Company won't fix truck pulling hard right

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Thrasher28, Jan 16, 2024.

  1. Thrasher28

    Thrasher28 Road Train Member

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    Bowling Green, KY
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    No idea what to do. Have been through 4 trucks already that I got swapped out of for random reasons -- one got traded, one needed a routine overhead and I was under a load with no time to spare, etc. Not a veteran, but not a rookie either. I've been in enough trucks to know this one drives exceptionally bad. Thankful they put me in a new truck, but can't stand making a left turn for 60 hours a week and fighting the thing constantly. Call me soft or whatever, but its like wearing wet socks. Just a constant nagging irritation. Can't imagine it's the right move financially either. It'll start wearing the heck out of 10 tires soon and then the issue will just get exacerbated and I'll be wasting even more time. They'll be wasting more money.

    Got put in this truck, brand new, so I'm thankful for that of course. At 40,000 miles now and a few weeks ago, it developed a hard pull and drives like **** around left hand curves. I can get it down the road safely, but it's still a pretty extreme pull. If I was to let go of the wheel, it'd go from the driving lane to the shoulder in just 2-3, seconds. Any bump makes the wheel jump to 2 o'clock, and it pulls even harder right. First time I took it to the company shop, they just greased it. Not going to fix a hard pull, but whatever, and of course, no change. Second time, they aligned it and it wasn't fixed. And now the third and fourth time has just been the 'we'll take a look at it' just for absolutely nothing to get actually done. 30 minutes later, called on the intercom that truck is done and not a single thing has changed.

    I have a few hiccups on my record so I can't just find a new job. It's not a DOT violation for a truck to drive like ****, so can't use that approach. I could probably request a different truck, but if this is their approach with the one I'm in, I doubt the next one's going to be any different.

    I'm not going around thumping curbs and hammering potholes, every tire is set exactly 100 and 105-110 steers, and I pre trip truck and trailer thoroughly.

    What would you all do? Just ride it out since I don't have much leg to stand on here or at any other company? Try and talk to someone higher up? Idk.
     
    shatteredsquare Thanks this.
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  3. snowlauncher

    snowlauncher Road Train Member

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    At the risk of asking a stupid question, did you check your wheel hub oil levels? I know it's been lubed by the shop, but check anyway.
     
  4. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Tell the mechanic to test drive it.
     
  5. singlescrewshaker

    singlescrewshaker Road Train Member

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    Got a brake shoe dragging on the right side maybe.?

    Check the steer alignment yourself.
    Take a tape measure, & a friend.
    Pick a tread groove & measure across the front.
    Then use the same tread groove & measure across the back side of the steer tire. This will get you darn close.

    I pigeon toed my truck 1/16 of an inch over 150,000 miles using this same method. Steers straight, & tires look almost new..
     
  6. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    I think there's more to THIS story. Trucks with 40K don't "suddenly" start doing this without some kind of damage. Not saying this person did it, but if it's unsafe, buy all means don't try and "peddle through it". Something lets go, it's your axx on the line.
     
  7. silverspur

    silverspur Road Train Member

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    I bought a used car that was pulling to the right. The culprit was a damaged wheel. Discount Tire pointed it out to me during a tire change.
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  8. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    The truck is under warranty.
    Take it to the dealer.
     
    86scotty, JB7 and Rideandrepair Thank this.
  9. Thrasher28

    Thrasher28 Road Train Member

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    any ideas on what it could be? Not a whole lot to add to the story. Truck drove reasonably well, Truck began pulling substantially to the right, and any damages or causes have not been identified yet by mechanics at company shop. Noticed on a trip from Missouri to Colorado. Trip before was Cincinatti to Missouri.

    As far as more info on the pull, the wheel naturally wants to pull itself to 2 o'clock regardless of speed or crown in the road. Tracks perfectly at 12 o'clock, but of course requires steady pressure to keep it there. If I hit a bump, it'll 'jump' to 2 o clock. Not enough to pull out of my hand, but will do it if you let go and just rolling through a bumpy parking lot or something. It won't pull itself past that point.

    As far as being unsafe or not, I wouldn't say unsafe as far as driving. Just irritating. As far as something letting go, I don't know. No other symptoms and 'checked out' on 4 different occasions. Not saying that means the truck is 100%, but if something critical was going on, I'd think it'd have been discovered. Maybe not. I can only check as much as I know and that's hubs, brake adjustment, tires (to an extent with truck on the ground), visible cracks, bent components, etc.
     
    Rideandrepair Thanks this.
  10. SmallPackage

    SmallPackage Road Train Member

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    Might be what is called a “radial pull” in one of the steer tires. It is caused by a tire either being made with the tread belts not installed perfectly center before curing it or a belt slip to one side after the tire has been used for a while. Usually less then 1000 miles but not always the case. This well make the tire when going straight down the road try to roll in circles like a cone does when laid out on its side. Easy test for this is take it to a tire shop or do it yourself. Just swap the steers side to side and see if the pull changes direction or stops completely. Then you will know what tire is the culprit if that is the problem.
     
    drh72, tarmadilo, JimJones and 8 others Thank this.
  11. Rideandrepair

    Rideandrepair Road Train Member

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    X2
     
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