BAD PULL TO THE RIGHT

[bagpiperjosh]

My 83 f250 has a bad pull to the right. i had all of the tie rods replaced and the tow was set. i was told the caster was off a good bit, would that cause it to pull so bad though?
Its so bad that i have to keep the wheel to the left a bit while driving it, and if i let it go it pulls hard to the right.

any ideas?

 

[Greg5OH]

yes, having two largely different caster angles will cause pull. It will try to pull to the side where it has more positive angle I believe. (more unstable on that side)

 

[G. Mann]

I'm betting you have a tire that is having radial cord separation. I've had that same thing and it acted the way you describe.

A decent tire shop should be able to check it out for you and put it on their spin balance machine.. the run out on the tire will show up wrong.

That is, presuming this is a "suddenly new problem" ... otherwise, caster could cause the pull.. but it would have been around for as long as the caster was out of spec.

 

[Oog]

If it's a 2wd, check your ibeam mounting locations at the crossmember. Mine have rattled loose causing a bad pull to the left. Jack up the truck by the frame and see if you notice any play in the brackets

 

[bagpiperjosh]

If it's a 2wd, check your ibeam mounting locations at the crossmember. Mine have rattled loose causing a bad pull to the left. Jack up the truck by the frame and see if you notice any play in the brackets

it is 2wd. ill take a look at that

 

[Iowa 73]

Check your right brake caliper and the rubber flex line to it. May not be releasing all the way and can cause the condition you are describing.

 

[bagpiperjosh]

Check your right brake caliper and the rubber flex line to it. May not be releasing all the way and can cause the condition you are describing.

the caliper has seized in the past. i am on my 3rd one from napa. i put it on just a week ago. but it has been doing it long before that. all the lines are new too.

 

[hce]

You said it started pulling after installing tie rod ends. Check the toe in. Caster only pulls in conjunction with the front wheels being toed in. If caster is equal both wheels will be toed in the same. If castor differs between wheels, the one with the most caster will be pointed straight and cause the low caster wheel to point in more. The more toe in, the more it will point in the harder it will pull.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Just about every twin-I-beam truck that I have ever driven has a constant pull to the right, regardless of how many shiny new parts are under there; many of them did it straight from the factory.

Of course, you should make sure nothing dangerous is amiss and the list of possibles is long.

However, the only real life cure for getting rid of the pull is to make an 8- to 10-PSI difference between the front tires, with the right tire having the highest inflation.

For instance, if you are in the habit of running 80-PSI, drop the left to 75-PSI and raise the right to 85-PSI; you will be amazed.

That is what I would do; y'all can do whatever.