Measurements performed with a high sensitivity dilatometer showed that metallic samples subjected to heating-cooling cycles undergo a permanent change in their length. The ratio between the end-of-cycle length and the initial one, named Thermal Residual Strain (TRS), changes from positive to negative values by increasing the maximum temperature of the cycle. This dependence of TRS on cycle maximum temperature is similar for all the examined metals (aluminum, copper, lead, iron and gold). In this contribution we will show the preliminary experimental results on behavior of TRS in aluminum samples when subjected to an external stress. acting in direction opposite to the thermal dilation. By increasing the stress, the temperature, at which the positive residual strain is maximum, becomes lower and lower until the positive TRS disappears. If the stress intensity decreases this temperature rises and the positive TRS behavior becomes a flat curve without a marked maximum.