Ford Truck Dog Walk

[Dropped 68]

Ok, not sure if this topics been beat to death or not. But I've noticed when someone else is driving my truck it looks as if it's "dogwalking" and people had said the same thing about my 79, they track perferctly straight. Neither truck has been wrecked that I know of. Granted the 68 is lowered quite a bit. Does anyone have any experience with this. How can it be corrected? or is this just an issue w/ I-beam suspension????

[marz68]

I don't remember my truck having that problem when it was stock but what I would do is measure axle center to center from front to rear and see if they are both the same distance on both sides, also check your radius arm bushings for wear.

[68F250]

A shop can do a thrust angle alignment to check if the wheels are "square" to each other. Usually it's a rear axle positioning problem but one front wheel with the wrong toe-in can do it too.

[kid]

I was Hot Rodding my Dad's 69 F100 LWB 240CID four barrel with headers one day and stopped with one rear wheel in a dip. I punched it to come out and the truck slewed sideways. I got home and Dad took off then called home and said something was up an he came back. I watched it come down the street and saw the Dog Walk. After thinking for a few I got in and popped the clutch with the wheel turned right and bang the truck straightened out. My first jump was the left loading of the reat axle and I reversed the loading and fixed the Dog Walk. When I got older and worked for Ford I would align a truck and find the body on the rack did not match the straight drive up the ramp so I started testing the back before the front. Mamy Ford trucks were released for sale with the rear axle U-Bolts not tightened to spec.

[72truckdriver]

This may be off the wall but I have always heard and seen a few times that it looks that way because the front end is wider than the rear. I know how it sounds but I have been behind more than one bumpside and noticed it. My grandfather told me when they come out back in the day a lot of people were taking brand new trucks back because of this.

[lazyj70]

[quote="72truckdriver"]This may be off the wall but I have always heard and seen a few times that it looks that way because the front end is wider than the rear. I know how it sounds but I have been behind more than one bumpside and noticed it. My grandfather told me when they come out back in the day a lotbecause of this. of people were taking brand new trucks back





72truckdriver is correct on this. The rear axle is about 3" narrower than the front. If you will run a 70 series tire on the front and a 60 series on the rear it will not look like it's dog walking.

[mrsnicks]

Umm.. what is "Dog Walking"??

Patrick

[GT-Racer]

Umm.. what is "Dog Walking"??

Patrick

Some call it crab walking. Its when the rear tires dont track in the same line as the front tires. 73-87 chevies are notorious for that. Some have said that it is to give a 4x4 better traction so the rear tires dont spin on what the front tires mash down. I dont buy it I think they just dont take the time to properly align the rear ends.

Next time you get behind a chevy in traffic especially a 4x4 look past the rear tires and see if you can see the front sticking out on one side or the other....bet you will.

[460 crew]

I know the highboys 67-77.5 front axles are wider than the rears, then the lowboys 77.5-79 have matching width axles, eliminating the crab-dog walking. I've never paid attention to the 2wd stance.

[kid]

The way to spot dog walking is look at the back from a distance and if it appears that you can see down one side at the side and not the other you are Dog Walking

[cdeal28078]

I have a late 70's axle housing and axles that one day I plan to put under my 71 F100 to fix this. My 71's rear axle is a good 3 inches more narrow than the front On a side note I have always had good tractions when driving in the little bit of snow we get around here. I'll get stuck in wet grass but go anywhere in the snow. Go figure
clint

[Dropped 68]

Wow, well that certainly gives me a bunch of things to look into/ check out. Thanks for the feedback everyone. At least I'm not the only one to experience/notice this.

[19674x4]

wow i learn something new everday here. cool i always thouight that the rear axles were wider than the front. guess it's the opposite. i never noticed mine dog walking

[68F250]

Just because one axle is wider than the other doesn't mean it dog walks. It's a matter of the whole vehicle tracking straight or at an angle.

I've also heard it called dog tracking and crabbing.