3 alignments later truck still pulls left and right when on sloped road

[Sherman Bird]

Vehicles that are lowered to the extent of having rolled fender wells and horizontal approach to abrupt road inclinations tend to be money pits but are education unto themselves.

It’s also geometry like you mentioned previously SAI the 1500’s have ridiculously better handling then most competitors where they are fighting and struggling to stay inside their lanes.

I personally enjoy a lifted truck over those pesky slot cars but it’s a relative to the road conditions and the environment of sunken grades and sharing the road with vehicles weighing over 30 times my vehicles kg …our trucks are sports cars in comparison.

THE one slot car I'd own is the venerable 911!!!

 

[Jim BB]

Hey guys, just signed up to the forum. Been around RAMs forever, but have run into an issue that I was hoping someone here could steer me in the right direction. I have Toyo Proxes STIII's on the truck, 22" wheels. I needed two new tires as the front two chewed through the inside edge really badly. Bought two online, took them to local tire store to have mounted balanced and realigned, since I thought that was why they had the inside edge eaten. They called and said the lower ball joints were bad, but could go ahead and put the tires on but would need to bring it back to install control arms with new ball joints then do alignment. Had the truck back for a few days with the new tires and didn't notice anything strange. Took it back to the shop, they replaced both lower control arms which included the new ball joints as an assembly. We did NOT replace upper ones, if that matters or factors into this issue. They did the alignment and I took it home. Truck seemed to pull bad to the right and vibrated badly at high speed. Took it back to shop, re-balanced all four tires and rechecked the alignment. Vibration went away and seemed to be slightly better on alignment.

Here's the odd thing, truck will steer almost perfectly straight on a flat level road, but when you are on a crown or slant it will pull in whatever direction the slant is in. Sometimes rather severely. I took it back to them and complained it never did that before and something was off. They claim it's got to be the alignment and checked it again. Aligned the truck for the 3rd time and it seems to be the same as before. Will drive straight on flat surface but as soon as you are on an angle the steering wheel will turn slightly and pulls in that direction, left or right, doesn't matter. Like I said, I'm replacing the same tires with more of the same and never had the issue. Do you think I should have replaced the upper ball joints at the same time, could that be causing this? I've checked the directional tires, air pressure, all of that is fine. Any ideas what might be causing something like this to go on? Let me know if there are questions or if I left out any details. I appreciate any help at all. It's just very frustrating that the truck drove perfectly prior and now can't get it back to normal. If they can't get it fixed I'll take it to another shop or the dealer, but I've already sunk too much money in it to start over, but if I have to, I will. Thanks!

As a old mechanic and Alignment guy any vehicle will pull in the direction of the crown of the road ! IF it did not pull on a crown of the road IT WILL PULL ON THE FLAT ROAD !!!!! so that said in order to go straight on the flat road it will pull on a crown !!! If you are still not happy take it to your buddy or dealer to check it !

 

[Dean2]

As a old mechanic and Alignment guy any vehicle will pull in the direction of the crown of the road ! IF it did not pull on a crown of the road IT WILL PULL ON THE FLAT ROAD !!!!! so that said in order to go straight on the flat road it will pull on a crown !!! If you are still not happy take it to your buddy or dealer to check it !

I have never seen a paved road that wasn't crowned. Some paved have more than others so I get mine set for mid range crown as a happy medium. Our gravel roads have even more crown than paved. Where are you finding these flat roads?

 

[turkeybird56]

I’ve towed both with my old ford Superduty, and this 2014 Ram 3500 . Two different fifth wheels all over the western states , including Texas down to the gulf coast . Been a few years since the Texas trip , only thing that comes to mind is the terrible traffic going thru San Antonio.

I stay out of San Antone, Austin and DFW area, just a C.........F....k those areas be. But then, I have no reason to go to any of those places, lol.

 

[Jim BB]

I have never seen a paved road that wasn't crowned. Some paved have more than others so I get mine set for mid range crown as a happy medium. Our gravel roads have even more crown than paved. Where are you finding these flat roads?

you are correct every road does have a crown but on a lot of flat roads Ie roads that have very low crown that are hard to see you can let go of the steering wheel and drive for 1/2 mile or so and have no or very little input to steering wheel

 

[Sherman Bird]

Vehicles that are lowered to the extent of having rolled fender wells and horizontal approach to abrupt road inclinations tend to be money pits but are education unto themselves.

It’s also geometry like you mentioned previously SAI the 1500’s have ridiculously better handling then most competitors where they are fighting and struggling to stay inside their lanes.

I personally enjoy a lifted truck over those pesky slot cars but it’s a relative to the road conditions and the environment of sunken grades and sharing the road with vehicles weighing over 30 times my vehicles kg …our trucks are sports cars in comparison.

