Tire pressure

[MikeCon]

Does raising or lowering tire pressure help with wandering?
Also,truck shifts left or right depending on turn direction,

 

[Apogee]

Tire pressure can and certainly will play a roll in how your vehicle handles, but it sounds like you might need more than that. In general, I tend to run under the maximum inflation spec for the tires, as I rarely run at the rated load capacity of my tires. When I ran 33" mud-terrains, I was at about 32 PSI in the front and 28 PSI in the rear, as that seemed to be the happy place on the street. With my new 37's, I expect to be a bit lower than that.

I would check your track bar bushings and tie-rod ends for excessive wear/movement. A good way to do this is to have somebody turn the wheel back and forth while you sit in front of the rig and watch everything...take a video if you can so you can zoom and focus in on something later if needed. Next, I'd check the toe-in and caster measurements, as your static alignment specs will in large part determine how the rig drives down the road and feels.

Tobin

 

[Broncobowsher]

Wandering is usually lack of caster in the front axle.
I find adding pressure stiffens the tire and can fix some types of wandering (where the sidewall is flexing too much) on the road. But won't fix caster or toe issues.

Don't understand the statement about the truck shifts depending on turning direction.

 

[MikeCon]

Going into a big turn truck will turn smoothly to a point then something moves causing truck to dive slightly into turn.

 

[Rustytruck]

too much pressure makes the tire ride on the center of the tire. this makes the tire follow all the poor spots in the road. take a piece of gift wrap and turn it upside down on smooth concrete and drive over it and lower the pressure down until the outside edges of the tire start to show contact pattern that is a good place to start usually around 30 psi. then test drive raise and lower tire pressure in 2.5 pounds increments to find the sweet spot.

 

[DirtDonk]

Toe-in settings can also affect that, as well as tire wear.
But at least in my experience a tire has to be severely worn or well aged-out to be experiencing that.
Toe in on the other hand can do it even with brand new tires.
On the other hand, if you truly are feeling something shift other than the tire itself, you need to do some more testing to find out what it is.

Haven’t you had other discussions about wandering before?

 

[MikeCon]

Toe-in settings can also affect that, as well as tire wear.
But at least in my experience a tire has to be severely worn or well aged-out to be experiencing that.
Toe in on the other hand can do it even with brand new tires.
On the other hand, if you truly are feeling something shift other than the tire itself, you need to do some more testing to find out what it is.

Haven’t you had other discussions about wandering before?

Yep

 

[Broncobowsher]

Going into a big turn truck will turn smoothly to a point then something moves causing truck to dive slightly into turn.

Does it match the body roll? You could be fighting rolls steer. In the front the radius arm follows an arc as it travels. In stock, near level condition, it has very little shift. But lifted it is more pronounced. The rear is the same way. More arch promotes roll steer. And the roll steers front and rear are both turning you into the turn. I always fought roll steer on big sweepers when taking them at speed. You had to saw the steering wheel to hold the radius. Flatter leaf springs and blocks do help (and will go against everyone's off-road advise). But even Ford does this on the F350.

Do you have a locker in the rear axle. Ratcheting automatic style? Detroit are well known for twitching as you get on and off the throttle. Maybe a clutch style limited slip might be binding enough that in a long turn you might feel is break loose?

 

[sprdv1]

Tire pressure can and certainly will play a roll in how your vehicle handles, but it sounds like you might need more than that. In general, I tend to run under the maximum inflation spec for the tires, as I rarely run at the rated load capacity of my tires. When I ran 33" mud-terrains, I was at about 32 PSI in the front and 28 PSI in the rear, as that seemed to be the happy place on the street. With my new 37's, I expect to be a bit lower than that.

I would check your track bar bushings and tie-rod ends for excessive wear/movement. A good way to do this is to have somebody turn the wheel back and forth while you sit in front of the rig and watch everything...take a video if you can so you can zoom and focus in on something later if needed. Next, I'd check the toe-in and caster measurements, as your static alignment specs will in large part determine how the rig drives down the road and feels.

Tobin

yes sir

 

[MikeCon]

Does it match the body roll? You could be fighting rolls steer. In the front the radius arm follows an arc as it travels. In stock, near level condition, it has very little shift. But lifted it is more pronounced. The rear is the same way. More arch promotes roll steer. And the roll steers front and rear are both turning you into the turn. I always fought roll steer on big sweepers when taking them at speed. You had to saw the steering wheel to hold the radius. Flatter leaf springs and blocks do help (and will go against everyone's off-road advise). But even Ford does this on the F350.

Do you have a locker in the rear axle. Ratcheting automatic style? Detroit are well known for twitching as you get on and off the throttle. Maybe a clutch style limited slip might be binding enough that in a long turn you might feel is break loose?

All stock