DRW steering questions for my 2500 Converted Dually

[Deleted member 995608]

Just came home from our first long trip pulling our 5'er with our newly converted 2500 dually. For those who don't know, I used all OEM parts to change over my 2500.



Do the DRW trucks have a tendency to wander more? This last trip was absolutley horrible as I was constantly fighting the steering wheel to stay in my lane. I never had this problem when it was a SRW!



With almost 150k miles on the truck, I decided to partially rebuild the front- New upper/lower ball joints (fourth rebuild), axle u-joints and hub bearings and had it aligned before we left.



I've never changed the steering stabilizer or the bushings in the trackbar or the anti-swarbar. I'm hoping this is where the problem lies.

 

[jdiller]

Yes they wander. Don't all dodges wander? All of mine do In all seriousness my dually wanders quite a bit while driving on the highway, got to pay attention all the time

 

[jelag]

We have a lot of roads here that are damaged from studded snow tires... which means they have a lot of ruts... you've got 3 different axle widths to deal with... . the front axle, the inside dual and the outside dual... . what I see happening here is that one tire will try and follow into the rut and move the truck, than another axle will try to climb out of the rut... etc... .

We've got a 20 miles stretch of interstate where you just have to slow down... .

What does help... . take your truck to a good alignment shop and have them turn up the CASTER on the front end... caster is not a tire wear angle... . and the more positive caster the more the truck will want to track ahead... .

We also have 2 other trucks besides dodges with duals... . their the same... . for us it just the roads... . when we get on a smooth surface new road, all is fine. .

 

[Deleted member 995608]

jelag- I was thinking the same.



I just hope I can correct some of the wander because I'll switch the SRW parts back if the wandering dosen't stop.



What a miserable trip... ...

 

[HBarlow]

My first Dodge dually, an '01, wandered but the two Gen III duallies I've owned do not. All three were/are 2wd.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Taking the truck into shop Wed morning. I'm pretty sure what they're going to tell me, . . . . But I have a much better chance at dealing with the wife if a PRO, . . . . . gives the thumbs up.



With almost 150k on the truck and so many OEM parts still left on the truck, it's only a matter of time before SH$T falls apart... ... ... ... ... .....



I took the truck for a spin today with all 6 tires aired down for normal travel and it still wanders back and forth. NEW-steering box, steering shaft, steering stabilizer etc- here I come.



My truck has now become a JEEP, Just' Empty' Every' Pocket'.

 

[HBarlow]

... ... ... ... ... .....

We've got a 20 miles stretch of interstate where you just have to slow down... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... quote]

Are you talking about that section of I-90 through Spokane? I remember squirming through that section many times when I was transporting.

 

[jelag]

Harvy... . gosh you've got a great memory... . HOWEVER its now mostly under construction as they repair it... . it was done only 6-7 years ago but DOT says its from all the studded tires... .

Now the bad stretch is on 90 west bound and east bound between Ritzville and the rest area... . worse than down through Spokane...

 

[LBARTLETT]

Taking the truck into shop Wed morning. I'm pretty sure what they're going to tell me, . . . . But I have a much better chance at dealing with the wife if a PRO, . . . . . gives the thumbs up.

that's how I got my new turbo:-laf

 

[AClayton]

that's how I got my new turbo:-laf

That's how I got my new Goerend transmission also. I guess wives think we lie to get what we want done to our trucks. :-laf

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I guess wives think we lie to get what we want done to our trucks. :-laf

"O' dang it".



"I was on my way home and the turbo and injectors fell right off the engine".

 

[Slicks]

I fought the wandering front end and quick wearing tires for a while using 1/16 to 1/8 inch toe-in. I now use 0 toe-in and the truck drives like a dream you can let go of the wheel and it drives straight for a long ways depending on the road. The front tires also have the least amount of wear by far. You could easily try this yourself before spending a bunch of money on parts. Also the best way to check worn out front end parts is by pulling the tires against a curb and have someone move the steering wheel back and forth as you are under the truck looking at the tie-rods, track bar, ball-joints etc.