6 trips to dealer, another to a mechanic and 2k later, it was just this

[Cummins Cowboy]

over the past year I have had trouble with a loose feel in the truck, it was a clunking feel almost in the wheel, but here is where it gets dicey, the truck would only do it when it was hot, in cold weather you couldn't even feel it, the problem drove me nuts, took to the dealer 5 times and they replaced the steering box, and a inner tierod, under warranty then the truck goes out of warranty and then the dealer told me good luck any repairs are on your own dime and that the ball joints where bad, so I replaced all 4 ball joints, still same problem, then I took it to a private mechanic they couldn't figure it out either and replaced all tie rods. still same problem so at this point I figured that it was gonna be up to me to figure out the problem, so one saturday I spent a day working on the truck, I replaced the track bar bushings, still no change, I disconnected the steering stabilizer, still no change, I then unhooked the sway bar no change, so in my mind I eliminated all but something in the steering shaft, so I went to my dads and took the one off his '04 and bingo, 2k later, endless swearing and frustration is now over, truck drives like a dream now. however if you where to look at this part in your hand you would swear there is nothing wrong with it, I feel like going to Larry miller dodge in the middle of the night and installing this crappy steering shaft on one of their new trucks, but my dealings with LHM dodge are a whole nuther story



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[DBentley]

How many miles on it?

Where was it loose at the u joint or the sliding shaft part?

 

[hearingyourlies]

Can you describe your symptoms a little more in depth, please. Glad to hear you got it solved.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

the truck started having the problem with about 27-28k on it, I just rolled 50k right now. the slack I was feeling had to be in the ujoint section. I must admit it had a very strange feel to it, it would only do it when the truck was fully warmed up in warmer weather, temps below about 60 degrees and you couldn't feel it, going strait down the road at higher speeds you couldn't feel it, mainly below about 40 mph, if you veered slightly to the right you could normally feel it, however a full sharp turn you couldn't, also if you turned to the left you could feel it a little too, going slow speeds turning into bumpy parking lot you could also feel it, I could also feel it when the truck would rock back and forth in a parking lot. it would at times get really bad and just about feel unsafe to drive, I remember being on one of those long looping freeway on ramps and I could just feel a dunk a dunk dunka feel in the wheel, it felt like something was about ready to fall out of the front end, end the end the way I convinced myself that must be the problem was I scooted the seat up with my shoe off and rested my socked foot on the bottom of the shaft right before it goes through the fire wall, it was then I had a strong suspicion there was something up with the steering shaft somewhere

 

[DieselFiend]

I think any dealership with "Larry Miller" on it is a bad one. I'll never do business with them again.

 

[InfernoB]

I've got BORGESON shaft from Geno's in my garage waiting to go in. The symptoms sound the same.

Did you put a big note on your dad's steering wheel telling him not to drive?