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sport02
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/07/2007
19:31:45
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 Subject: front end problems
IP: Logged
Message:
It all started back in May when my front calipers locked up. I was about 35 miles away from my dads garage so i drove it there but could barely make it to 4th gear because the front brakes were locked up. the more you used them the harder they locked. they were burning hot and i pulled over a couple times to let them cool off. It was all highway driving and by the time i get to the garage they had cooled enough to realease but the rotors and brakes were cooked. I replaced both calipers, rotors and brakes. the seals in the factory calipers were completely eaten away and i'm surprised they were even working up to that point! well now seems like ever since that has happened my front end is very tight in the steering. when turning sharp like in a parking lot the wheels actually skip as if i had 4wd engaged and i don't have 4wd. when i'm on an off ramp where im in a constant turn the truck pulls very hard to want to straighten out and i've got to hold the steering wheel with both hands. It does not pull left or right though when on straight highway. I took it for alignment and they said everything was in spec and the camber was fine and the tow was fine too but the castor was a little bit off and they could not adjust it anymore. They said the castor was not that far out of spec and was still acceptable but they think this is what was causing these sensations in the front end. They tell me i have to go to the dealer now to have them check to see if something is bent like the frame or something since the castor is off and they can't get it into spec.
could something have gotten warped or bent when i drove the truck with those calipers locked up. could the heat that was generated have caused any damage to anything? the wheels spin freely when jacked up and hub bearing seems to be fine. the truck was hit back in october 2005 but the radiator support was only moved a tiny bit plus they did a front end alignment when they were done with the body work and all and didn't say anything about having problems with the castor or any alignment issues. It was not a direct impact to the front end. other driver would have t-boned me but i saw him coming and hit the hooks but his side of the van caught my front end and wrinkled the bumper pretty good and some of the hood. the truck was fine when i picked it up. like i said it only seems to have started since the whole caliper mess! will insurance companies re-open a claim from almost 2 years ago to pay if the frame is bent. I'm not sure that they even checked spec points from underside of frame because it didn't look that bad.
Pep boys did the alignment about a month ago. i kept calling them every week telling them something was still wrong. finally they said bring it back and we'll check it again for free. so they checked it today and that is when they told me about the castor. they refunded my money since they couldn't fix it. I was surprised they did that!
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J and J Auto
GenII
 
7/08/2007
00:37:34
| RE: front end problems
IP: Logged
Message:
Its very hard to get a claim reopened
sounds to me like the rack was tweaked and now
has goen bad
Larry
J&J Auto
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sport02
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/08/2007
01:12:09
| RE: front end problems
IP: Logged
Message:
How was the rack tweaked? Do you mean from excessive pulling while the calipers were locked? wouldn't that show on an alignment? Also i was wondering if maybe the ball joints were damaged since they were talking about castor. the uppers have been replaced under recall, still have factory lowers. Where do i even start though. I can't afford to drop my truck off at the dealer while they dilly dalley around and charge me for labor. Are most dealers equiped to do undercarriage measurements and really provide me some specs that will confirm if something is bent or not? I highly doubt something is bent. I mean yeah there was excessive load while the calipers were locked but it's not like i hit a 12 inch deep pothole either and i don't think the steel in these front ends would just bend cause the brakes were locked, would it??? Guess i'm gonna be looking around for a used rack cause no way can i pay for a new one!
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sport02
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
7/09/2007
00:08:35
| RE: front end problems
IP: Logged
Message:
is there a way i can check the rack myself? I checked the ball joints with the ol pry bar method and to me it seems like normal movement of the A-arm, nothing loose but i'm not a mechanic. i had the front end jacked up and key turned on and turned the front wheels by hand and that feels normal to me as well, no excessive play, tie rods are ok. Did notice some dry rot on the boots to the tie rod ends but it's not rotted all the way through yet. probly will have to get some new one before september for inspection. Man i don't want to take this to the dealer!!!
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