Strange pulling issue
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
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Strange pulling issue
So i bought my truck in december and it needed a lot of work. I put new ball joints on it right away. I noticed shortly after that (it may have been doing this before but masked by the extremely bad ball joints) i was having a strange issue where as i'm going down the road strait, the truck will drive nice and strait down the road then slowly start to pull right. It'll slowly start pulling harder and harder until it pops left (there is no sound but it's the only way i can describe the feeling in the wheel) and it will start tracking strait again. It will do this over and over as it's going down the road maybe once every 30 seconds. That "pop" to the left can also be trigger by me taking a left corner and it will track strait for a short period again.
I just put all new tie rods on the truck this weekend and got it aligned today thinking this will fix the issue. It has not. Where should i be looking?
I just put all new tie rods on the truck this weekend and got it aligned today thinking this will fix the issue. It has not. Where should i be looking?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
Steering box valving?
Talk to Red Head yet?
http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/
You're not accidentally in 4WD are you?
Pop
Talk to Red Head yet?
http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/
You're not accidentally in 4WD are you?
Pop
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
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Another piece of information i thought of that might be helpful here. The steering wheel does feel heavier than i think it should. I have a buddy who also has an 03 F250 and I'll see if i can drive his as a comparison. It doesn't self center very well either. If I'm rolling through a parking lot for example it doesn't want to self center much more than 3 or 9 o' clock depended on which way I turned. It does self center better as speed, but i still have to finish turning it back strait by hand.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,470
Likes: 3
From: Pea Ridge, AR
Have you tried flushing the fluid? Might be a good place to start. Ford Super Duty Power Steering Flush | Superdutypsd.com
Here is a video Trey A/Ox4 put together as well.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-TSw2Qlzsx8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here is a video Trey A/Ox4 put together as well.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-TSw2Qlzsx8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
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This issue has been pretty intermittent the last couple days and i can't find a pattern. This morning the truck drove to work perfectly fine, during lunch it did the pull thing a couple times, then on the way home it did it like every 15 seconds.
SpringerPop, your post about accidentally having it in 4wd got me thinking. While i was on my way home and the truck was driving like crap, I decided to pull over and lock in the hubs but I left the transfer case in RWD. Holy crap does the front end feel tight with it engaged. I almost wonder if the previous owner locked the diff because the front end skips even on light corners. Anyway, i didn't feel it pull right for the rest of the drive home. This may have been masked by the drive train holding the truck strait, however I'm almost wondering if my passenger side hub isn't completely disengaging - causing the truck to pull to the right sometimes. Is there a way I could test this?
I also wonder if the bushings on the leaf springs could be going bad causing the axle to shift around. Any thoughts about this or ways i could test it?
SpringerPop, your post about accidentally having it in 4wd got me thinking. While i was on my way home and the truck was driving like crap, I decided to pull over and lock in the hubs but I left the transfer case in RWD. Holy crap does the front end feel tight with it engaged. I almost wonder if the previous owner locked the diff because the front end skips even on light corners. Anyway, i didn't feel it pull right for the rest of the drive home. This may have been masked by the drive train holding the truck strait, however I'm almost wondering if my passenger side hub isn't completely disengaging - causing the truck to pull to the right sometimes. Is there a way I could test this?
I also wonder if the bushings on the leaf springs could be going bad causing the axle to shift around. Any thoughts about this or ways i could test it?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
Are you certain the transfer case is really going into 2WD? Could it be somehow stuck in 4WD all the time?
Do the front axles (the front U-joints are part of the drive axles) ever go "free"? That would be when the hubs are unlocked and the transfer case is in 2WD. You should be able to reach behind the tire and turn those U-joints by hand. If not, either the hub locks are not unlocking or the transfer case is locked.
If you suspect the hub locks are not unlocking, you can pull a snap ring off and pull them out completely as a test.
Some things to try for diagnosis.
Pop
Do the front axles (the front U-joints are part of the drive axles) ever go "free"? That would be when the hubs are unlocked and the transfer case is in 2WD. You should be able to reach behind the tire and turn those U-joints by hand. If not, either the hub locks are not unlocking or the transfer case is locked.
If you suspect the hub locks are not unlocking, you can pull a snap ring off and pull them out completely as a test.
Some things to try for diagnosis.
Pop
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
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Just went out and fiddled with the truck and I think the passenger side hub isn't fully disengaging. If i try to spin the CV shafts where it goes into the wheel, they only spin about 1/4 turn before they stop and i hear a click at the passenger wheel. If the hubs are locked then i can't spin the CV shaft at all. Then i tried spinning the front drive shaft by hand and it will spin the CV shaft at the drivers side but the passenger side doesn't move which leads me to believe the passenger side is stuck partially engaged.
EDIT:
I have now lifted the right front wheel off the ground (I wanted to do the whole front end but my 2 ton jack is too weak. It refuses to do it) and I can spin the right front wheel freely without it influencing the CV shaft. But, if i try to turn the CV shaft by hand, i can see barley it looks like it wants to try to turn the wheel slightly right it when gets to that "clicking spot" when spinning the CV shaft forward (It's very very slight. You really have to look for it), and turn the wheel slightly left when spinning the CV shaft to the clicking spot backwards. I'm guessing it's barely catching in there? What do you think?
EDIT:
I have now lifted the right front wheel off the ground (I wanted to do the whole front end but my 2 ton jack is too weak. It refuses to do it) and I can spin the right front wheel freely without it influencing the CV shaft. But, if i try to turn the CV shaft by hand, i can see barley it looks like it wants to try to turn the wheel slightly right it when gets to that "clicking spot" when spinning the CV shaft forward (It's very very slight. You really have to look for it), and turn the wheel slightly left when spinning the CV shaft to the clicking spot backwards. I'm guessing it's barely catching in there? What do you think?
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Junior User
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Well I have the truck "fixed". Just to share what i've done in case somebody else with a similar issue decides to try it; I went to a large parking lot and locked in the hubs. I kept the transfer case in 2wd. I drove around in figure 8's for about 30 minutes - starting very large and slow and working my way in tighter and tighter as I felt the joint starting to loosen up. Once i couldn't feel the sypmtoms of the frozen u joint in the wheel anymore in continued to do full lock figure 8's for about 10 minutes. The pulling issue is gone and the u joint is free.
I anticipate the joint to freeze up again periodically until i actually replace it, but this will get me by for now. I'll just have to remember to lock in the hubs once every couple of weeks to keep everything moving.
I anticipate the joint to freeze up again periodically until i actually replace it, but this will get me by for now. I'll just have to remember to lock in the hubs once every couple of weeks to keep everything moving.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
Well I have the truck "fixed". Just to share what i've done in case somebody else with a similar issue decides to try it; I went to a large parking lot and locked in the hubs. I kept the transfer case in 2wd. I drove around in figure 8's for about 30 minutes - starting very large and slow and working my way in tighter and tighter as I felt the joint starting to loosen up. Once i couldn't feel the sypmtoms of the frozen u joint in the wheel anymore in continued to do full lock figure 8's for about 10 minutes. The pulling issue is gone and the u joint is free.
I anticipate the joint to freeze up again periodically until i actually replace it, but this will get me by for now. I'll just have to remember to lock in the hubs once every couple of weeks to keep everything moving.
I anticipate the joint to freeze up again periodically until i actually replace it, but this will get me by for now. I'll just have to remember to lock in the hubs once every couple of weeks to keep everything moving.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
I would check the 4x4 U-joints at the front spindles. I have seen this before and rusted/frozen up front U-joints were the cause. Should have been noticed/inspected when doing the balljoints.
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