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Old 07-19-2020, 05:43 PM   #1
akart
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Pulls to the right

Had an alignment done. Still pulls a little to the right. Was told that the caster was not adjustable??? Was thinking of putting in castor wedge on one side but was told this would not work. Now what?
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Old 07-19-2020, 09:27 PM   #2
cadillac_al
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Re: Pulls to the right

Are you positive a caliper isn't dragging? When I had mine lined up the specs weren't ideal but it still drives nice and straight down the road. I needed a little more camber but I wasn't messing with that. They do make shims for the spindle for that. I can't imagine the castor would be that far off on a stock truck. I would think pulling to one side is more of a toe issue anyway.
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:42 PM   #3
sweetk30
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Re: Pulls to the right

who ever told you the caster was NOT adjustable was full of crap .

info for 2wd ur rigs have 2 upper studs the control arm is mounted to . you add or remove shims of specific thickness to get the wheel within spec .

info for 4wd : there is offset upper ball joints / adjuster units but not the best . better option but lots of labor is a spindle to knuckle shim to correct the position of the spindle to help solve the problem .

sounds like someone dont know older vehicles or is to dam lazy .

and you never said if 2wd or 4wd
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Old 07-20-2020, 10:07 PM   #4
1976gmc20
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Re: Pulls to the right

It seems like nobody that does "alignment" these days can get a steering wheel straight
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Old 07-20-2020, 10:15 PM   #5
RotaryRocketeer
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Re: Pulls to the right

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1976gmc20 View Post
It seems like nobody that does "alignment" these days can get a steering wheel straight
Bro, that is no lie. Last 4 or 5 that I've had went back in the bay before I even sat in the seat. They all seem to want to claim that "that's just kinda how it is with these."

But, I agree with the caliper diagnosis. Easy to overlook, and drove me nuts for a couple days until it dawned on me.
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Old 07-21-2020, 12:21 AM   #6
Bladeboy1998
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Re: Pulls to the right

I won't let an alignment job leave if the wheel isn't straight, even had to redo them 3 or so times. Caster is adjustable with shims on the 2wds, but that won't make it pull, just how the wheel returns to center.

Try swapping the tires on the front left to right, see if the pull changes. If the alignment is right a collapsed tire won't show in the specs. Also make sure the tire pressures are set where you want them because a lot of lazy alignment guys won't check them.
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Old 07-21-2020, 11:48 AM   #7
1976gmc20
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Re: Pulls to the right

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Originally Posted by RotaryRocketeer View Post
... I agree with the caliper diagnosis. Easy to overlook, and drove me nuts for a couple days until it dawned on me.
When I had a caliper stick, it pulled to the right when driving and to the left when braking. It made sense when I finally figured it out: right caliper was absolutely stuck partially engaged.

That was up in coastal Alaska, where I had problems that I never had anywhere else (the mountain west). Replaced three spindle bearings plus that caliper in less than two years. I wasn't driving on the beach, either (there were no beaches around Cook Inlet, just murderous mud flats).
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Old 07-21-2020, 04:16 PM   #8
Pontiac1976
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Re: Pulls to the right

Yes I have to agree with others most likely Brakes, Bearing, Rim, Tire.
Would be the order most likely to least likely.
I would set your PSI in tires before you went in to make sure there all what you want them at. So you know they started off right!
When you have a bad bearing or loose bearing most will not do the work unless you tell them to fix it or they will not do the alignment and that was a 12 to 15 year ago.

Now a days you have to get a place that know rear wheel car and truck or a truck shop that does alignment and has a alignment machine.
because the new alignment machines are not set up for most rear wheel cars more work and they have to set up the machine rear wheel frame some do not know how or the shop did not order the extra parts or the missed placed them. So it they do only 5% truck that mostly a shop the does not do alignment on full frame cars. only front wheel unibody cars. Do not use the rest of the machine 80-85% of the time on front wheel unibody cars. After con-19 it may be a lot harder finding good shops small older shop may be closing.
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