Seeking Balance from the wise.

[facemaze]

2wd coil and leaf.
Over the last year or so ve swapped out the entire front suspension, body mounts, and swapped in a newer differential. I have NOT replaced the leafs....yet.

Rewind to before all this. The truck would pull to the right significantly like the alignment was super bad.

Fast forward to today. after numerous alignments from multiple shops and after all the work. IT STILL PULS RIGHT!!!! It has never not pulled right.

The steering wheel immediately wants to go right if i let go. its natural seat is skewed to 1 or 2 o'clock.

Also the truck has always seemed to just sit lower on the right side. I had hoped the problem would be corrected after the energy suspension body mounts. However it SEEMS to persist, but idk, at this point it might be just in my mind.

Are their things to check fo regarding the pulling right issue?

And

Is there a procedure or checklist for measuring and balancing out the truck. I am aware of shims but id just be sliding the in at this point?

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Angie]

Is the steering box worn? or there a bad spot in the steering box where it centers to the pull right?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

These can be tricky to align depending on how young the kids are at the shops you take it too. You have to "jounce" the suspension to reset it after adjusting it.

 

[facemaze]

Is the steering box worn? or there a bad spot in the steering box where it centers to the pull right?

I’m not sure. I have not messed with the column or box. The steering wheel likes to sit at rest, with wheels pointing straight, slightly turned to the right at about 1 o’clock.

 

[facemaze]

These can be tricky to align depending on how young the kids are at the shops you take it too. You have to "jounce" the suspension to reset it after adjusting it.

well it’s been aligned at 3 different shops atleast 6 different times by a range of ages.
But please explain this jounce thing so I can make sure it’s done next to me I go in.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

well it’s been aligned at 3 different shops atleast 6 different times by a range of ages.
But please explain this jounce thing so I can make sure it’s done next to me I go in.

You basically bounce the crap out of the front of the truck to let things settle after each adjustment.

@adsm08 @19Walt93

 

[55trucker]

Fast forward to today. after numerous alignments from multiple shops and after all the work. IT STILL PULS RIGHT!!!! It has never not pulled right.

The steering wheel immediately wants to go right if i let go. its natural seat is skewed to 1 or 2 o'clock.

Also the truck has always seemed to just sit lower on the right side. I had hoped the problem would be corrected after the energy suspension body mounts. However it SEEMS to persist, but idk, at this point it might be just in my mind.

Are their things to check fo regarding the pulling right issue?

Do you have a print-out from the shop(s) who did the alignments?.....is the rear axle off 0 axis?, if so this can cause a case of setback at the front wheels.
You mention that the steering wheel is Not centered.

My thought is that if there is nothing mechanically wrong with the alignment settings you more than likely are suffering from a case of *radial pull*.

What is/are the condition of the front tires?

Try swapping left to right, & if necessary front to rear, let us know what is the result.

 

[Angie]

The reason I asked is, a friend had same troubles awhile back. he tore everything apart and it drove him nuts. eventually he took the steering box off the frame. when it was off the frame the arm would not sit 100% level and would sag in one direction. this is why i asked. he replaced the box and problem went away.

one other thing, different tires on left and right? or sizes? the shops would have noticed this.

 

[RonD]

Its odd that out of 3 alignments that none centered the steering wheel?????

Some times you need to ask, "I would like my steering wheel centered"

The lazy man alignment just uses the steering wheel lock that's closest to center for "straight"
A good alignment guy unlocks the steering wheel and ties off the wheel in the center then does the alignment

Yes, 4-wheel alignment?

 

[19Walt93]

You basically bounce the crap out of the front of the truck to let things settle after each adjustment.

@adsm08 @19Walt93

Yup, that's what you do, or you can roll it back and forth a few feet.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Good suggestions here, I +1 them. Alignment shops are like doctors, finding a good one is difficult, but makes a huge difference. There's an actual frame and alignment shop here that's been around forever. Also the local off road shop does good work, but costs about double. You may want to seek these types of shops.
The steering box could also definitely be the culprit. I think some guys even beef up the frame there when they r&r em. Have you tried turning the wheels back and forth with the tires/suspension off the ground? Lastly, I like to rotate my tires before getting an alignment for a fresh start. cheers

 

[rubydist]

Also, the frames on these trucks are not particularly strong, so it could have had the frame knocked out of square at some point in its life, and that has a significant affect on the alignment and pull issues. Next time you have it in, have them check the frame for squareness.

 

[89Twincharge]

Make sure they align right front first to get steering wheel straight. Right side steering is connected to pitman arm(steering box arm) and the left is connected to that arm, so if you do left first then right the right arm changes over all length and when it gets moving the steering wheel will track hard right.... also jouncing!!!

 

[RonD]

Also something to consider is the "crown" of the road you are on
In the pacific northwest our roads tend to have big crowns because we get alot of rain, so on these roads ANY vehicle will tend to go right if you let go of the steering wheel
I wouldn't call it "pulling" to the right, but to the right it will go without driver input, lol

 

[19Walt93]

NH roads are crowned, too, that's why we set the right caster about 1/2 degree higher than the left. In the left lane on the highway it makes vehicles want to drift left. Don't let go of the steering wheel to see if it "pulls", if it really pulls you'll feel it.
If the steering wheel is off center it was a sloppy alignment. Period. Unless you have a leading radial on one side in the front, if that's the case swapping the tires side to side will tip it the other way. I request that the alignment be set to preferred specs and get a printout.