I posted this in Steering & Suspension but only got a couple of responses.

I got the alignment done, twice, and my '00 Blazer LT still pulls left a bit. What else could it be? Here's what I know:

- Perfect alignment (twice)
- Tires are still good (Toyo Touring)
- Does NOT straighten out when I brake
- PS Pump is whining and leaking a bit
- Idler arm replaced in '08 (not sure if that would affect anything)

Outside of that, my knowledge of aligning is limited. Has anyone ever run into this problem before?

 

Try swapping the 2 front tires around and see if it follows. You may have a bad tire.

 

I forgot to mention that I have swapped the tires front to back and across sides multiple times with the same varying results...always pulling left.

Could something have been replaced in the suspension/steering that would affect the vehicle's ability to be aligned correctly?

 

At first I was thinking low tire pressure, but you said you swapped the tires around and it still pulls to the left. It may be that the brake caliper piston isn't fully releasing and the pads are dragging on the rotor.

 

I would look at the idler arm. I have had them fail in as little as 6 months. Mine would cause the truck to swerve left and right whenever i would go over a dip or hump in the road I think the technical term would be a "Whoop-de-do". But if yours only pulls left. maybe - maybe not.

What does the shop say that aligned the truck?

How long have you owned it?
If you arent the first owner the truck may have been in an accident and the frame is bent or how about rear axle alignment. Is the shop only doing a front end alignment. That would be normal with a rear wheel drive but since you are having weird problems this isnt a normal situation anymore. The more I think about it, the more im thinking it may be the rear.

Good luck!

 

"At first I was thinking low tire pressure, but you said you swapped the tires around and it still pulls to the left. It may be that the brake caliper piston isn't fully releasing and the pads are dragging on the rotor."
- Are there any obvious signs with this? I don't smell the pads burning up but I've yet to pull the wheels off and have a look at the brakes

"What does the shop say that aligned the truck?
- They said they don't know and that they think some new tires may fix it but I'm not spending $600 - $800 when the tires I have now are barely a year old! (BTW the tires I have now are barely a year old :-)

"How long have you owned it?"
- 3 weeks. The previous owner was my boss' father-in-law. I know his whole family and there hasn't been an accident with the truck.

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm getting some more records on the car Monday which may help clear up what suspension & sterring work has been done.

 

I would go to a different shop and ask about a 4-wheel alignment. Yea you will need to pay for it, but it is cheaper than a set of new tires that you probably dont need!

I hope the first alignment shop didnt charge you for aligning the truck. If it isnt right and they cant perform the service, they shouldnt charge you.

keep us informed.

 

I would try a different shop and tell them what its been doing. Ask them to check the brake calipers and if that's not the problem get a 4 wheel alignment. My truck pulls to the right even after I get the front wheels aligned. I have a lifetime front wheel alignment at Firestone, but they've never got it straight since I swapped axles. Your problem might very well be the rear axle.

 

You may not smell the pads, but a quick feel of both front calipers is a quick way to check. If one is hanging up it be hotter than the one on the opposite side of the vehicle. Another way to check it would be to jack up the front of the vehicle, apply/release the foot brake then rotate the front wheels. If there is excessive drag the caliper piston is probably hanging up.

 

Ok i have an idea, very easy to do.. get a stick tall enough to go from the ground to over the wheel wells. make the stick as straight as poss, get a tape measure and measure from the edge of the rim to the inside of the stick, check both rear wheels!! after that measure the distance from the tire to the bottom edge of each rear wheel well, front of tire and rear of tire.. that will be the quickest and easiest way to tell if the rear end shifted forwards backwards or sideways.. on my blazer there is a def diff of the wheel measurement side to side, but oddly enough, my truck was never in an accident and the thing goes as straight as an arrow.. heres another thing i did on mine after replacing my ctr link and all 4 tie rods, i did my alignment in my driveway with a piece of string and a tape measure.. if your interested in what to do with that lemme know, i don`t wanna scare ya, hehe. its very easy to do and just needs 2 people to do..