truck drives bad

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May 24, 2011 | 01:30 PM

daveboys

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Joined: Oct 2003

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truck drives bad

My truck seems to dart when you hit a bump or when you are moveing left of right but staying in the same lane. What I tring to say is that if I want to move the truck 12 inches to the right and stay in my same lane, if I turn the wheels that way the truck slow starts to go that way and then takes off and you have to jerk it back. It didn't drive like this 10 years ago...it also didn't drive like that last year.

So far I have replace the sway bar links and bushings, shocks, ball joints, drag link, gear box and power steerng pump. Every thing seem to help a little but nothing fixes it. The axle joints were ok as were the tie rod ends. The truck has also been alligned twice and has new tires on it.

right now the allignment is

front

camber .2 .3

caster 3.1 2.8

Toe .03 .01

total toe .04

steer ahead .01

rear

camber -.03 .0

toe .17 -.28

total toe -.11

thrust angle .22

Does anyone have any idea what to try?

The second allignment shop thought the gear box needed adjusted. It was a rebuilt read head box, but they didn't mess with it.

thanks

May 24, 2011 | 02:11 PM

89LX306

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 1,815

Likes: 24

From: Houston

I'm experiencing something very similar right now. I just put new tires on the truck Thursday. With them aired up to 70 psi (sidewall max psi is 65...thanks Discount Tire) the truck darted all over the place. I lowered all 4 tires and that helped. I then replaced my 230k+ mile tie rods and had it aligned and that helped quite a bit. Today I'm going to adjust the steering box and see if that takes the rest of it out.

May 24, 2011 | 02:16 PM

daveboys

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 30

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Good luck I've been tring to get it since December.

May 25, 2011 | 01:37 PM

SuperDutyScaler

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2008

Posts: 8,449

Likes: 70

From: South Jersey

have yous checked your tract bar is tight? and if the bushings are still good? i installed a 1.5" level spring in the front and i installed a Zone adjustible tract bar in my 2004 F-350 it had 62k at the time and the factory tract bar bushings were SHOT! they were all dry rotted and crumbling. also the bolt at the frame was very loose compared to the one at the axle. i think its 450ftlb's i believe

May 25, 2011 | 01:39 PM

daveboys

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Freshman User

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The track bar is tight and the bushing look good. maybe I should take it lose and check the bushings better?

May 25, 2011 | 04:32 PM

Monster-4

Logistics Pro

Joined: Aug 2007

Posts: 3,974

Likes: 17

From: Millersburg, OH

Sounds like you have two issues. One seems to be bump steer and the other is steering stiction.

For the bump steer is your truck lifted? For the stiction when was the ball joints last replaced or checked?

Edit: I see you replaced the ball joints. I would jack the truck up, remove the tires, and remove the tie rod from one side. Check that side to make sure the knuckle turns freely from through the complete range of motions. If that side is good go to the other side and remove the tie rod. Check that the knuckle on this side moves freely.