Originally Posted By:
[email protected]
Could be a hanging up caliber, sure.
On my last vehicle, a GMC Envoy, the lower control arms are adjusted by loosening three big bolts. This is how alignment is adjusted.
Apparently, they either vibrate loose or the last guy who aligned my truck didnt torque them down enough because I had to do a panic stop much like the OP's and the steering wheel cocked 90 degrees off after that. Since it had been a few years since I had an alignment, I ended up bringing it to Firestone and they corrected it. The left lower control arm was way out of adjustment and they noted the bolts werent torqued all the way.
The force of the panic stop caused the lower control arm to shift. Enough that my steering wheel was now way off center and the whole truck was pulling to the left.
Dont know the front end of a Dakota from a hole in the wall, but if the brake isnt sticking, it was possible, at least on my last vehicle, that a panic brake screwed up the alignment (btw, over on the Envoy/Trailblazer forums, my experience wasnt extraordinary - it had happened to several other members too!)
This would make the most sense seeing as how I recently had the front end rebuilt. I did a lot of hard brake tests after the alignment was done, but this one could have been the hardest.
I don't think it's a hanging caliper because the truck coasts well, or as good as it did before and when letting off the brake on mostly flat ground the truck still starts to roll.
Thanks for the ideas guys. I was just wondering if it was yet another part of the steering/suspension that I had to replace.
I'll have it back into the alignment shop and I won't drive it in the mean time.