iPod not charging well and I know its not the cord

ryan smith, if pulling "out the cord a little bit on one side" used to work and now it does not, I would definitely take a good look at the dock connector. It sounds like you either have broken, bend or corroded pins. Of course, you do want to make sure that you cable is okay and try a AC adapter to see if it is charging. Should it charge on AC adapter, consider replacing the battery. BTW the dock connector is soldered onto the logic board and does require some experience, a steady hand, and the right tools to replace. Hope this helps, good luck.