The Reason This Tyler, Texas Truck Looks Like It’s Driving Sideways

There can be some weird sights when we are traveling around East Texas. Everything from people walking along the roadways to funny billboards to people just simply not following the rules of the road. Another thing we will see is vehicles that have no business being on the roadways. They could have a busted windshield, a missing bumper, head or taillights not working or a host of other problems. One vehicle issue you may see doesn't make the vehicle dangerous to others to drive but can be a costly problem for the vehicle's owner like this truck seen in Tyler, Texas.

Weird Vehicle Issue

You don't see it very often but it certainly catches your attention when you do see it. It's a vehicle problem known as "dog tracking." Basically, the vehicle will appear to be driving slightly sideways. If you are directly behind that particular vehicle, you will be able to see all four wheels which you shouldn't be able to. The front wheels will appear to be pointed straight while the back end is either pointed left or right. You may think that the frame is bent but most likely there is another cause for this weird vehicle issue.

@coys82 #ridingdirty #tylertexas ♬ original sound - coy

As someone who has witnessed this a couple of times myself, most recently was a few months ago going through the intersection in front of Walmart in Lindale, it can make your head spin trying to make sense of it. This issue isn't a danger to you or anyone else on the highway but that vehicle owner is burning cash having to replace those back tires.

What causes "dog tracking?"

You would think it would be a bent frame, which it possibly could be, but it's most likely another mechanical issue. I'm not a mechanic so I'll do my best to explain what is going on mechanically. The first reason for this issue is that the rear axle is out of alignment. It most likely got that way due to an accident or harshly driving through rough terrain. Another reason is that the rear axle's "thrust angle" could be off, meaning that the rear axle is pushing in a different direction than the vehicle's chassis. There could also be an issue with the leaf springs of the vehicle like a bolt being broken.

The solution can be as simple as taking the vehicle in to get an all wheel alignment. It also could be as complex as having the rear axle and all its surrounding components looked at and repaired.

The issue certainly needs to be looked at and repaired. While it won't be dangerous to you as a driver or to your passengers or to anyone around you on the highway, it will be dangerous to your wallet due to the hit in gas mileage and wear on your tires.

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