I have a constant pull to the right and the common clunking noise at any speeds. I have about 106k miles on it, but I bought the truck used so I don't know exactly what work has been done in the past.

I have checked the brake calipers for dragging, rotated the tires, checked tire pressures, and checked ball joints; everything seems to be OK.

So, where do I go next to try and eliminate the clunking and constant pull to the right.

TIA

 

Sounds like maybe the track bar, your best bet is to have an alignment shop take a look. Most will check it out and tell you what it needs, then you can take it home and change parts or have them do it. Most of the big expense is the parts and they are not so good. At that milage sounds about right for failer.

Also I have heard that steering boxes go bad often as well, not been my experience as of yet.

 

Pulling to the right is a common problem. Rotating the tires helps some but is not a fix. Make sure the air pressure is even and fairly high. Someday, when you get new ball joints, you may need the offset Moog style.

My last set of new tires pretty much lliminated it for me, or should I say, masked it.

I don't think the track bar has anything to do with it.

If you are getting a clunking or rattle up there try checking the shock mounts and the sway bar end links. Most likely one of those two things. Mine was the sway bar end links, one was clunking for 70,000 miles before I got fed up and changed it.

John

 

get an alignment.

 

That's easy to say but the camber is not adjustable.

John

 

What does camber have to do with it? A good front end shop will tell him if anything is loose.

And his right drift could be caused by toe and caster being too neg. Being stock I'm betting toe is just knocked out.... $60 and 45 mins at NTB or whatever and he'll be good to go.

 

Camber is a big cause of pulling and requires the adjustable ball joints to fix since there is no stock camber adjustment. Toe can cause it but not very well. Mainly if one side of the truck is heavier than the other. Something loose does not cause pulling, just play in the wheel, unless it is something that is causing bad camber. Or bad caster on one side. Caster difference between left and right can cause it but these trucks are not adjustable separately because of the solid axle. So if that's it he'll have to live with it or compensate in some other way. Maybe maxing out the caster to get better tracking in general. If the caster is too neg on both wheels it wil cause it to not track well but not necessarily pull to one side.

Road crown causes it too, but he said it was a constant problem and it's also a known problem with these trucks, so I don't think that's it. Uneven tire wear and different tire pressures left to right also cause it. Tires should be rotated in the traditional 5 wheel method where all tires see each position on the truck, not just moved front to rear and then back again. A dragging brake caused by a sticking caliper or loose wheel bearings is another cause.

Camber causes it by putting the tire contact patch at a certain position relative to the rest of the suspension. If the camber is off such that the tire patch is farther out on the right side, that wheel tends to pull to the right harder than the left wheel is pulling to the left for a net pull to the right. More leverage.

John

 

My toe was so out I had to crank the wheel 1/4 turn to the left and constantly fight it from yanking right.

Also, setting the caster more positive will cause it to pull left.

My camber was spot on.

 

I forgot to say that I have already had an alignment, and they made a small adjustment, but it did not effectt the pull to the right at all.

 

That sucks, what were the adjustments. Did you write the baseline down?

I'd bring it back and get them to inspect it again.

 

You might have some cross-caster in the axle....this can happen if the axle C's were off at all during the manufacturing process, or if the previous owner had an alignment shop crank some cross caster in it. Like Raspy said, the only way to do it properly is to use an offset ball joint or an alignment cam ( they made cams for the D60's, not sure if they're available yet for the AAM).

Sounds to me like a cross caster problem....needs a tad more caster in the right side. The D60's on the 2nd gens did well with .3* cross caster.....

 

How does offset ball joints help a stock truck though? I thought those were used to adjust when leveled if you didn't address the trackbar. Not trying to be disagreeable, just learnin' .


I'm curious what his specs are.


On my truck I'm .10 toe each side, 4.5 caster, and forgot the camber but it was good. My truck now slightly drifts to the left like the alignment guy said it would with my caster set as such.