I have a 1994 F-150, 8ft bed, 2wd, 302, 4r70w, reg. cab truck with stock everything.

Recently I hit a wooden one-lane bridge a little quick (25mph) and went airborne about 9" or so, but did not seem to bottom out. It was kind of cool at the time, but it threw my alignment out. It could have been that, or one of the massive potholes I hit that afternoon too. But the bed was empty and we didn't have any weight in it (even the tailgate was off).

Anyway, I took the truck to get aligned and it needed the bushings kit and a new left lower ball joint. I had them installed, and it's aligned to the middle of factor specs for the front for toe, camber, and castor. The alignment numbers are the best i've seen in my life.

It still pulls terribly to the left though. I took it back it, and everything seems right on. Me and the tech are stumped. The rear is pointing 0.23 to the right, and we think this might be part of the reason for the pull.

Any other ideas of what this might be? Or what to check? The pull to the left is pretty noticeable, and needs about a 1/8 - 1/16 of the wheel turn to the right to maintain going straight.

Is it tough to perform a rear wheel alignment? The tech suggested using a come-along and to apply tension to the rear axle, then loosen the spring shackle bolts until it pops to the left, then tighten the bolts backup.

I am also going to check bearings and brakes, but I don't think this is part of the reason because the pull is more or less constant, not higher when breaking. If anything, it is more pronounced during acceleration.


Also, when cornering in my neighborhood the rear will make two clicking/popping noises, once from the left, and once from the right around each corner.
I would appreciate any suggestions, besides not driving like the dukes of hazzard over bridges.

Any ideas to get this thing straight?

 

Hey there Did you ck the tires sometimes you will get a pull from tires even when they are new. The belt in the tire seperates and causes a hard pull. rotate tires just swap the front tires and see if it pulls the opposite direction.

 

The rear axle not being stright can cause you to have this problem. I am surprised the mechanic did not just loose up the U-bolts and pull it into position. Thin about the physics of the rear pointing to the right, it would push the back end towards the passenger side which would push the front end to the drivers side. Describing what you complain of.
But, Definitely check to see if you have a brake dragging, I have seen broken springs in drum assemblies cause a pull because they wedge between the pad and the drum, or if the front pads are not pulling away. It would be something on the left causing this. If your rear axle is making popping noises, perhaps the outer bearing is wearing out. or you have a problem in the center section with the spider gears, which could also cause your pull if they are not functioning properly. Your steering box could also have a dead spot that it likes to drop into and wants to pull that way.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Brian

 

That is an excellent recommendation. If you swap the tires and it pulls to the right, then GET RID of the tire. If the belts have seperated it can blow out at any time. I had this happen with a car of mine like over 15 years ago. It would pull hard left. Took it in and they said the alignment was fine. Told me it was the tire and I didn't believe it because I thought the guy was trying to sale me some tires. For free he switches the two front tires told me to take it for a drive.

It was right, after the switch it pulled hard right. He explained about the belts seperating. It is not very common, but can be DEADLY especially at highway/turnpike speeds. The tire just don't go flat it BLOW'S OUT completely.

 

As far as the rearend being out of alignment I can tell you from racing that when the rearend is bent it does "not" give you a feeling of the front end pulling.

You get a feeling that the rearend wants to come around. I would say it kind of feels like its real slipper out and you go around a corner where you think your going to start sliding. I don't really think your rearend being out of alignment will give you the feeling you are getting.

The bad thing is if the rearend is out of alignment to much it will cause more wear on the rear tires.

SWAP THE FRONT TIRES FIRST before you try anything or have anyone else look at it. If after you swap the front tires it still pulls the same direction then start looking for other cause's. I can NOT stress enough of how UNSAFE a tire with a belt seperating can be. And NO you can not see it by looking at the tire...

 

About ten years ago I owned a 74 Mercury Comet(reskinned Maverick) and it was awful to drive. It would pull one way, then the other. Sometimes coming out of a turn it would begin to oscillate and wobble like the lug nuts were loose. Stopping was a whole other story. At the time I did not have the time or money to troubleshoot and fix it. One day I bit the bullet, and spent money on the credit card to replace the now thread bare front tires. Cord showing through and the tread was beginning to seperate.
Well, I pulled out of the tire store and was completely blown away. The car drove like a brand new one. The pull was gone, wobbles, stopping problems, EVERYTHING!?! All that trouble was fixed with new front tires. In other words, the tire suggestion could be right on. Don't overlook a stuck brake caliper or other possible problems though. Try swapping the tires, but not for too long, I have seen tires come apart when moved side to side without dismounting to keep the rotation the same. Good Luck!!,,,,98

 

98SCREAMER just brought up another excellent point "stuck brake caliper".

I had that happen once when racing and what a bit*h. Same symtoms as the belts seperating, pulls real hard one way. That would be easier to check if you drive a few miles down the road just stop get out and feel each rim. If you have a stuck caliper then the tire pulling (left front rim, if car pulls left) will be much warmer, if not hot compared to the other side.