Take your hand off the wheel as you are going straight down the road,
does the van continue to go straight or does it veer? If it goes
straight your alignment is fine but your steering wheel is off center
& that will not wear the tires.
I can't even count the number of people who came in for an alignment
because the car "pulled" when it ran straight and the driver just
wanted to straighten out the wheel.
If it does pull in one direction after new tires try swapping the
front tires and see it that fixes the problem.

Rob
becida@comcast.net

At  1/5/2011 09:33 AM,Jim Johnston wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I have a 1991 GL, Manual with a Subie 2.2.  In August 2010, I upgraded to 16
>inch Gowesty Steel Rims.  A few weeks ago I replaced worn upper ball joints
>and put on new shocks all around.  The lower ball joints looked ok, the tie
>rod ends looked a bit worn.
>
>Last week I noticed, when driving straight, my steering wheel is off
>slightly, whereas it I have to keep it slightly turned to the left (maybe an
>inch, if that) to keep things straight.  My first thought is alignment, but
>before I take it to a shop and drop some cash, I'd consult the list for
>other possible issues.
>
>Worn tie rods ends?  Worn upper bushings?  Steering Rack?  All of the
>above...?
>
>Any input would be appreciated.
>
>Jim
>Wilmington, NC