Jim Grant's Tech Tips
99 Dodge
Ram 2500 Diesel, Brake pull, Band-Aids and BS
Q: My truck has just started pulling to
the right while braking. I am told that nothing can be done about this
except removal of the right tire and installation of a spacer plate behind
the tire. Will this make the tire stick out further? This sounds like
a Band-Aid fix. Also there is a recall on the trailer hitch and they say
they will bolt it back together. I tow a huge boat and worry about both
of these Band-Aid repairs. The dealer says mistakes happen and not to
worry.
A: Well
you’re just one of over 357,000 Dodge truck owners that have a problem
with their trailer hitch. There is a safety recall, Manufacturer Campaign
# 872 addressing problems with ‘99 Dodge Ram trucks manufactured
from Jan ‘98 to Sept. of ‘99.. It seems that the pickup trucks
equipped with an optional trailer hitch were manufactured using material
with insufficient strength. The material in these hitches could fatigue
and fracture in the area where the trailer hitch mounts to the frame.
The dealer
will inspect the trailer hitches and replace any trailer hitch showing
signs of fatigue cracking. If no evidence of cracking exists, the dealer
will install two reinforcement brackets. Because this is a safety recall,
the inspection and repairs are at no cost to the vehicle owner. Get to
the dealer for the fix before your boat passes you on the highway!
As for installing
a spacer behind the wheel to correct a brake pull, it’s no BS. It
does sound like a Band-Aid for an engineering problem but it is the fix.
The spacer moves the wheel out just enough to allow the suspension geometry
to cancel out the pull caused during braking. If the spacer doesn’t
work then you have brake problems. Back to the drawing board.
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