This problem began with maybe 100 or so miles and seems to be getting worse.

When I brake 'sometimes' the truck pulls to the left. It sorta hooks if you will... meaning that the pull seems to get stronger as the truck comes closer to stopping. It doesn't do it consistently. Sometimes it stops straight as an arrow.

The truck runs straight on the open road but I have noticed when at slow speeds... below 35 or so... when I hit bumps or potholes the steering wheel will rotate to the left if I'm not holding it.

Is this an alignment issue? Brakes? Vacuum leak? Tire problem? (still have the stock 275 R70/ 18 Conti's)

I am planning on swapping these tires out for 295/ R70 18 Nitto's soon. Should I get this into the dealer before or after the tire swap? I know the obvious answer is before... but does it really matter? Warranty is warranty, right?

Here's what really worries me... I had this problem develop in my CK3500 dually a few years after buying it new. Never could get it fixed. Dealer tried "everything" and eventually wore me down... got tired of having to take it in.

I'm worried that this truck might be just as hard to straighten out... pun intended.

 

Mine showed a slight tendency to go right at low speed brake application. I had my dealer do the oil change and they looked at it. They cleaned and adjusted what they could and the problem has went away.

 

Thanks.

Feeling a little better.

I guess I'll just have to find a day that I can get it in.

 

Just make sure you rule out pulling to the left when stopping at an intersection where there are ruts in the road. Uneven pavement causes these trucks to wander when braking, lots of weight on the front compounded by even more weight transfer to the front when stopping/braking and the front tires will follow a rut in the road.

You can also choose to upgrade the shock absorber on the steering stabilizer.

 

I agree with ruschejj. That is the first thing to consider. Otherwise the symptoms you are describing sounds like a sticky caliper or slides which isn't likely on a newer vehicle. Whatever the problem is, warranty.

 

Check everything mentioned but also a few other things can be tried to rule out tires, alignment or brakes.

First check tire pressure. Drive on a concrete road if possible because asphalt can have a poor crown in the driving surface but be aware of cracks in the road.

Also swap the front tires side for side and see if the pull changes to the other direction and if it does tires are the culprit.

If the pull is still in the same direction then the next step I would take is to lift the front tires in the air and see if the same resistance is needed to roll the tire.If you have one that is harder to roll then that tells us the caliper may be hanging up.

If it feels the same then have someone start to apply the brakes slowly and see which one locks first. If you have a caliper hanging up or any valving issues restricting braking action this will expose the problem.

Then if these tests appear normal then alignment check would be the next thing to do. Severe castor differences will cause a pull to one direction but would be there without the use of the brakes. If the tire swap doesn't change it to the opposite side my hunch is you have a braking issue.

I also get more feed back to the steering wheel than I did with a independent front suspension so adding a stabilizer would help. I may add one to my truck. Adding castor will help too. I am not sure what these trucks start out at but I feel more castor would help.

 

that's good info there. If you can do what ibdpic suggested, it should help you find the problem. Or just let the dealer do it, if you trust them... either way, it *should* be easy enough to find

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really didn't know where to start. Got some ideas now. When I get it resolved, I'll let you know what it was.

Thanks again.