2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission solving the pull to the right?????

[TMills]

ok, my truck pulls to the right BAD. If I let go of the steering wheel on the interstate then it is almost a sharp turn right. :--) When steering straight I have to almost steer to about 10 o'clock. I took it in for an alighnment and they said I needed new ball joints. Ok, I installed new ball joints. He alighned it again. This made it even worse. I have checked all the brakes and none are sticking. I have rotated tires and it doesn't change it any. What do I check next? Does this guy just not know how to alighn?



Todd

 

[duaneparks]

ok, my truck pulls to the right BAD. If I let go of the steering wheel on the interstate then it is almost a sharp turn right. :--) When steering straight I have to almost steer to about 10 o'clock. I took it in for an alighnment and they said I needed new ball joints. Ok, I installed new ball joints. He alighned it again. This made it even worse. I have checked all the brakes and none are sticking. I have rotated tires and it doesn't change it any. What do I check next? Does this guy just not know how to alighn?



Todd

Possibly! I had a pull to the right as well, as a matter of fact, it's never really gone away even after replacing the trackbar, ball joints, tires, servicing the brakes, etc. I believe the problem is alignment.



Many of these alignment places, especially the chain stores, like to go by "factory specs. " The problem is that they are too general and allow for a few problems. Do a search on here for Brent and alignment and you will find the specs you need to get your truck to drive straight (I believe... at least it will go straightER down the road). Then, have fun shopping for an alignment shop that will align to your specs. I haven't found one in Houston that will do it yet.



BTW, I grew up in Kingston and have family in Knoxville, went to UTK... nice to meet a fellow Tennesseean. Go Vols!



Duane

 

[bkroupa]

I just had all 4 balljoints done & discussed the tendencey of the truck to pull to the right. The alignment tech put 2 degress of caster on the left & 4 on the right. Mine pulls left now on flat roads about like it used to puul right on a crowned road, but tracks straight on crowned roads

 

[DHawthorne]

Mine has always pulled to the right, no matter want tires were up there. I had a real bad pull to the right that turned out to be a tire. But did not fix the going to right. Road camber has a impact. I've had the caster on the right side changed three times at the same shop. The last time it was done it stopped the pull to the right and made it go to the left just a little. Next time back to the shop I'll get them to lower it half way to want it was before it started going left slightly. (79 bucks per trip)



Years ago, front end people use to add caster to the formula to keep it going straight.



Dave

 

[TMills]

Could my leveling system affect this? I have had it installed for a little over a year. I had it alighned after I installed it, but I didn't know if that could affect it this late. Would my alighnment specs be different since this was installed?

 

[mediccummin]

The only thing that cured my pull to the right was adjustable ball joints. Got them from ingall's products. No pull no more and good tire wear. Good luck.

 

[TMills]

I think I might have stumbled on to something. I went out and measured from the top outside edge of the tire to the frame on both sides. The passenger side was 22" and the driver side was 22. 5". There is a noticible difference between the sides. I think this is because of the two in. spacers I have and the nonadjustable track bar. So am I really on to something or do I need to continue to look for something else.



Todd

 

[Horsepuller]

I don't have an annoying "pull" to the right, but my steering wheel, when driving straight, is cocked to 11 o'clock. If I straigtened the wheel to TDC, it would veer, not pull, to the right. The steering wheel doesn't spring back, like it does in my '98 Suburban that "pulls" to the right. My '93 Dodge did the same thing, I couldn't ever get an alignment that would allow the steering wheel to rest at TDC going down the highway.



Does anyone know if adjustable ball joints and/or the camber adjustments would correct this?

 

[duaneparks]

I think I might have stumbled on to something. I went out and measured from the top outside edge of the tire to the frame on both sides. The passenger side was 22" and the driver side was 22. 5". There is a noticible difference between the sides. I think this is because of the two in. spacers I have and the nonadjustable track bar. So am I really on to something or do I need to continue to look for something else.



Todd

Todd, the discrepancy side to side is due to your 2" spacers and stock track bar. As the axle travels away from the truck frame (as in the case of adding spacers), it also moves left.



Even with a lift, which affects caster and toe (on some trucks) more than anything else, the alignment specs I referred to earlier should work from other posts I've read on here.



Here is a snippet from Brent's post:



Specifications (my personal settings for every Ram I align): all specs below are in degrees.





Left Wheel Right Wheel

-------------- ----------------



Caster 3. 2 3. 5



Cross Caster -. 3



Camber -. 10 -. 10



Cross Camber 0. 0



Toe - standard specs, (maybe a little out if you tow a lot, they will pull in as the front end lifts up).



Brent

ASE Certified

Gold Certified Chrysler tech

 

[fox]

My truck had the pull top the right issue. Now it drives straight on level roads, with no cross wind.

I popped each top ball joint loose, one at a time.

The right side, I could turn the stud with the cotter pin and watch the spindle move-following the rotation. It was apparently offset . The left side was not. I was able to get enough camber correction to correct the pull. Camber was off by about 3 degrees, if my memory is right. I was using a hand held bubble/camber tool.



It has also solved the front tire wear issue too.

It wore out a set of Michelins by 50,000 miles.

 

[McCRam]

Horsepuller If your truck doesn't hav an alignment problem, you can adjust the position of the steering wheel with the draglink adjuster. It is right next to the steering damper. If you turn the adjuster clockwise, looking towards the drivers side, it should turn the wheel right. I might be wrong on the direction.

 

[Horsepuller]

McCRam,



Thanks, I was hoping someone would say that. That is what it seems like to me, no alignment problem, just the steering wheel off center.