Hard to turn right and pulls to the left when driving? 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500

[guyson]

My 2001 Chevy Silverado 1500 extended cab 4 w.d. has had a serious problem making right hand turns, every since I changed the driver's side hub assembly. Not only that, but it also pulls left while driving. And the tires are wearing unevenly. I'm guessing it's the tie rod or steering rod out of adjustment. But I have no clue if it could cause this issue. Any ideas?

 

[movietvet]

Welcome to the forum from Oregon. Hopefully a mod can move this to the correct section. This question is not about the engine performance or engine maintenance. Should likely be under the "Other Vehicle Builds". You have a GMT800.

Now, to the problem: When you changed the hub on d/s, you just swapped out the hub with 6 studs and the hub bearing, correct? Did you disconnect anything other than taking the brake caliper out of the way, remove the rotor, remove the axle shaft nut and remove the hub attaching bolts at the back of the spindle and then removed the hub, correct? By hard time making right turns, what do you mean exactly? Hard to turn the steering wheel? Does not track right? Noises? Is not smooth? What? The pulling left while driving, likely has to do with you reassembled the brakes wrong and caused a drag. Need to raise the front and turn the wheel/tire and see if the assembly turns/rotates easily. If not, then likely has brake drag. Remove the tire/wheel and inspect. Did you reinstall the caliper with the hose twisted and that is binding the hose and causing a fluid flow restriction and pads are dragging and could also be causing the hard to turn problem.

You changed the hub when? Tires wearing uneven is not something that happens in 2 days. Why would the tie rod be out of adjustment? If you separated from knuckle, you did not need to do it anyway, but removing at knuckle and reinstalling does not change the alignment. You need to supply more details. If remove the tire and wheel, post some pics.

 

[Hipster]

Some issues relate back to the last thing you attempted to fix, by your definitions not really past that yet. Multiple issues at play? Kind of need to know what was happening before and after the wheel bearing fix,and if it changed anything, maybe misdiagnosed. Tire wear is generally an alignment issue if no worn parts are in play . Spill the beans, tell us everything like we don't know, well, because we don't.

 

[guyson]

Ok. I will take pics with the wheel off. And by hard I mean the steering wheel is not turning right like I have no power steering. I have to crank the steering wheel with both hands and this has been a problem for about a year now. I just don't know what I did wrong. I think I did disconnect a bunch of stuff because the wheel fell off at the axle due to the bearings melting. I'm not a mechanic and I don't know much about working on vehicles. I'm just learning. And I don't know what I'm doing. I won't go to a mechanic because I get ripped off every time. I will post pics later today.

 

[movietvet]

Ok. I will take pics with the wheel off. And by hard I mean the steering wheel is not turning right like I have no power steering. I have to crank the steering wheel with both hands and this has been a problem for about a year now. I just don't know what I did wrong. I think I did disconnect a bunch of stuff because the wheel fell off at the axle due to the bearings melting. I'm not a mechanic and I don't know much about working on vehicles. I'm just learning. And I don't know what I'm doing. I won't go to a mechanic because I get ripped off every time. I will post pics later today.

First off, check out some you tube videos for this type of work.

Second, you said a mechanic rips you off every time......how so. As a retired tech and service manager, I am curious about that statement. Is it off the cuff or there is a "legitimate" rip off each and every single time from a shop/mechanic. Details please....

Just to tell you where I am coming from. 99% of the time a person, male or female, says they got ripped off by a shop or mechanic, it is because they do not understand, had unreal expectations or was given a price and they cannot afford that price and now it is a rip off. AND the shop refuses to do a patch/band aid job on the problem, especially brake work.

 

[Orpedcrow]

Yikes. This sounds like maybe bent control arms and tie rods, could be a bunch of things. When a wheel falls off due to a failed bearing, it can be pretty catastrophic.

We need good photos of everything. And please have a look at everything. I’d hate to see you or someone else get hurt.

I’m not typically the alarmist type, but really, it’s dangerous if you need both hands to turn the wheel

 

[movietvet]

That wheel falling off problem was not shared in the first post. Opens up a whole other can of worms.

 

[movietvet]

Yikes. This sounds like maybe bent control arms and tie rods, could be a bunch of things. When a wheel falls off due to a failed bearing, it can be pretty catastrophic.

We need good photos of everything. And please have a look at everything. I’d hate to see you or someone else get hurt.

I’m not typically the alarmist type, but really, it’s dangerous if you need both hands to turn the wheel

This added info makes it especially bad, if he has no mechanical ability, like he says. This is a dangerous situation.

 

[Schurkey]

Perhaps a moderator will move this thread out of "ENGINES" and into "Stock Supension + Bolt On Kits".

 

[Hipster]

Ok. I will take pics with the wheel off. And by hard I mean the steering wheel is not turning right like I have no power steering. I have to crank the steering wheel with both hands and this has been a problem for about a year now. I just don't know what I did wrong. I think I did disconnect a bunch of stuff because the wheel fell off at the axle due to the bearings melting. I'm not a mechanic and I don't know much about working on vehicles. I'm just learning. And I don't know what I'm doing. I won't go to a mechanic because I get ripped off every time. I will post pics later today.

This really bothered me, Just because you don't know what stuff costs to get done, doesn't equate to being ripped off. ***'n mechanics eh? Your talking to a bunch of them here, and most of the Pro's aren't going to put the cheapest crap they can find off Amazon or Ebay on anyone's vehicle.

When the wheel feel off did you crash into anything? Let's start there. Possible bent knuckle, damaged steering box, bent steering components, bent the frame, etc. Something is bound up, bent up, or something. This being steering and suspension , brakes involved etc, not really something for a newbie. Kinda figured there was more to it. I need a $50 wheel bearing, mechanic says I need a bunch of stuff, I'm being ripped off. SMH No, It needs going over by someone with some suspension experience.