Checking steering gearbox

[hearingyourlies]

How does one go about it? I was told have someone turn the wheel to the left and right and see if the shaft moves. It shouldn't, or should very little, because it comes preloaded from the factory, right? I got underneath as my nephew turned it from the left to the right and vice verse, and it didn't seem to move a hair...



I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what's wrong with my front end and the vague feeling i'm getting.



What happened is my alignment shop replaced the drivers side U-joint and gave me the new set up from dodge that repalces the tie-rod ends and bar itself (because I needed a new tie rod end too, and the whole setup was only $206). I also had to go back to a stock steering stabilizer because the clamp for the old one doesn't fit anymore (Hellooooo ... . Kore?!?).



Now, there is a vagueness while driving. It wasn't there before this work, I might add. It tends to move with pot holes and dips and rutts in the road, and kind of follows the track line of any road inconsistencies. He's gone back and checked and rechecked the alignment and did some fine tune adjusting to no avail. He's concerned about to much toe either way because he says Dodge's will start eating up tires when the toe is messed with. And before anyone says go to a "good" alignment shop, this guys is THE BEST in the business. He's been at it for over 30 years and now his two sons are taking over. Everyone I ask around here with a lifted truck goes to him. He's gone under my truck at least 3 times since i've had the work done at no charge, and is just as passionate as getting this figured out as I am. He just doesn't want me to start throwing money at it hoping it will fix it.



He says it feels like it's "slightly top heavy" and almost like it's got no shocks. I think he's just describing how the truck rides with the lift and not describing what i'm feeling in the wheel. We're talking about two different symptoms (maybe due to the same problem). He's suggested doing shocks (of course, why would I need shocks with the lifetime warranty on my Bilsteins from Kore?).



Any ideas guys?



I'm waiting on a new clamp for Kore {) to determine if i'm just feeling the effects of not having a good steering stabilizer, but i'm really concerned that i'm missing something vital here and I don't want a failure before or during my trip to North Carolina in 3 weeks.



... . help ... .

 

[hearingyourlies]

Help ... . Please ... . Lol

 

[hearingyourlies]

I know this is getting bumped up pretty far from a month ago ... but anybody? Please? I don't want to just start dumping money at the problem unless i'm pretty sure it will fix it...

 

[firemansdiesel]

You can get the bigger clamp from Thuren. The new Dodge steering tie rod is the same diameter of Don's cross over steering.



Does your steering wheel turn back on its own when you go around a turn (make sure your box is not going out)? Mine was similiar to your front end a while back. I bought a steering brace and eliminated the wandering and bump steer like you described. I also have to replace my steering shaft as my wheel has a knocking feeling and more road noise vibration.

 

[EDankievitch]

You did not say if you had the ball joints done. I did the ball joints on my 05 after it started pulling to the left bad real bad. It also started eating the tires. I did the MOOG adjustable upper and MOOG lower (I did not know about the CALI units when I did my truck) When I got done the truck would not track. It was like the front end was too tight and it would load up then jump too far when it did move. Made for some intresting highway driving. I did everything the steering box stablizer new tierod end on the steering box of the drag link and a new steering stablizer. Everything helped but nothing fixed it. I bought a caster/camber gauage from summett performance and went over everything. I found the caster to be 9degrees pos. book says it should be 3. 5-4 pos. I got it down to 4. 5 degrees with the adjustment cams maxed out. Toe in is set at 1/16" mesured at the inside of the rim just below the controll arms and the same hight up front. (funny my 89 called for 1/8" at the same location) the truck still was poor at best. Then I learned about the "new" drag link and tie bar on the 08s and installed that. Last thing I did was to tighten the back lash in the steering box, it did not feel bad even felt tight but after I did tighten it up it was like night and day. Now you move the steering wheel even the smallest bit and the truck responds. Oh I did have a friend "rock the wheel" while I watched every link and tie rod end everything was tight. Hope this helps you and you can save some money.

Ed

 

[CookJ]

You did not say if you had the ball joints done. I did the ball joints on my 05 after it started pulling to the left bad real bad. It also started eating the tires. I did the MOOG adjustable upper and MOOG lower (I did not know about the CALI units when I did my truck) When I got done the truck would not track. It was like the front end was too tight and it would load up then jump too far when it did move. Made for some intresting highway driving. I did everything the steering box stablizer new tierod end on the steering box of the drag link and a new steering stablizer. Everything helped but nothing fixed it. I bought a caster/camber gauage from summett performance and went over everything. I found the caster to be 9degrees pos. book says it should be 3. 5-4 pos. I got it down to 4. 5 degrees with the adjustment cams maxed out. Toe in is set at 1/16" mesured at the inside of the rim just below the controll arms and the same hight up front. (funny my 89 called for 1/8" at the same location) the truck still was poor at best. Then I learned about the "new" drag link and tie bar on the 08s and installed that. Last thing I did was to tighten the back lash in the steering box, it did not feel bad even felt tight but after I did tighten it up it was like night and day. Now you move the steering wheel even the smallest bit and the truck responds. Oh I did have a friend "rock the wheel" while I watched every link and tie rod end everything was tight. Hope this helps you and you can save some money.

Ed

Same symptoms here. Just had Moog uppers (7448) and non-adjustable lowers put in last week and the truck is back for the third time this morning being alligned. I don't believe the caster is set correctly, as the truck pulls to the left and still wanders. Hopefully, we'll get it right before too long.