Torque Steer? What Causes it? (1 Viewer)

[SocalLCruiser]

2003 LC with just over 200k on the clock.
MODS: 2" lift, 295/70/18 Nittos, SPC Upper Control Arms, ARB Front Locker. No winch, bumpers or rack (yet). I do have a "HitchGate Tire carrier on the rear with a matching Spare (Yes, very heavy!) I don't carry a lot of extra weight other than the typical recovery gear, a few tools, shovel, etc.

My Cruiser has been getting progressively worse over the last 5000 miles or so. The Lift, tires and spare tire carrier have been on for the last 7000 miles. The problem started to show after approximately 2000 miles. I do wheel the 100 pretty hard but don't beat on it. I am usually moving very slowly when off road and NEVER try to hit an obstacle hard to get over it (I learned the expensive way and blew my front diff). This truck has been a SoCal truck that NEVER went off road for the first 170k.

Symptoms: Pulls to the right under heavy acceleration. I have to turn the wheel to 9:00 to compensate. Sometime even further.
Under normal acceleration somewhere between 10-11:00 to compensate.
As soon as I let of the throttle or reach the correct speed for the RPM, the wheel can be brought back to 12:00. There is ZERO wandering at highway speed.

I've checked for "play" in the steering rack...... Minimal, no leaks, everything feels and looks tight. (Yes, I've been under the truck while someone turns the wheels.

What I've done to try and solve....
Rake....Front 1" lower than rear.
Upper Control Arms....Brand New SPC's
Upper Ball joints are ….New (old ones were still in good condition.
Lower Ball Joints.....No slop
Tie Rods (inner/outer)….New
Rear Control arms....Original (with no excessive slop)
Shocks...new OEM

I just had the truck aligned with a reputable shop. They are very knowledgeable when it comes to modified Toyotas.
I had them set the Caster to 3.7. This seemed to help some but far from perfect.

Where else do I look? Is this a symptom of MUD Tires? I've never run mud tires before. Perhaps after the "new" was worn off of them they act differently?

Please help! I'm trying to get this figured out before a 6-7 hour drive north to "Turf & Surf" at Pismo in 2 weeks.

Thank you.

 

[jrmudder92]

Mine came from having the front end lifted too much. I backed off on the bars some and got 85% better. But I did the part-time kit and now I have zero torque steer.

 

[hoser]

What is the front end fender lip to center hub measurement?

Most folks with 200k would need replacing both upper and lower rear control arm bushings. Maybe a closer inspection?

You can try dropping the front driveshaft and see how it changes the behavior.

 

[diego355]

Are both torsion bars cranked the same amount?
The basics of torque steer is that is caused by one axle being shorter than the opposite.
Are both front axles the same manufacturer?

 

[SocalLCruiser]

Thank you for the replies.
Yes, both axles are OEM and have less than 10k on them.

I do have slightly over 1” of rake. I believe both torsion bars are cranked the same

I’m not able to get a new measurement until tonight from hub to fender. I’ll report back tonight.

 

[MongooseGA]

I have pretty moderate torque steer just as OP described. I've got a pair of @TRAIL TAILOR 's rear LCAs on order to hopefully help remedy this. Should be installed next week, I'll update if that helped. My truck is at 240k, all suspension listed in my signature is new, the rest is slowly being replaced.

FWIW, my F/R hub to fender measurements are 21.5"/23", respectively. A bit higher than most run, but I've got full droop from the SPC arms and run 34" vs 33" tires.

 

[87warrior]

I have minor torque steer as well, but much less than the OP is experiencing. My front hub to fender measurement is about 21", and the rear at 21 5/8". 321k miles on the front control arm bushings and I am confident this is the problem. Even though they don't have play, any visual signs of wear and align without a problem, the rubber has to be soft and moving around when driving. I replaced the stock rear control arms at 310k miles which helped with the torque steer sensation, but did not eliminate it. New poly steering rack bushings didn't change the torque steer sensation, but it did really tighten up the handling.

 

[MongooseGA]

I replaced my rear LCAs with Jason's from Trail Tailor. Inspecting my original arms and bushings post-install, it's still difficult to point at where the bushing was shot. However, the ride quality did improve quite a bit. It's less shaky when going over harsh bumps. I have his rear upper arms on order now and they should be in this week. Will update about improvement if there is anymore to be had with these parts.