alignment

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by DC843, Mar 25, 2016.

  1. BB203

    BB203 Light Load Member

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    Mar 5, 2016
    Missouri Ozarks
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    374k...Lots of turning and wear in that amount of use. So if it was me I would jack up that axle and check for kingpin wear. Look at it as you would checking ball joints on a chevy pickup. If they are worn enough they will cause a camber change that will change when you are loaded and be worse when you are empty. It will pull usually to the left but not always and the pull will feel the same as a good wind pushing you that way, it will also change the steering wheel angle when moving to resist that pull and when it's stopped you can center the wheel and the tires appear to be straight.. It will even go straight at low speed. The really strange part is that it won't show in the tire wear until it gets really bad. After that many miles and if they haven't been greasing it like they should it merits checking.

    Just sayin'
     
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  3. EZ Money

    EZ Money Road Train Member

    Most trucks have the 2 piece shaft and you can straighten the steering wheel at the steering box or knuckle...
    It would be best to get a 3 axle alignment and have them set the steering.
    How does tire wear look?
     
  4. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

    22,404
    116,523
    Dec 18, 2011
    Michigan
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    Just an FYI Trucks don't have ball joints.

    DO you do a proper pre-trip where you check the steering linkage?

    I would say that it needs to go on the rack and have an alignment. They can check everything to make sure it is good.
     
  5. DC843

    DC843 Medium Load Member

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    Jul 4, 2015
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    yes ridgeline I did an inspection of it pretty much everytime I would stop but im not exactly a mechanically inclined person and nothing major looked wrong with the steering or shocks, all connected nothing bent, so that made me assume it was just the alignment.

    The steers are in good condition but I think they replaced them recently

    turns out this truck was in some kinda accident and was just fixed at our body shop so they passed it over to me.
     
    baha Thanks this.
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