Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

My brother was driving my truck and I was following in his car when I noticed that my truck looked like it was going down the road sideways. I could see the front drivers side tire from directly behind the truck. Can I fix this? Is this a major issue to tackle?

Hope this makes sense! I tried searching it, but couldn't come up with much.

Sean

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Frame bent?

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

alignment, ck Thrust angle

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

yup bent frame. kinda like a dog walking. or maybe the panhard bar is faulty??? but im thinking frame!!!

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Leaf springs? Might have the rear end knocked out of alignment if so (mine does).

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Could be the alignment. I don't think it was ever set after the Ididit steering rack went in. That was before I owned the truck.

Like a dog walking, you nailed it! As far as the panhard, I don't remember seeing it bent or anything. I don't have the truck at the moment otherwise I'd go crawl under there.

No leaf springs here :)

Sounding like a bent frame, which also sounds expensive...

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

mine did that i replaced track bar with a adjustable one. I also replaced the trailing arm bushings, rear springs due to them being pointed over to one side.
mine drives strait now. get a tape out and measure the wheel base side to side, if one side differs from the other it could be the trailing arm bushings.

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Mine does that a little the front was converted to leafs and they didn't line them up right

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Good to know! My bed sits a little off kilter as well. New springs are ready to go in. I'll definitely be measuring the wheel base.

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

if the bushings haven't ben done just remember there almost 50 years old and they are cheep parts. nothing a saturday afternoon a hammer and some wood cant fix

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

If you take a tape measure from the front fender line at the front of the doors to the front of the rear wheels i bet you that the right side is farther back than the left and since you said you don't have leaf springs that takes out a center bolt problem ...SO i would say your right trailing arm bushing is gone... or the right U bolts are loose and the axle has shifted some how (less likely) i doubt the pan-hard bar could be bad enough to make it DOG-TRACK that bad

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

If it's a stepside and only looks a little crooked, it can also be optics. Because the 1955 bed is too narrow for the cab, you can easily see the side of the cab making the truck look like it's dog tracking. Getting in the right lane and following behind the right rear tire can make it appear to be dog tracking the other direction.

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Good call. This hadn't even occurred to me.

I have some measuring to do…I'll take a look at the U bolts as well as the trailing arms and see if those check out.

Not a step, but I definitely see your point. Parallax does some funny things :)

Thanks for all the advice guys! Feeling a lot better about it now.

Sean

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

Have it checked out but more than likely it's an optical illusion. If your in the right place at the right time any car or truck will look like it's crooked going down the road.

Re: Question_My Truck Drives Sideways??
 

I would think it's an illusion too. My old 94 chevrolet had aftermarket wheels and larger all terrain tires, the wheels offset stuck the tires out more upfront than in the rear. Gave the illusion that it was driving sideways.