Wondering if anyone has gone through this issue before or any suspension gurus out there?

I've been in the process of getting this front end tightened up and pretty much have it were I want, now without all the wandering and whatnot I'm noticing out on the highway while under throttle it's pulling to the left.

Pretty much new front end other than control arm bushings & ball joints which have no apparent need for replacement, although they could be original as far as I know.

I've replaced rear spring shackle bushings awhile back because of a uneasy fishtail feeling I got last summer while towing and noticed they were pretty worn/cracked. I'm still not completely convinced something else isn't screwy back there but can't find anything that sticks out, those bushings helped a little but just doesn't feel as stable as I'd like, not like my old 02 chevy 3/4, and really not as good as my last 08 1/2 ton!

Anyhow maybe related?, the lt. pull under accell., And the fishtailing?? Like something in the rear end loose, but don't see anything obvious.

 Anyone ever gone through anything similar?

   Thanks!

Don,

 

Have you had it to an alignment shop yet (and not just a toe and go place but a good shop)?  It sounds like your thrust angle is way off.   Your rear end could be not perpendicular.

 

Try a quick measurement.  Measure the wheel base on the driver's side and compare it to the wheel base on the passenger side.  I am pretty certain on these trucks these should be equal.

 

GL HTH

 

Hag

 

Or you have a lift kit without adjustable track bar will do the same thing.

Yes as a matter of fact I did recently get it aligned, but not at a good shop, actually they just ended up pissing me off in the end! The shop I had used for years is no longer in business.

After alignment it still drifted left and they couldn't figure out and so I ended up messing around with the caster and over all it drove way better!

 Anyhow, what you say makes sense, now I can't remember if I did that or not, lol. I just recall measuring off frame. Kept thinking something was moving due to torque. Still dark here, will check later. I also need to research a good shop around here! About all that's left are those f@#$&n chain stores!

 

 

 No lift's here!! Learned that lesson in my younger years 🙄

 

Yeah commonly people have a 1 to 2 inch leveling kit and it causes the axle to be pushed down more so that tend to make the caster more neutral so the wondering is more pronounced. I've got a 2005 sitting here with a 3 inch kit and wonders bad. Then I've got my 2006 Dodge with 2 inch leveling kit it wonders as well. Both have little to zero caster and over sized tires. Makes it even worse. But hey this what I see come and go through my shop. 

 

Just remember if you use a lift kit you not lifting off the axle but pushing the axle down if the lift is too much then it can pull the axle to the driver side because the track bar is now too short. (Thrust angle error) Then with the downward travel the axle rotates forward and makes the caster neutral. Hence the steering issue most lifted truck deal with. (caster angle error)

Edited January 6, 20214 yr by Mopar1973Man

@Mopar1973ManI have quite a few miles on 3rd gens with 2" spacers and none of them wondered, stock tires or larger. 

 

The only time any wondering occurred was due to worn out steering components, and not from the level kit. Even then never anything bad, just not like new. 

 

I disliked the 2" level for other reasons, but they always tracked just fine. A 3" level would be horrible for ride quality!

Edited January 6, 20214 yr by AH64ID

10 hours ago, Haggar said:

 

Try a quick measurement.  Measure the wheel base on the driver's side and compare it to the wheel base on the passenger side.  I am pretty certain on these trucks these should be equal.

 

GL HTH

 

Hag

 

 

 

Measurement seems to be dead on.

 

Maybe I'm wrong here but seems a little crazy to me you have all that torque, then those big long rearend u-bolts and no traction bars to keep the axle housings from twisting?

 

The accelerating doesn't yank the wheel out of your hands but if you let go while it will drift to the other lane in short order.

And no, letting off or braking doesn't straiten out or pull opposite.

 

Any other ideas??

 

  Thanks!

 

 

5 hours ago, dieseldon said:

And no, letting off or braking doesn't straiten out or pull opposite.

 So I'm confused, does it pull left all the time or only under acceleration? If acceleration, all the time or only pushing hard in the go pedal?

9 hours ago, Doubletrouble said:

 So I'm confused, does it pull left all the time or only under acceleration? If acceleration, all the time or only pushing hard in the go pedal?

 

 Under acceleration, from light onward.

It was wandering to left all the time even after alignment, after I adjusted caster bolts, which alignment shop pretty much refused to do it drives WAY better now, (I have another thread about this and maybe I should have just revised that?)

