Worn springs cause pulling issue?

[bmw4aaron]

I've had this pretty bad pull to the right since I bought the truck a few months ago. 93 D350 CTD; Been going over the front end looking for bad parts. PO told me the tires and alignment were done recently. So far I've replaced front brake pads, L&R inner and outer wheel bearings, center link and idler arm. There is absolutley no drag from the calipers. Also swapped tires from L to R. The truck has some serious rake to it and decided tonight to buy a new pair of springs, but was curious if anyone else has/had this problem solved by a spring swap. Not sure how bad the springs play with castor on these trucks. Obvious the alignment that was done wasn't done right since there was so much play in the steering parts. Makes you wonder about some shops.

[ellis93]

Yeah,I seen "other shops" work all the time and wonder how much schit work it takes for them to go out of business
Spings play a big roll in alignment issues,if they are totally clapped out then there won't be enough adjustment to get it in spec. Farther more if the "Shop" really screwed the pooch,they may have left an eccentric loose and may have flopped inward.....they're not the easiest thing to get tight tho....

[ekroman]

My '90 had some pulling and funny tire wear just before I parked it. It was leaning to the left, with a pretty serious rake. I've replaced the springs, along with all the bushings / balljoints / tie rods / center link / idler arm, and I'm in the middle of brakes now, so I've not had it down off the stands yet.

When the alignment is set, the manufacturer assumes the suspension is in a proper position for the vehicle. As the suspension moves up and down, the angle of the wheel will change because of the unequal length control arms. When the suspension has a few inches of sag, it's always going to be out of alignment once they take it off the alignment rack.

I swapped in the Moog 7226S springs. I've heard they're harsh, but I'll live with it since it's not my primary transportation. By the time the front end needs another rebuild, I'll be busy pushing up daisies.

[chrislib]

Yes it can!...I had the exact same problem. Now my truck is a 4x4 but spring dynamics are the same pretty much in how it affects the overall suspension. My truck pulled right from day one (I have all the svc records going back to the orig owner). It had numerous alignmenst/tire rotations etc in its life to try and correct the pull. Fast fwd to me buying the truck (in 2004), I too did all the usual stuff, alignment(it was/is perfect)/tire psi and rotation, king pins, tie rod ends etc. Nothing I did ever made a bit of change in the pull the pull went away.... UNTIL I finally swapped out the original dead front leafs for a set of Alcans...the pull went away! FWIW the truck didnt have any side to side difference in height or anything odd like that, wheelbase(setback) was the same both sides...go figure.

[bmw4aaron]

Finally got the springs installed. I went ahead and got the 1 ton springs that blow out joints/arms. Can't think of the part number but they are not the 7226S'. Side by side the springs are the same height and coil thinkness but there are more coils on the new springs vs the old.i found what seems like a thicker (or way different) rubber pad on top of the left spring vs the right side. After install they raised the front 3" even. Ride is great and the pull to the right is almost non existent. I think with an alignment it will track perfectly. Best $90 spent so far.

[PToombs]

The extra pad on the left spring is probably the factory fix for the left side sag. They did that to counter the weight of the driver and fuel tank on the left side. Did you leave it in?

[bmw4aaron]

The extra pad on the left spring is probably the factory fix for the left side sag. They did that to counter the weight of the driver and fuel tank on the left side. Did you leave it in?

I was thinking the same thing. I did leave it in.

[PToombs]

Your truck thanks you! That was probably a good idea. You may appreciate it in a few years when the springs settle in.