Still diving to right after alignment?

[NCguy]

As above. I just installed new shocks on new to me truck. It pulled to right before so I decided to do shocks first and then align. I got alignment yesterday and it still pulls to right. I must say it took guy 2hrs and he looked to be struggling with everything.
Truck is 94 ranger 4.0, 4x4 AT. It has 5" suspension lift and all steering, ball joints...are good. He gave me a printout and said he could get one side good but it would go bad when doing other side. He decided to align one and leave other off. He also said that my frame might be off but that sounded like a guess or excuse to me. I'm going to another shop this AM. If anyone has frame width in fort I'd appreciate it. Also Any ideas as far as what to look at?

 

[Curious Hound]

Probably need different adjusting collars - the two-piece adjustable type with as big an adjustment range as possible.

 

[racsan]

sure you dont have a caliper hanging up? Ive had that happen before.

 

[NCguy]

Thanks for the ideas. I just drove it to town and noticed that everything straightens up when I hit the brakes. Wheel gets straight and need to hold wheel to left disappeared. I'm guessing as mentioned that right brake caliper or line is bad. Would a stuck caliper cause trouble to an alignment?

 

[racsan]

I dont think so, would just cause pulling. my last stuck caliper was a piston that wouldnt apply, so when I put on the brakes It wanted to make a hard turn. Check your hub/lugnut temperatures after a drive- see if one side had a big difference. You can also jack a wheel up & spin it to see if its free
Replacing lines isnt a bad Idea either if its a older truck, you could have a line plugged. I did everything on mine last summer, master cyl to calipers.

 

[NCguy]

I edited my reply. I meant to say when I hit brakes not got brakes. I'm thinking right caliper stuck. Truck immediately drives straight when I hit brakes. I think drivers caliper engaging evens out the drag. My gas mileage has been very poor also and no check engine codes. Feels like I'm constantly going up hill

 

[Curious Hound]

 

[pjtoledo]

I edited my reply. I meant to say when I hit brakes not got brakes. I'm thinking right caliper stuck. Truck immediately drives straight when I hit brakes. I think drivers caliper engaging evens out the drag. My gas mileage has been very poor also and no check engine codes. Feels like I'm constantly going up hill

that could also mean your rear axle is shifting. bad bushings in the springs.

try applying the parking brake, same thing happen?
yes, look at rear suspension
no, look at front brakes.


one more quick test:

get on the freeway, with 2 lanes.
drive in the right lane, take note of the pull
switch to the left lane, does the pull change much?

try brakes too,,,,carefully!!!

2 lane freeways are crowned in the center, you should see the pull change slightly when changing lanes.

 

[NCguy]

Jacked up front of ranger both wheels freely spin. Checked leaf spring bushings and they are good. Checked for air in brake system and all is well. Pulls right in both lanes on interstate.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I dont think so, would just cause pulling. my last stuck caliper was a piston that wouldnt apply, so when I put on the brakes It wanted to make a hard turn. Check your hub/lugnut temperatures after a drive- see if one side had a big difference. You can also jack a wheel up & spin it to see if its free
Replacing lines isnt a bad Idea either if its a older truck, you could have a line plugged. I did everything on mine last summer, master cyl to calipers.

If you do this and it looks like a bad caliper, when you get set to replace it crack the line and see if it lets the tension off.

I have had rubber brake lines come apart inside and turn the lines into check valves which locked up the caliper on two separate occasions. Never had an issue with an actual caliper locking up... but it happens.

With mine I got bad smells, first one had smoke too, it was making my 302 grunt.

 

[pjtoledo]

have any wheel chocks, or blocks of wood?


block a front wheel front and back. go back & forth between drive & reverse while observing.
then do other side, anything move?

may not reveal much but at least it's a free test.

 

[sgtsandman]

Another possibility if all that checks out, is a tire with a slipped belt. Swap the front tires and see if the pulling changes to the other side.

 

[adsm08]

My first impression looking at that print out is that something is out of whack in the rear. A solid rear axle vehicle should not have .22* of toe in the rear.

My second impression is that we need to see the after measurements before meaningful interpolation can be done.

I've had pickups like this come in with the rear all screwy and I've still been able to make them go more or less straight down the road.

My advice, call around to local shops and ask about their alignment guys. Stay out of dealerships and national chain stores for this one. You need to find an experienced alignment tech who was born some time near the end of the Civil War, the older the better.

Seriously, if you want that truck to track straight you either need to find someone like me who still drives them and knows the front end, or you need to find an alignment guy who was working on them when they were still new.

 

[NCguy]

Got a tape measure out yesterday and measured from certain point of leaf spring perch to center of rear leaf spring bolt. Passenger side was 5/16" longer. Also measured from front to rear rim and passenger side was 5/8-3/4" longer measurement.
I imagine either one spring is flatter making measurement longer or maybe one bushing is worse shape... I believe leafs are centered on perch and pinned. I'll look closer today.

 

[OGdr]

I think it was just a crappy alignment. He should’ve got your toe closer than that. @adsm08 you’d be surprised how many straight axle trucks have that much toe or more, even brand new trucks