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Tracking issues with '08

867 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  54warrior
This is my second KC 4x4.Traded my early '04 for an 08.I'm having some tracking issues with the new truck,the front end wanders.I can't get it to track a straight line.It drifts left or right.The dealer checked the alignment & balanced the tires but it it still drifts left or right.I am constantly correcting the steering.I mean about every 50-100 yds.If I had to guess I would say it pulls to the right & you can't get it to track straight with the slightest correction.My old truck tracked straight.This is annoying on any highway driving.
Tires are Continental 265's.
Any ideas???
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Take it to a good alignment shop. Tell them what it does wrong and what you want it to do. Most dealerships do not know how to do an alignment. Even though the truck is in spec per the dealership, in can be wrong.
Are these different tires than your other truck? That might make all the difference. I posted a thread a long time ago regarding this. This truck tracks WAY differently (and more loosely) than my old Ranger, or any of the other trucks I had prior to that. Heaven forbid I hit a puddle of water on the side of the road. Whether it's hydroplaning or not, I feel like it's about to pull me right off the road. And it's pulling HARD. It's scary how hard it pulls. I'm hoping that when these stock SRA's burn the rest of the way off and I replace them with something else, it will help the issue.
I'm wondering if you may not have a steering rack issue? Mine's straight as an arrow, both on the Pirellis and the stock BFG's. Tires and alignment are very important, but play in the rack can cause this too.
Here's an analogy. Motorcycle. Difference between a bike that has a very slight rake, and one that has a very pronounced rake. One is twitchy, the other isn't. One requires constant attention and correction, the other not so much. I have no idea what mine tracks like relative to other Titans, but relative to the other trucks I've had the Titan is twitchy. :dunno:

I don't feel any play at all. I'll have them look at the rack on Saturday when I take it in for some other stuff though, just for conversation's sake.
My '04 came with Bridgestones that actually turned out to be pretty good tires.I replaced them with Toyo AT's & they were excellent in the North Dakota winters.Both tracked straight.
I have 3K on the new truck & don't really care for the OE Continental's but they have been OK on snow & ice.I'm going to rotate & see if that makes a difference.I thought about the rack too & will bring that up the next time I'm at the dealer.
I had Goodyears on a F150 once that drove me nuts.I replaced them with Michelins & couldn't believe the difference.Much smoother & better tracking.I do believe tires can be the problem.
Update. My rack is just fine. :lol:

^^one of those things around here that sounds dirty, but isn't. :rofl:
1) Play in steering components like discussed (unlikely, it's brand new)
2) Alignment (not enough toe)
mjw357 said:
1) Play in steering components like discussed (unlikely, it's brand new)
2) Alignment (not enough toe)
Mine was new. Had been aligned twice. Doesn't make a difference. It still gets pulled harder by grooved pavement than any of the other trucks I've ever owned. Grooved pavement being yet another example.

I've gotten used to it in MOST situations. But there are two that really bother me. Hitting a spot of standing water on the highway (raining) and if I drive on the cupped out things on the side of the highway. The things that are supposed to wake you up I guess if you've fallen asleep. Either of those will try to yank me right off the road.
Carbeaux said:
but relative to the other trucks I've had the Titan is twitchy. :dunno:
See, I feel exactly opposite. Compared to my '99 S-10 ZR2, my '90 F-150, and several different Rams (3) and Dakota's (2) that my friends have owned over the years, the Titan is much much more stable than those vehicles. Even with my lift and larger tires it handles better than any of those did, with exception of the ZR2, which handled really well and was probably equal to the Titan IMHO.

:dunno:
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