Back in the '80s, I owned a shop where we did perform suspension and front end work, along with alignment.
Those were the days of younger guys lowering Japanese econo-boxes and putting offset rims/adapters on the wheels causing the tires to stick out several inches beyond the outer lip of the fenders. They also installed exhaust with huge tailpipe diameters that sounded like a weed eater.

I turned away those folks because the original engineering of the vehicle had been radically changed. The SAI, included angle, among the other crucial front end geometry made it impossible to align the front end, period.

Ditto for the Texas Bubba trucks which had been suspension lifted improperly.

The liability for others' indiscretions was something I wouldn't fathom as a business owner.

 

[Mister Luck]

Back in the '80s, I owned a shop where we did perform suspension and front end work, along with alignment.
Those were the days of younger guys lowering Japanese econo-boxes and putting offset rims/adapters on the wheels causing the tires to stick out several inches beyond the outer lip of the fenders. They also installed exhaust with huge tailpipe diameters that sounded like a weed eater.

I turned away those folks because the original engineering of the vehicle had been radically changed. The SAI, included angle, among the other crucial front end geometry made it impossible to align the front end, period.

Ditto for the Texas Bubba trucks which had been suspension lifted improperly.

The liability for others' indiscretions was something I wouldn't fathom as a business owner.

As a business that is understandable.
The tunner trend never really became popular until the early 90’s then the movie franchise took over and it was mainstream.
SEMA and all the aftermarket exploded it was fun to see the clown cars but they needed to go away , their reputation was long lost and law enforcement and the smog police all those street racers belong on a track
Drift events were a distraction but that was eventually headed full circle back to Desert and off-road racing .

There is too much insurance and liability to make street legal adjustments on custom vehicles, some shop will turn customers away if you truck is lifted or lowered too far from specifications just for those reasons.

 

[Sherman Bird]

As a business that is understandable.
The tunner trend never really became popular until the early 90’s then the movie franchise took over and it was mainstream.
SEMA and all the aftermarket exploded it was fun to see the clown cars but they needed to go away , their reputation was long lost and law enforcement and the smog police all those street racers belong on a track
Drift events were a distraction but that was eventually headed full circle back to Desert and off-road racing .

There is too much insurance and liability to make street legal adjustments on custom vehicles, some shop will turn customers away if you truck is lifted or lowered too far from specifications just for those reasons.

I sat in the gallery of a local courthouse years ago. I was waiting for the case that I was there as a professional witness for to be called on that day's docket. There were several cases ahead of ours, and the education I got was eye-opening!

There was a case where a guy had broken down in his modified Mazda GLC on Interstate 10 in Houston, Texas in 5 o'clock afternoon rush hour traffic on a Friday. This man was suing the tow truck company who towed him off the freeway because the transmission was destroyed when the car was towed with the drive wheels on the ground, thus burning up the transmission.

The car was front wheel drive and had those "Fox" brand driving lights on the front bumper, thus making it impossible for the wrecker to tow the car from the front without damaging those lights, due to the truck being a sling rig. Inasmuch as the car was front wheel drive, towing the car from the rear posed imminent danger to the transaxle. The tow driver knew (or should have known) this because this info was/is in a guide for professional wrecker operators.

The tow driver informed these facts to the car's owner and, the car owner was upset and panicked that he was causing a rush hour jam on Houston's main traffic artery. Apparently, so upset that he exclaimed "just get it off the freeway!", even after having been advised of the real potential for catastrophic damage to said automatic gearbox.

Well, sure enough, the tow driver hooked up the car and towed it about 1/2 mile to a nearby shop. Along with the engine dying, the transmission was smoked. The transmission repair back then was almost $1,800. The equivalent of about 6 grand today.

The judge found for the plaintiff (Mazda owner). Afterwards, the tow company owner (not the driver who towed the car) asked the judge why he lost the lawsuit. The judge cited the fact that they knew the risk and had the right to refuse to tow the car, and stated that the layperson doesn't grasp the conceptual spirit of liability in such a matter.

I got it, loud and clear.... Anytime someone wants me to compromise my professional basis for their moment of panic, I'm still liable (at least in Texas!) And I do say NO!

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

I stay out of San Antone, Austin and DFW area, just a C.........F....k those areas be. But then, I have no reason to go to any of those places, lol

Because they are the Wokas parts of Texas, I hear you!! You are being a smart Boird.

 

[turkeybird56]

Because they are the Wokas parts of Texas, I hear you!! You are being a smart Boird.

Not so much a being a SMART BOIRD, I hate driving in those areas. There is nothing there that I cannot either source local, order, or drive like an hour to a slightly bigger town that has the Big Chain Stores. Besides I am a Big Blue Fan, cannot stand the "Cowgirls", lmao.

ADDED: The only thing in DFW to go see would be the Honda MC Dealer, only place that has New Wing Trikes. BUT they R 56K, so not gonna waste the time driving 2 1/2 -3 1/2 hours North to get something I cannot afford or TBH want, not need.