Truck pulls to the right... How to fix/align?

[Joker_87GW]

My '88 pulls to the right no matter where I drive. My tires are wearing heavily on the the right side of each tire.

What is involved in getting the truck to drive straight? Do I need to shim the front axle to create the proper camber/caster?

I would really like to see if this can be corrected before I throw new tires on this truck..

Thanks,


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Byron Yeiser
'88 Grand Wagoneer
"The Wanderer II"
360/727/NP229

'87 Grand Wagoneer
"The Wanderer"
360/727/NP229

Home of Loaded Camera Photography (http://www.loadedcamera.com)
photos@loadedcamera.com

Quote: "Offroad? You mean there's an On-road?"

[Rande]

First check your front end bushings. If they are bad, no amount of aligning will help. Your rear bushings can also cause this by allowing the rear axle to become mis-aligned. If these are good then you should just need an alignment which can be as simple as the drag link being adjusted. The best way to handle this is to take it to a truck shop that can align it. They will check out the truck when they go to align it.

[bignblue]

While I was under my truck beating on a stuck bolt with a framing hammer I noticed the right (outside) tread edges on my passenger tire (front) were wearing quicker than the inside tread edge. I ran my hand over it, didn't feel any cupping to speak of. What's up here? Overinflation? Why only on the right side? I *have* noticed a tendency for my Chero to drift to the right if I let loose of the steering wheel so I can't see how that tire could be overinflated. The front wheel bearings and u-joints are new, so I'll rotate the tires and see if the problem persists. The tires are fairly new Michelin XC LT4s, and at $115 a pop I'd hate to have to replace them any earlier than necessary...

BTW, any special rotating procedures for the BWQT? I don't need anything else breaking right now!

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'78 Chero WT
401/4bbl/TH400/BWQT
44s F&R
New leafs springs!!!!
no interior to speak of
"Jeep: the toughest 4-letter word on wheels"

[Barry H]

Rande, this may be a stupid question, but what bushings are you refering to? In the steering or suspension? My GW does this same thing, the tires wore poorly, and the alignment guy says the alignment is perfect. I would love to fix this annoying problem.

Barry

[ClarkGriswald]

Probably the spring bushings, mine are bad and my wag wavers all over the road like some sort of boat.. I dont let anyone else drive it cause they would certianly wreck it, (and then if that didnt kill them I would). Doesnt bother me cause its twice as tight as my Old POS commanche (MJ) that Ive been drivin the last few years.

Also Ive noticed over the years that the right side seems to always be the prob side be it drifting or whatever or even all the letters or whitewall ground off of the sidewalls because people are idiots when it comes to whacking into curbs. I have a friend that has a durango.. all the lettering is gone from the curb side tires, he says so what its a lease.. (makes me sick no respect and certainly no sense of value, for a guy that has had everything handed to him his whole life), he also is one of these people that cant drive up a highway offramp or exit ramp or whatever without driving in the shoulder instead of in the lane. I tell him again and again this is where all the crap on the road (ie, nails, shrapnel, ect..) falls.. sure enough his girlfriend has had several right side flat tires when she is out alone, then has to depend on the kindness of strangers cause she cant change a dang tire. So im not suprised that it drifts to the right like that.

Another culprit could be improper camber angle, which I suppose would only be fixed by replacing\adjusting the balljoints and that adjustment thing that riverbeast has mentioned in the past.. this might be more the cause of rubbing just on the one side of the tire like that.

Hope this helps and isnt just mindless prattle, like I say I just get used to that kinda stuff as all my cars have been complete junk and this is the only one Ive ever cared about fixing up. I just remember to pass port to port..

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88 Grand Wagoneer
D44's front\rear
Warn 20990 Lockouts
AMC 360
TF 727
NP 229--Soon to be replaced by an NP208 that currently inhabits my kitchen.

"I came, I saw, I typed some stuff!"

[River Beast]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bignblue:
While I was under my truck beating on a stuck bolt with a framing hammer I noticed the right (outside) tread edges on my passenger tire (front) were wearing quicker than the inside tread edge. I ran my hand over it, didn't feel any cupping to speak of. What's up here? Overinflation? Why only on the right side? I *have* noticed a tendency for my Chero to drift to the right if I let loose of the steering wheel so I can't see how that tire could be overinflated. The front wheel bearings and u-joints are new, so I'll rotate the tires and see if the problem persists. The tires are fairly new Michelin XC LT4s, and at $115 a pop I'd hate to have to replace them any earlier than necessary...

BTW, any special rotating procedures for the BWQT? I don't need anything else breaking right now!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have the same problem, but on the left front outer edge... there is an upper balljoint adjustment insert that screws into the knuckle. A "good" alignment shop can remedy this problem up to 2 degrees from what I have been told. I haven't fixed mine yet cuz I don't have my 39's on yet nor am I finished with all my mods. They quoted me $130 for a full front end alignment including the camber/caster adjustments in the upper balljoints at a local shop. Gordy Rivera (pro racer) owns a speed shop here and he recommended the shop to me. Pep Boys and such places gave me stupid looks when I asked them if they knew how to do it and they said," You can't adjust a live (solid) front axle... it must be bent." I turned and ran away!!! So be picky on the shops you take 'em to.



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Todd
78 Wagoneer, "River Beast"
360/TH400/QT
Dana 44's locked w/ 4.89's
39.50x15x15 Super Swamper TSL's
7" SOA in front-7" Rear Shackle Inversion Mods
4" Skyjacker Softride
3" Trailmaster Bodylift
My FSJ site: http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life (http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life)
My E-mail: spazz4life@yahoo.com
"If you can't stop...SMILE as you go under!"

'93 3/4 ton 4x4 Suburban...a.k.a. "FSJ Hauler"

[River Beast]

One thing I foregot to mention... for those attempting to replace your balljoints...make sure they are bad and DON'T MOVE THE ADJUSTER!!! You will cause what we are going thru now....uneven tire wear. Been there,done that http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

BnB,
Just rotate your tires front to back about every 3k and check your tire pressure at least weekly. My QT has been quite good to me and I did notice a difference in driveability in the QT when I had eneven tire pressure (1st month of ownership)... it strains the QT center diff into working when it shouldn't have to causing a shortened life.

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Todd
78 Wagoneer, "River Beast"
360/TH400/QT
Dana 44's locked w/ 4.89's
39.50x15x15 Super Swamper TSL's
7" SOA in front-7" Rear Shackle Inversion Mods
4" Skyjacker Softride
3" Trailmaster Bodylift
My FSJ site: http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life (http://www.geocities.com/~spazz4life)
My E-mail: spazz4life@yahoo.com
"If you can't stop...SMILE as you go under!"

'93 3/4 ton 4x4 Suburban...a.k.a. "FSJ Hauler"

[Joker_87GW]

This is great stuff! I'm going to have the truck looked at to see what is going on with the frontend. I just finished up changing the front wheel bearings (both inside and outside) and changing the front brake pads.

I'm going to locate a place that will do the work that I need to have done.

Thanks again people!


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Byron Yeiser
'88 Grand Wagoneer
"The Wanderer II"
360/727/NP229

'87 Grand Wagoneer
"The Wanderer"
360/727/NP229

Home of Loaded Camera Photography (http://www.loadedcamera.com)
photos@loadedcamera.com

Quote: "Offroad? You mean there's an On-road?"