2017 GMC Truck -pulling to the right?!?!

[Joshua Stewart]

Has anyone else had trouble with their truck pulling right no matter what? I have a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali that pulls slightly right even after:
1. multiple alignments.
2. no crash history, nothing bent.
3. right castor set to 0.8 degrees higher than left.
4. new tires.
5. tire rotations.
6. no sticky brakes.
7. no bad wheel bearings.
8. 0.04 degree thrust angle.

I am at a loss as to what to do next. The service manager at GMC says it's fine, but I have never had this problem with a truck that I have ever owned.

 

[OR VietVet]

The RF caster lead you have should be sufficient to offset the crown on the road and keep from the slight pull right. You can go higher, to a point, before you would get the dreaded caster shimmy. I would set the RF caster higher and see if pull goes away and hope you don't get the caster shimmy. You may also have a problem with the steering gear box internally causing this.

Can you please post a pic of the alignment print out of the before and after readings. I do better when I see them. Thanks.

 

[Joshua Stewart]

I will post the picture of the full specs, but the RF castor is at 3.4 and the LF is at 2.6 I believe.

 

[OR VietVet]

I will post the picture of the full specs, but the RF castor is at 3.4 and the LF is at 2.6 I believe.

I get that but I need to see the printout for the spec and you can still do more caster lead, to a point. You asked for help and I am trying but I need the print out info.

You may also have a ball joint problem. The best way to check them is to put jack stands under the lower control arms close to the lower ball joint and lower the weight down to unload the ball joints. Then remove the outer tie rod and grab tire at 3 and 9 and turn them left and right to check for any binding.

You said, no sticky brakes and no bad wheel bearings. How were they tested? Does the slight pull happen at all speeds? Coasting? Accelerating? Just maintaining speed?

 

[Joshua Stewart]

Sorry, I just got home to take a picture of it.

 

[Joshua Stewart]

The pull also happens at all speeds, acceleration, braking, coasting...all the time.

 

[OR VietVet]

Ok, well again, I would make sure to check ball joints like I stated and still want to know how you are dealer determined that the brakes and bearings are not involved with problem.

Then if all that is ok, I would still answer my questions about when you experience the problem. I am asking these questions for a reason. Then the caster can be raised on the right side just a little to try and help. It is not gonna cause tire wear. If is too much you may also have a different feel when steering returns to center after a turn.

 

[OR VietVet]

I just got your other response after I posted my latest list of questions. Sorry.

Still need to check ball joints and hopefully they checked the ball joint play before alignment. Also still need to know about the brake and bearing inspection.

 

[Joshua Stewart]

The dealership was the ones who told me that the brakes and bearings were fine. Beyond that I’ve lifted that side of the vehicle and spun the tires and don’t feel any abnormal resistance, but that’s the extent of brakes and bearings. The biggest thing is the pool is not a drift, as soon as I let go of the steering wheel it snaps about a degree to the right and stays there.

 

[OR VietVet]

Ok, well what you just described could be a ball joint problem if it has a bad wear spot on the knuckle of the ball joint that wants to return to that spot when not steering away from it and therefore I would check those ball joints on both sides like I laid out to do.

If they are ok I would lean toward the steering gear box, again based off of what you just said.

Plus you can still try for a bit more caster lead, but again, is your call.

I just realized, you have a 2017. Rack and pinion mounts may be suspect or a centering valve in the rack and pinion.

 

[Joshua Stewart]

Ok, well what you just described could be a ball joint problem if it has a bad wear spot on the knuckle of the ball joint that wants to return to that spot when not steering away from it and therefore I would check those ball joints on both sides like I laid out to do.

If they are ok I would lean toward the steering gear box, again based off of what you just said.

Plus you can still try for a bit more caster lead, but again, is your call.

I just realized, you have a 2017. Rack and pinion mounts may be suspect or a centering valve in the rack and pinion.

A rack and pinion centering valve? I will look into this, I didn't know of such a thing.

 

[OR VietVet]

Not sure if the right name for it but there has to be something in there that reacts to pressure created when you turn left and right and then is basically dormant when just going straight.

May be called a check valve. Hell, I don't know.

 

[Joshua Stewart]

Ball joints are solid, Firestone checked them out. What would cause a brake drag? When I spin the wheels, they seem to spin about the same on both sides and the bearings don’t make any noise?

 

[Geojarn]

Swap your tires from left to right, could be radial rolling resistance, i had this once with new Bridgestone. If the direction of pull changes, its your new tires.

 

[wjburken]

Swap your tires from left to right, could be radial rolling resistance, i had this once with new Bridgestone. If the direction of pull changes, its your new tires.

Good suggestion.

 

[OR VietVet]

The thing though is this, he had the pull to the right and then put new tires on it and then still had the pull to the right. Unless he got unlucky enough to have a bad tire put on the right front, I am not leaning toward a tire problem. Can it happen, sure it can, but is it likely, not IMO. Hell, I would try it though as @Geojarn and @wjburken suggested, Stranger things have happened.

 

[wjburken]

The thing though is this, he had the pull to the right and then put new tires on it and then still had the pull to the right. Unless he got unlucky enough to have a bad tire put on the right front, I am not leaning toward a tire problem. Can it happen, sure it can, but is it likely, not IMO. Hell, I would try it though as @Geojarn and @wjburken suggested, Stranger things have happened.

I figure it is something to try that is fairly easy and doesn't cost anything.

 

[OR VietVet]

I completely agree. It is worth a shot for sure.