drive down the road look at the steering angle. Should be very close to 0 degrees. If it’s not your alignment is off.

I have spoken to various different techs during my ownership. The sub frame mounting has been an issue on some trucks.

Wish the drive mode screen showed the numeric steering angle.

 

[Ngkgb]

After reading your invoice, I'm worried about the subframe (whatever that is) on mine (~12000 Vin). My alignment has always been pretty good (still fine at ~40,000 miles). Is there is something about the early subframes that prevents alignment? Is that what it said on the invoice?

I really don’t know beyond what it says on the invoice. I do know lots of early Vin trucks needed an upgrade to second generation subframes.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

I was told it had to do with how they were mounted at the factory. Off slightly IIRC. Just what techs said to me…not sure 100%. My truck had annoying alignment issues but I had the new cast subframe. The pre march 2023 units had the old subframe…not sure when exactly they switched over. Some of the welds failed.

Even though the alignment on my truck was never great (at least not from behind the wheel) I never had any issues with uneven tire wear in just under 24,000 miles.

 

[cff1349]

ChatGPT:

If your 2023 Rivian R1T shows excessive wear on the passenger rear tire (and the wheel alignment is not the issue), several other possible causes could be responsible. Here are the most common ones to check:

1. Suspension Issues

• Worn or damaged bushings, control arms, or shocks on that corner can affect how the tire contacts the road.
• A faulty shock absorber can cause the tire to bounce excessively, leading to uneven wear.

2. Tire Pressure Imbalance (frequently check tire pressures at Costco Tire Centers)

• If that tire has been consistently over- or under-inflated, it can wear differently than the others.
• Make sure your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is accurate and not giving false readings.

3. Tire Defect or Damage (no physical observations or bulges or sidewall damages/flat spots).

• A belt separation or internal tire issue could cause abnormal wear.
• Inspect for bulges, sidewall damage, or flat spots.

4. Improper Tire Rotation (hopefully Denver service center knows how to do tire rotations)

• If tire rotations have been skipped or done incorrectly, it could result in uneven wear patterns.
• Check your rotation history (Rivian may log this if serviced at the dealer).

5. Driving Habits (unlikely - mostly N-S interstate driving to/from work, with USAA Safepilot monitoring my driving habits)

• Frequent hard cornering or acceleration, especially in a torque-heavy EV like the R1T, can disproportionately wear rear tires—particularly the one that breaks traction most often (which might be the passenger rear in certain conditions.

6. Load Imbalance (just me and my 2 dogs, ~ 60 lb each, who split the backseat evenly)

• Regularly carrying more weight on one side (e.g., tools or equipment) can cause wear on that side.
• Even suspension sag from load imbalance can cause misalignment under driving conditions.

7. Brake Drag

• A sticking caliper or parking brake issue can cause additional friction and heat, leading to uneven wear.

 

[cff1349]

After reading your invoice, I'm worried about the subframe (whatever that is) on mine (~12000 Vin). My alignment has always been pretty good (still fine at ~40,000 miles). Is there is something about the early subframes that prevents alignment? Is that what it said on the invoice?

If you VIN number has a PN, it’s probably a Gen 2 subframe.

 

[nvelazquez88]

Experiencing similar.

Tires rotated once at 9k miles and expect them to rotate again at 15k mobile service appointment this month.

Alignment tested and adjusted at January service appointment at 12k miles. Clearly wear is MUCH worse on rear passenger side. Interested to see what they have to say about it.

 

[cff1349]

Experiencing similar.

Tires rotated once at 9k miles and expect them to rotate again at 15k mobile service appointment this month.

Alignment tested and adjusted at January service appointment at 12k miles. Clearly wear is MUCH worse on rear passenger side. Interested to see what they have to say about it.

They called and gave the same generic non-answer answer - that the castor was too high or something like that. Get the truck back on Tuesday. Will see what the ticket shows.

 

[cff1349]

Experiencing similar.

Tires rotated once at 9k miles and expect them to rotate again at 15k mobile service appointment this month.

Alignment tested and adjusted at January service appointment at 12k miles. Clearly wear is MUCH worse on rear passenger side. Interested to see what they have to say about it.

They did another alignment and couldn’t figure out what was causing it. Picked up the truck Friday last week. As of yesterday morning, the truck is pulling to the right again. So that lasted about 3 days lol.

I have a QM. The pull to the right is very pronounced in conserve mode (front 2 motors only). The pull is not as noticeable when in ALL purpose (all 4 motors engaged). This might shed some light on why my passenger rear tire is burnt to the wear bar and all other tires have more tread. Front motors pulling the right. Rear motors driving straight. Putting more stress on the passenger rear tire
… maybe?

Sponsored