Truck or wind?

talking about ruts in the road has anybody been down I57 lately? i was going south on 57 yesterday and ruts was just miles and miles long except where they was doing road work

 

bumpsteer is what I've always heard it referred to...where you hit a bump and you're steering wheel wants to go one direction or the other

if it's doing that if it gets bad enough it can pull out of your hands...if that's the case you've got a problem in your steering components somewhere

 

Truckermario, how many miles are on your Volvo?

Here is my experience with Volvo's, and why I'm currently in a 'Shaker (which really was by luck). My last Volvo developed a popping noise when I was turning. At first, it only did it when I was loaded heavy and turning to the right, but quickly escalated to whenever I turned left or right, loaded or even bobtailed. But it didn't just pop, you could feel a shift in the suspension whenever it popped. A very unnerving feeling! I finally got it checked out and the mechanic said it was the leafspring bushings and wasn't a dangerous problem and I could keep driving til I got back to my home terminal. My DM eventually directed me to another terminal for another issue and I reminded him about my popping noise and he said to get that fixed too.

That's when I found out how extensive the problem really is. At the time I was there, there were 4 other Volvo's there ahead of me with exactly the same problem. Seems when the Volvo's get close to 300,000 miles, the bushings go bad because there is no way to grease them. Mine had just turned 300,000 a couple weeks before.

Your particular problem could be something else. Could be the wind, could be ruts in the road, could be all of the above. You said it also feels squirrelly in the corners. I would definately get the leaf spring bushings checked out.

 

Shut the truck down and have the shop look at it ASAP you have an accident it's your fault. Talk to the service advisor. Call your terminal and get the number for the shop tell them what is happening. They see the same thing over and over. They'll know the cause and cure.

 

Volvos rock back and forth. A little un nerving at first. I usually don't notice it anymore. I bobtailed the other day and it tossed me to the left and right so much it made my butt pucker.

Keep the 5th wheel greased. If you don't sometimes the trailer will track off or "dogleg" and run crooked down the road.

Memphis has a hose outside the PM building for greasing it up.

When I put fresh grease on I drop my airbags before getting under a trailer. Try not to scrape all the goo off on the trailer. Careful and make sure you don't get a high hook!