Anyhow, it's been a never ending battle trying to get this thing driving decent since I bought it a year ago.

  Seeing how this particular issue happens under acceleration I'm wondering if the rear wheels are steering it somehow, especially with the squirrlieness with my camper behind it,

What I mean by that is, if I make any sudden steering movements left and right it's sometimes a overly exaggerated fishtail feeling, more so than other trucks I've had.

Just don't see anything obvious.

 

   Thanks!

 

 Check all the leaf spring mounts, U bolts I'd even check the frame just to make sure nothing is moving. If there is movement somewhere usually there are some kind of witness marks. Maybe have a helper and hold the brake while to apply throttle. Have the helper watch the rear end to see if there is any abnormal movement.

Don,

you were the fellow that got shafted with a toe and go....   Like trouble said look for looseness in the rear suspension.  because they did a toe and go, they didn't check your thrust angle.   If you can repeatably accelerate and see movement that you don't see off throttle or decel, you are getting some rear steering.  Don't forget the basics though.  Tire size and pressure on the rear.  is your rear sway bar doing something wonky....(it should only work in the vertical,but if the knuckles are seized etc.

 

GL  Hope you find it!

Hag

Thanks Hagar, yeah I've checked tires, swapped, etc, I don't have rear sway bars, I'll keep looking!

Probably need to get that thrust angle checked.

My wifes 2000 dakota was doing what you describe under accelaration. I for get what sheared now but the axle was rotating under load. I noticed a scrapping noise when she put it in gear and looked under the truck and saw axle rotate. I would get someone to sit in and put in gear and give it a little throttle. Then look and see if you see something moving around. Of course set the brake and use the service brakes and dont get under it. The wifes was quite obvious.

Edited January 7, 20214 yr by dripley

Thanks driply, I guess it could've been a sheered spring pack pin?

I'll give it a look, hard to get the wife out there to do anything, lol !

7 hours ago, dieseldon said:

Seeing how this particular issue happens under acceleration I'm wondering if the rear wheels are steering it somehow, especially with the squirrlieness with my camper behind it,

I had a mustang that did that, ended up being one of the rear control arm bushings was going bad.

3 hours ago, dieseldon said:

Thanks driply, I guess it could've been a sheered spring pack pin?

I'll give it a look, hard to get the wife out there to do anything, lol !

My wife was more than happy to oblige. But she lost the smile on her face when she realized I was not going to get under the truck.

1 hour ago, Dieselfuture said:

I had a mustang that did that, ended up being one of the rear control arm bushings was going bad.

 

I wish I had control arms to put bushings in.

 

1 hour ago, dripley said:

My wife was more than happy to oblige. But she lost the smile on her face when she realized I was not going to get under the truck.

 

 

  🏆😅

10 minutes ago, dieseldon said:

I wish I had control arms to put bushings in.

Could be bushings in leaf springs, or like mentioned above something to do with lose ubolts, cracked springs, idk was just saying it could be something with the way rear end is behaving.

26 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

Could be bushings in leaf springs, or like mentioned above something to do with lose ubolts, cracked springs, idk was just saying it could be something with the way rear end is behaving.

 

Thanks, Yeah, I've replaced the spring bushings, they were in pretty bad shape,

cracked, hogged out, (is that a word?) I need to investigate those springs, perch's, and pins I think.

 Thanks again for the ideas!

I know our frame is in 2 pieces with rivets mine has rust that has swelling and bulging between the two halfs. Guessing this was one of ways fiat saving money? Front half is not as thick as rear? Idk maybe something going on there ? Seems a lot of sled pulling guys folded these trucks in half before. 

1 hour ago, Dieselfuture said:

I know our frame is in 2 pieces with rivets mine has rust that has swelling and bulging between the two halfs. Guessing this was one of ways fiat saving money? Front half is not as thick as rear? Idk maybe something going on there ? Seems a lot of sled pulling guys folded these trucks in half before. 

 

WOW! I hadn't heard of that one yet , and I used to repair frames (collision repair) on a weekly basis, but I've been out of the trade for about ten years too, and don't really follow the sled pulling gig.

 My truck is "fairly" rust free but the undercarriage does need some attention from years of road salt damage and such, Idaho now uses it instead of sand 🤬

 And it was originally bought and owned for a while near california coast.

 It certainly doesn't help my old long held preconceived prejudice towards mopars quality ☹️