jd03ctd

Hello,
I have a 03 cummins 4x4 and have been having a problem with the steering. Two dealers so far think I am nuts. One today said alignment within Chrysler specs. Here is my "Problem" When driving down any straight stretch of road if I hold the wheel in the exact center position for any length of time I will head for the ditch not like my neck i broke because of the wicked right pull, but if you don't correct you will be eating a field fast. Today the put it on the alignment rack and said everything is ok now as soon as i got in I new it wasn't. I wen't to the sales mgr and requested to test another 03 he let me and it steers correctly on the same stretch of road. I then went w/ the service mgr and he said oh this steers better than most of them do you actualy have to drive theese trucks blagh blagh there is not any thing else we can do if it checks ok on our laser alignment rack. Geesh So here is the question am I nuts because I want my 39000 sticker truck to steer straight or are they nuts. Please give me any suggestions to help me find a solution. Do I need to diagnose the problem for them or what. Is it possible to be in correct alignment and still do this?
Thanks JIm

100 Proof

Hi Guy-

Remember that the "specs" are not one discrete number, but a range of numbers. Something like 0 - 1/4" for toe in and similiar numbers, in degrees, for caster and camber. I don't know enough about these trucks to know which of these angles might NOT be adjustable. On 4x4s, caster and camber may be limited to bending things to adjust them. If it is adjustable, I would think a little added caster on the left side would help straighten 'er out.

In answer to your specific question, yes, if the caster on the right is greater than the caster on the left, and still in the spec reange, I'd expect a pull on a dead flat road. Given that most real roads are built with a crown, if the caster on both sides is equal, it will still drift off to the right.

Hope this helps,

100 Proof

tarpilot

Hi Jim,
Check the threads, this has been a popular topic. Mine pulls to the right also, and I'm bringing it in next week, but definitely not to the dealer. I don't think you're nuts at all, I've had plenty of beaters that were in perfect alignment, and I think it's pretty bad that they are out like this. What I think is even worse is when guys bringtheir rigs in to the dealers and are told there's nothing wrong. And they wonder why they don't get more service customers....

phox_mulder

Take it to a place that specializes in Truck alignment.

When I had my leveling kit installed, Les Schwab aligned it afterwards.

My steering wheel was not centered, and my truck pulled to the left big time.
Took it back, they stuck it back on the machine and it was dead on.
Still pulled to the left and steering wheel wasn't centered.
Also, looking at it from the front, one wheel was obviously turned out more than the other one.

When I had my 5 inch lift installed they took it to a truck alignment place.
Steering wheel is dead on center and doesn't pull.

Noticed at Schwab that my truck didn't quite fit on the machine right, both tires were kinda hanging off the rack.


phox

tarpilot

Good idea Phox, I didn't think of that.

DF5152

these trucks have had these problem since generation 2 when they changed the front end design. they can install shim, ad sik with different thickenesses between the wheel and tire to help correct this problem. most dealers at least around here dont do there own alignments, they they sent them out to local shops. if the shop is using a machine that it not calibrated correctly you will get a bad job.

RETOOC

In reguards to your truck pulling to the right. There is no problem with the alignment, it is more than likely dead on as the dealer said. The problem is someone who made the last adjustment for the toe-in or toe-out made all the adjustment on one side in the steering linkage. Your steering box has a neutral position which is straight ahead with the steering wheel set for straight ahead. If your truck wants to go to the right, you have to pull the right front wheel in, shorten the right hand inner and outer tie rod end assembly, by adjusting the adjusting sleeve between the inner and outer tie rod ends. Make sure that you count the total number of turns you make on the adjusting sleeve then adjust the left tie rod assembly the same number of turns only this time lengthen the left tie rod assembly. By counting the turns and doing the same number of turns on both side you alignment should still be good after you are finished. I have had some vehicles that I had to turn as many as 7 or 8 turns on each side to get the front wheels tracking properly with the straight ahead position of the steering box. You can test your settings by driving a moderate speed, let go of the steering wheel, and seeing if the truck will go straight down the road. If it tracks better but still not dead straight ahead adjust some more in the same direction or if it goes to the opposite side of road reverse the settings accordingly until you are are happy with the settings.
If your truck wants to go to the left you would then want to shorten the left tie rod assembly and lengthen the right tie rod assembly.
Hope this solves your problem.

