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S hardy
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
16:35:03
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 Subject: Pulls To The Right
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When I bought my truck used last year, it pulled to the right. The dealer had it aligned before I picked it up. The truck still pulled to the right, so I said something to the dealer and he had me take it back to the alignment shop where they rechecked it.
The shop said it was because the tires where the wrong size is why it pulled. (Had brand new tires)The shop said they changed either the caster or camber, I don’t remember which, to compensate for it. They also put it on their frame alignment machine and said everything was square.
Well it worked, but the only trouble was they didn’t tighten the lug nuts and the right front upper A-arm came loose. I let them know what I thought of their work and took the truck to a shop I always go to for alignments.
Long story short, I got the same results, it still pulls to the right, and they told me it was because of the tires where the wrong size.
I’m not sure I buy all that about the tires being the problem.
Here are a few details I know about the truck:
1999 2 wheel drive V-6 SLT ext cab.
The right front of the truck is lower than the left by ½”, measured across the center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender. (Sitting on level ground)
Tires that are on it are P255/70 R15.
What the tag in the door jam calls for are P215/75 R15.
There are also indications of the truck being wrecked on the right side.
Even tire ware on all four tires.
So my question is:
Is there anything else that would make the truck ride lower on the right front other than the coil springs, and would the tires really make it pull to the right?
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
16:51:38
|  RE: Pulls To The Right
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since you say there are signs of a wreck on that side, it could be the frame was not pulled all the way back into spec. i've experienced this first hand before.
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S hardy
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
17:51:53
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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The first shop said they had put it on their alignment machine, and said everything was square. It’s also the only frame shop in the county and their the ones that couldn't tighten down the lug nuts or upper A-arms.
Just eyeballing the underside everything looks fine.
I found a replacement sticker on the inside of the front bumper trim and the truck had been repainted.
I can't stand a vehicle that pulls one way or the other and this truck pulls pretty hard to the right. You can't let go of the wheel or you'll be in the ditch. When we get back from 100 mile trips, my left arm would be sore from holding onto the wheel.
I've held onto the truck because it has low miles and its sharp looking and I like it. I also was thinking maybe it is the tires, and when I get new ones it will fix the problem. But I don't think so.
I'm not sure what to do at this point. I’d like to keep the truck, but. I was hoping to be able and wait until I got new tires. I'm afraid one of these days I'll wreck the truck going into the ditch, it pulls that hard.
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New Dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
22:22:03
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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I'll throw a few ideas your way see if it's something new. First I have a truck that always pulls to the right when I get back from offroading. The reason for me is that the upper passenger side A-Arm seems to be prone to loosening up and after I hit a few deep and uglies it will adjust itself out of line.
What size are your tires, wide tires will catch the subtle groove left in the road by tractor trailer traffic and cause you to pull to the left or right depending on your driving style (depending on if you favor the left or right side of the lane)
The obvious one and I'm sure you've already checked it is to make sure your tire pressure is equal on both sides of the truck and that you don't have tire wear more on one side then the other.
You mentioned that the truck was a 1/2" higher on one side ... the truck may have had one of it's springs replaced and not the other. Different age springs in different stages of compression could be a reason and might have something to due with the way your truck tracks although I would tend to think not.
Check the rear axle to leaf spring angle. Make sure the rear axle is tightly and correctly bolted to the springs and that both rear leaf springs are of eqaul length look the same.
If the truck was wrecked the list is so long. I hope this isn't too much. I would tend to look back at that problem you had with the A-Arm not having been tightened down properly. It may be that it coming loose might have caused some subtle damage (deformed metal to metal contact area where the Upper A-arm bolts) This is my problem and I am fine after I get it aligned until the next time I offroad it... then it's back to it's old right turn habit again. Just can't tighten it enough that it will hold against alot of force.
- Good Luck
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WAM
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
23:55:29
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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I bought my truck about 3 months ago. It is a 99 R/T with 19,000 miles and had the original tires on it.
