aside from front end alignment - what would cause my truck to pull?

Question

truck pulls to the right when driving & braking but had front end checked and numbers are where they should be , what else would cause this problem on a 97 ram 1500 - would like to hear what dodge man has to say about this . thank you in advance

i have 4 new tires on the truck - all mounted & balanced @ discount tires

all front end parts have been replaced

Answer 1

check for a broken belt in a tire,you wont notice it when the tire is on the truck,but when you take it off and put it on a wheel balancer and spin it,it will show up,it will look like its egg shaped,and that will cause it to pull real bad,also a bad wheel bearing heating up or a brake caliper sticking just a little will do this,if the front end checked good and its in align ,then there shouldn't be any pulling to either side if it,often though tire shops will over look a bad tire,and even front end shops sometimes wont check for this problem,they think if the tires look good then their alright,if you don't find it in none of that re-ask the question and we,ll figure it out,good luck on it.,,PS try looking over the whole front end of this truck and see if there's any play in any thing at all,it don't take much play in a tie rod end to make one pull,it has to be something in the front on that side causing that,if i could see it i could find it.

Answer 2

Radial tire pull, try crossing the 2 front tires side to side, then re-drive and see if it pulls the other way...also perform a "dry park" test...with the tires on the ground, engine off, but steering wheel unlocked, have a helper rapidly shake the steering wheel left to right while you look at the linkage under the front end...you want the front wheels to barely move side to side, not trying to turn them, just shake them...check the tie rods and drag link, looking for any play in the sockets...a bad tie rod or drag link will cause the truck to pull when braking...you may have a combination of problems. Just because you had an alignment check, doesn't mean that the tech was competent enough to check the ball joints and linkage first.

EDIT - 4 new tires doesn't make a difference...a brand new tire can be defective and cause a pull...see it often over the past 12 years of tire/auto repair, it's the leading cause of pulling...1st step is to cross them and see if it changes.

EDIT 2 - "13 hours ago
all front end parts have been replaced"
You answered this, but didn't try crossing the tires?!?
If it's not the alignment, not the tires, not the brakes, not steering/susp. parts, then it doesn't pull! Cross the tires, easiest thing to eliminate...that would leave only a brake problem to cause it. Process of elimination here.

Answer 3

Dodge Truck Pulls

Answer 4

Make sure the rear axle is still centered on the axle perches. If it's had a lift kit installed, sometimes that'll happen. Drive down the road and have someone follow you.

Answer 5

a brake dragging will pull the vehicle in that direction,a low tire also will, a bent rim is possible, but you should feel a wobble in the steering with that.

Answer 6

Bad springs
inncorrect tire pressure
brake caliper hanging up
bad shocks

Answer 7

Poorly mounted tires.

Answer 8

Have your ball joints checked. Dodge trucks are famous for wearing out ball joints.

Answer 9

uneven tire wear and worn brake pads are other ideas.

Answer 10

jim j could not have said it any better.