Cooter

tarpilot

COOTER,
Thanks for the input. So you are assuming that the wheels are already parallel, right? If that was so wouldn't it drive straight, but the steering wheel would be off-center to the left? I thought maybe one wheel was pretty straight and the other was cambered (or is that toed?) to the right. What do you think?

RETOOC

tarpilot,

If the tires are wearing evenly, inside to out and on both sides I would say that the alignment is good, both the caster and camber and the toe-in. There is a neutral position in your steering box for straight ahead, that is why you can't take the steering wheel of and turn it on the splines anymore to make the steering wheel align with the direction that the truck is going in. In older vehicles when you took the steering wheel off and turned it you would align the steering wheel with the direction the front wheels were going, but if you let go of the steering wheel when going along the road the vehicle would then go to the left or the right depending on which side had the shortest inner outer tie rod end assembly.
By any chance did you happen to notice the position of your steering wheel when you let go of the steering wheel going along the road? I bet the steering wheel was straight but the truck was going to the right or left in the direction of you are calling a pull but in fact is not a pull but a miss alignment between the steering wheel and the direction that your front wheels are leading you when the steering box is in its neutral position.
Have you ever noticed that when you are stopped, with engine running, you turn the steering wheel to the left or right a bit and let it go how the steering wheel wants to spring back toward the neutral position which is supposed to be straight ahead if the front wheels are in alignment with the neutral position in the steering box.
The alignment shop makes the front wheels run true to each other so your tires won't scuff out too quickly.
You also have to have the front wheels aligned with the neutral position in the steering box, which is usually done at the factory at assembly time. Somewhere along the line there was too much adjustment made on only 1 tie rod assembly. If the alignment part pertaining to the toe-in or toe-out is very far out you are supposed to make an equal amount of adjustment on both sides not all on 1 side, which I believe has happened to your truck or any other vehicle with this particular problem.

Cooter

joel

Maybe a stupid suggestion, but I start with the simple things. Have you checked the tire air pressures yet? If the right one is low, it has more drag/resistance and can pull the wheel to the right. Just a thought....

tarpilot

Joel-tire pressure is fine, I went there first too. Retooc, you're right on I think. Bringing it in this week, finally, as soon as I get this frame up. thanks, Bryan

Mexstan

JD, does your steering feel stiff at all? Mine was stiff from day one and the steering wheel was a little off center. By the time my first oil change was due I could detect slight unusual wear on my front tires. The dealer found a defective steering box and changed it. Also did an alignment. What a difference! No more problems and no complaints about the steering on my truck.

RETOOC

tarpilot,
I sent you some wrong info as to how to eliminate your problem of a pull to the right. For some reason I was thinking your truck was a 4x2 in which case the info was OK. Your truck is a 4x4 in which case you make only 1 similar adjustment to the adjusting sleeve on the drag link, thats the bar that goes from your steering box to the link that connects the 2 wheels togather. Your truck wants to go to the right so you want to shorten the drag link which will in turn turn the wheels to the left. If your truck was pulling to the left then you would want to lengthen the drag link. Once again still count the turns so when you road test it you will beable to get a feel for how many more turns you might have to go in the same direction or how many you might have to come back to make it right.
Sorry for any confusion I might have caused you.

Retooc

tarpilot

Thanks RETOOC, I might as well give it a shot myself, might save the trip to to foot doctor. If I screw up, well, I was headed there anyway. : I'll let you know how it goes, I'm gonna slide under there this afternoon.