Growing up in the country and driving on gravel roads most of my life, gave
me a unique way of evaluating how trucks and the accessories perform on dirt
roads as well as the asphalt. The correct wheel tracking will make a
difference you can feel, with proper tire tracking.
Pot holes, gravel ruts and washboards will
test the handling characteristics of a truck. Test driving the GM
Quadrasteer opened my eyes to what a difference a wider rear axle could do.
The majority of HD GM's have a narrow rear axle. Ford was narrower through
97 and Dodge older yet. The majority of Ford, Dodge and older GM vans have
narrower rear axles. I doubt if this inconsistent axle alignment is by a
master engineering design but more of a money saving measure to use the same
rear axle on 4x2's and 4x4's. This is something you really have to
experience to appreciate the difference.
I went out to ranch that a friend owns, (yes I
still have a friend or two) and tested out the Correctrack rear-wheel
alignment system in the
rugged wild west. The test truck was a 1997 Ford 4x4 F250 crew cab diesel. The
rear axle on this Heavy Duty F250 was almost 3 inches narrower than the
front axle.
On this particular model we had to trim some
of the beveled end of the axle studs to make sure they didn't stick out past
the spacer.
After we trimmed the studs, the spacer was
flush with the wheel studs. Not all vehicles will need a trim. These spacers
are heavy duty weighing over 13 pounds each.
I've driven a few million miles on gravel
roads, and I consider them the most dangerous type of surface. Dirt roads
constantly change, with rain ruts, washboards, gravel ribbons, it all can be
different any day. The soft shoulder is always a danger trying to suck you
down the ditch. The better handling your truck is, the more control you have
for those ever changing conditions. You can feel the extra pull the ruts and
gravel windrows put to your trucks steering and the bounce the washboards
cause the rear axle of an empty truck.
It was very simple and easy adding the
Correctrack spacers. Once the spacers and wheels were torqued down, we were
ready for the test. I watched the rear wheel tracking in the yard on the way
to the road and looked like a match. Going down the same dirt roads, that I
took before we added Correctrack, you could immediately tell the difference!
The ruts didn't pull you and the washboard didn't make the back axle jump
from side to side.
Turning corners was even different with less
rear sliding. The truck was just easier to drive with less movement from the
steering wheel do to road feedback. And with a trailer on the truck you
could feel the better control with less over steer to drive straight. I
wouldn't of thought that I would see such a dramatic change in the effort it
takes to handle the truck with the spacers added. Don't forget the
pavement, you still have washboards, semi truck ruts, pot-holes and the cargo
that falls out of the back of someone else's truck you're following.
Evasive maneuvers can happen at anytime and you want a rear axle wide enough
to help you control the fishtailing and leaning on turns. There is a reason
sports cars, such as a Chevy Corvette, and stock cars have wider rear tires.
It's all about control.
Basically a rear axle that is narrower than
the front axle doesn't even sound logical. Do you suppose it's a cheaper way
to build trucks? Would you order a truck that way on purpose? The
older Heavy Duty Fords, 97 4x4 and back can have this problem, older Dodge
trucks heavy duty 4x4 and most of the GM 4x4 Light Duty 2500 and Heavy Duty
2500 still today have a narrower rear axle tracking. Also GM heavy duty 4x4
Suburbans and Yukon XL's can have a narrower rear axle. GM did solve it with
the newer full size vans. Ford and Dodge still have a narrower rear axle on
the heavy duty vans your church and school use. It's easy to figure out,
just go measure your truck and van.
The question you might have with such a well
built heavy duty alignment spacer is, will this cause strain to the rear axle
bearings. The Correctrack spacer kit has completed a Daimler Chrysler
K-1 durability test and warrants the rear axle bearings to 100,000 original
miles. Know of any truck manufacture that does that? Call Correctrack Inc. for
warranty details. ph. 1-888-862-2167
You still have plenty of wheel stud left if you have
to grind some of the stud bevel. Correct wheel tracking, you can feel the
difference.
Measure your truck or van axles to see if it's
tracking or constantly making new tracks. Do you suppose following the same
track will help fuel mileage? If you want an edge on safety for
your truck and trailer handling, this is something to try. You can even
send them back if you don't like them. No risk, I like it! Correctrack
Rear-Wheel Alignment System. I liked this
safety product so much, I'm selling them on this website.
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Here we are mounting the
CT Spacers on a brand new 2003 GMC HD 2500 4x4 crew cab. |
Plenty of wheel stud
left after mounting the spacer on this new GM 2003 HD 2599truck. |
Corrects front-to-rear tracking difference!
- STABILIZES towing
- ELIMINATES steering problems
- CORRECTS tracking
- IMPROVES handling
- ENHANCES vehicle appearance
Roadside Assistance for Equestrians.
1980-1991 ¾-ton & 1 ton 4x4 trucks & Suburbans, 2"
thick spacer (9/16" stud )
Ever
wonder why
your truck fishtails easily
empty. We've all come to believe that a truck with no weight in the bed,
drives a little squirrelly. I've learned that there is a way to correct that
and many more driving characteristics we've come to accept as normal truck
behavior.
GM truck, Suburban, and
RV
Conversion Van owners need this.
Ford and Dodge full size vans need this product! Just
measure your axles to Cure your Truck
now, 
