Truck pulling to left

sagebel · Dec 9, 2012

My truck consistently pulls to the left. Alignment shop says it is in spec. I have rotated tires and ran the stockers as well with no change. If I hold the wheel centered the truck will drive straight. Once I let go the truck goes left even on heavily crowned roads. I have had my leveling kit on for about 15K miles. This problem has developed in the last 9K.

yzrmbsg · Dec 9, 2012

Alignment, bad ball joints, tie rods, track bar, brake drag....could be a number of things. Get under there and see if anything is loose! Do you have any play in the steering wheel while parked?

sagebel · Dec 9, 2012

No play in the steering wheel. 26k on the truck. Everything is thought. No brake drag. At this point I am thinking of going to another alignment shop. I have been using Les Schwab. The Goodyear here in town says they will need to do a ground alignment because the truck is too long for their rack. I am not up on the different ways to check alignment. Should I have do it or find a different shop?

POWER-STRUCK · Dec 9, 2012

this is common and the alignment shop needs to think outside the box if there is nothing wrong with the truck and put some negative camber on the left side or positive camber on the right or a lil bit of both. for the meanwhile you can increase LH pressure and decrease RH pressure until you can get it fixed

tmillburg · Dec 12, 2012

friend of mine had same issue, he put a adjustable track bar on, solved the problem, a relocate bracket will do the same

sagebel · Dec 12, 2012

The Ready Lift leveling kit came with a new upper track bar bracket.

tmillburg · Dec 13, 2012

hmmm, my next guess would be wrong alingment shims, but i dont know

Dzchey21 · Dec 13, 2012

Any chances the rear isn't straight like a broke center pin or something like that?

Dzchey21 · Dec 13, 2012

Or another thing might be he steering gear box it self. There is a valve on the input shaft that applied pressure to the piston in the direction you are turning I suppose there is the slight possibility that the valve isn't correct and is essentially forcing the thing to steer slightly to the left with no input...

Its going to be tough to get Ford to warranty that...

sagebel · Dec 13, 2012

I understand it is not a warranty thing. Hopefully I can look at the rear end this weekend. I have adjusted air bag pressure empty, loaded, towing, and not towing with no change. I didn't think it would but I knew it wouldn't hurt to try. Since I don't drive the truck every day and have been working long hours I haven't had time to mess with it. Hopefully I can get it nailed down this weekend or next week when things are slower.

Thanks for the steering box idea. I didn't realize there was a vavle there. Only thought there was a preload adjustment. Is this valve serviceable or do I end up getting a new box?

SAK · Dec 13, 2012

My truck did the same thing when I bought it, the crown of the road is the enemy, most alignment shop do not know that since the truck is lifted it needs to have more caster. Depending on how much the truck is pulling will determine how much more caster you need to add to the right side.

Manytoys · Dec 13, 2012

My 12 450 pulls slightly to the left also with a readylift 3 1/2 kit. I put the 5" blocks in the rear and have since noticed that I don't have the rear diff centered. It's off to the right a bit, and I'm wondering maybe that's the cause of the pulling?

sagebel · Dec 13, 2012

I'm not sure that I can blame the leveling kit. I have had it installed for almost two years now. The pulling to the left has only been in the last few months.

Big Angry Hillbilly · Dec 14, 2012

Brake caliper dragging?

sagebel · Dec 14, 2012

I checked the brakes last weekend along with wheel/hub temps immediately after a highway run.

Big Angry Hillbilly · Dec 14, 2012

Is it a 4x4 or 2 wheel drive?

Zmann · Dec 14, 2012

Dzchey21 said:
Or another thing might be he steering gear box it self. There is a valve on the input shaft that applied pressure to the piston in the direction you are turning I suppose there is the slight possibility that the valve isn't correct and is essentially forcing the thing to steer slightly to the left with no input... ...

I had a box do this

u could jack up the front and let go of the wheel and the tires would turn