The one thing it did that bothered me was that it always wanted to drift to the right and I would have to keep constant pressure on the steering wheel to keep it going straight.
I figured it was alignment so I had it alligned and still had the problem.
I wanted the factory chrome wheels so I bought them and four new tires. When I installed them the problem went away and it now goes arrow straight.
I dom't know if it was the wheels or tires but one of them solved my problem.
Do you know anyone with a truck like yours that you could try there wheels and tires to see if it makes a difference ?
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99DAK
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
01:03:39
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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Speaking of mysterious alignment issues -
I've had a 75 Dodge 1-ton maxivan for 15 years. Always had a slight pull to the left despite tire changes, realignments, new coils, shocks, A-arm bushings, idlers, etc. (all routine replacement of worn-out $hit). A few years ago I replaced the rotors and noticed one was slightly thicker than the other (but equal pad wear on both sides), also looked like different manufacturers. New rotors and the damn thing has tracked perfectly straight ever since - go figure.
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Kowalski
GenIII
6/25/2004
08:09:10
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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S-Hardy - your problem is likely related to the accident damage, possibbly the spring or its support. You are being lied to about the tire size being the problem - you're no that far off the stock size. I get my truck aligned on a 4 wheel alignment machine with computerized heads that attach to the wheels - the tire size has nothing to do with it. I run 2 sets of tires depending on the season -tall & fat in the summer; shorter and narrower in the winter. Swapping does not affect my alignment at all. I drive an hour to a freinds shop because he is the only one I trust to line it up - there's a lot of yahoos out there running alignment machines who really don't know what they're doing - when you find a guy who does, stick with him.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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conig
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
11:05:51
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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my alignment shop sets the car up to pull moderatly to the right. they have done this for all my cars, in florida they are supposed to.
that way if you fall asleep you shouldn't drift into oncoming traffic, but find a tree or something.
they will set it up straight if I ask them, but there not supposed to and some moderate rightward pull seems to be a good safety idea.
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S hardy
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
14:07:16
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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I think before I do anything else I should find another shop and have it checked agian.
I'm kinda of leaning twards the coil springs being bad. (Not sure if that would cause it to pull)
As far as the tires go, I check the PSI every few weeks and all four tires show normal tire ware. I also have rotated them from front to back.
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not me
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
21:04:46
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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no way ever would I ever never accept an alignment job that would put me into the ditch should I have to let go of the wheel for a second, if it don't track straight, I don't want it. it causes uneven tire wear and also causes you to track that way under hard braking, no way do I want to be in a vehicle that acts like that, can you imagine trying to stop hard on wet pavement to avoid a kid and end up in the back of a stopped semi at 50 mph and nothing you can do?
Get the brakes carefully checked out as a slight drag or tied up caliper can cause this and you could end up with no brakes when you need them. After that, go to the big city rather then the local guy and find really good frame and alignment shop that will let you watch them (they are more likely to do a good job if you are looking over their shoulder) and have it set up there, and make sure that the tech knows that it pulls one way or the other before he even starts on it or he will not know to compensate his settings to fix the pull, if you do not tell him it pulls, he will do a straightfoward alignment and not fix the pull, which a good tech can. And forget going to the local guy just because he is the only one in the county. They know not of what they speak about tire size affecting your alignment.
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99DAK
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
23:38:06
| RE: Pulls To The Right
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"my alignment shop sets the car up to pull moderatly to the right. they have done this for all my cars, in florida they are supposed to."
NO.
These grease monkeys who lie through their teeth to people should be whipped.
conig, aside from the fact that what you were told is just plain wrong anywhere let me assure you I've lived in Florida for 46 years, had many, many alignments done and heard every bogus explanation in the book (until now) but I've never heard that one before.
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Kowalski
GenIII
6/27/2004
08:52:14
|  RE: Pulls To The Right
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Big city alignments better than country ones ? Not so sure about that, my freind with over 20 years experience is out in the sticks. Its what they know, not where they are.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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