Wandering front end

[Turbo Tim 1]

Brought my truck to the stealer last week and told them I had a wandering front end, well they looked at it and said it needed a track bar a tie rod end and ball joints. I had gotten the truck back friday with a new track bar and tie rod end and it still really wandered. The truck went back in Monday for the ball joints and I got it back last night, what a difference. By the way the truck only has 33,000 miles on it and I bought it used so I don't know all of it's history. The morale of the story is, if your truck wanders check the ball joints it made a BIG difference in mine. It does upset me though because my 93 had 180,000 miles on it and every part of the front end was original and it was tight, why do they have to change a good thing.

 

[bfreel]

Welcome to the club. I started a forum a while back about the same problem. Plenty of responses but no deffinite ideas as what to do. Well, my truck was at the dealers yesterday with 1900 mi. on it to start the process of correcting the problem. As I figured, the front end is in tolorance, no bad parts etc. etc. This is an inherent trait of these trucks and that's it! Great! I towed home this past Sun. and it was scary. I stopped three times to adjust the weight distributing bars and it was no better. I've tried every tire pressure there is and still nothing. It seems to me, that a problem like this should have been addressed long ago by the manufacturer. Even if it means a complete new steering system. The dealer is supposed to contact me this AM and possibly a zone person, but I doubt that it can be corrected by them. We will see. In the mean time, the truck is going to an alignment shop as a start, then will go back with the loaded trailer to be checked again. one possibility I'm thinking is a little more caster to help keep the wheels heading straight ahead. Will see what these people can come up with



I pulled the same trailer and load for two years with a 1983 GMC Dually and never had a problem. It's a big truck, get used to it, is no excuse!

 

[Ron Bissett]

Originally posted by turbo tim1

Brought my truck to the stealer last week and told them I had a wandering front end, well they looked at it and said it needed a track bar a tie rod end and ball joints. I had gotten the truck back friday with a new track bar and tie rod end and it still really wandered. The truck went back in Monday for the ball joints and I got it back last night, what a difference. By the way the truck only has 33,000 miles on it and I bought it used so I don't know all of it's history. The morale of the story is, if your truck wanders check the ball joints it made a BIG difference in mine. It does upset me though because my 93 had 180,000 miles on it and every part of the front end was original and it was tight, why do they have to change a good thing.

They sell more Track bars and tie rod ends to people that don't need them and 70$ per hour labor then fix it with proper part at extra expence. Thats what second opinion is fore. or look be fore you leap. :--) Ron in Louisville Ky Glad you got it fixed though it cost a bundle

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

This was the second opinion, the first shop said, "it's a big truck that's how they are, get used to it". Besides that it was 100% covered by warranty, not a dime from my pocket, they gave me a loaner car, picked my truck up from me and brought it back to me and it even got a full tank of fuel while it was gone and washed.