2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Front End problems... Please help!

[02diesel]

My truck pulls to the right all the time and wanders quite a bit. I have also noted that when turning the steering wheel I can just about turn it 1/4 turn each way to get any response at the wheels.



Yesterday I went underneath while my son turned the wheel from left to right (suspecting the track bar) because something was making a pop noise when backing it into my driveway. The track bar had about 1/8 up and down movement at the bracket side when moving the wheel. I also noted that you could take the drag link and I could twist it by hand and feel it bang in the joints metal to metal. When he moved the steering wheel I could also see what appeared to be movement is just about all the tie rod ends and that the dust boots were cracked and close to being dry but no zerk fittings to grease them.



1. Based on this description do all the tie rod ends need to be replaced as well as the track bar?



2. If they do need to be replaced is this something I can do my self safely or should I take it into a front end shop for a complete check out? I have never experienced any death wobble and would like to keep it that way.



3. If I do it myself what is the best parts to replace them with?



4. If it is better to have this checked and realigned do anyone have a shop in the San Diego area that they can recommend?



5. Finally, What would cause all this wear on a truck with only 40K miles on it? I have the SKyjacker 4 1/2" lift and 35" Swamper SSR radials which have not given me any problems and have ridden fairly smooth. Could either of these contribute to the wear problem? I do not abuse the truck as it is used as a daily driver to commute approx 40 miles per day to work. I also have a factory manual for the truck but there is not a lot of information it it on this subject.



Any and all help would be greatly appreciated as I would like to get this corrected as soon as possible.



Thanks

Frank

 

[PhillipWalker]

I had some of the same problems with my 97 2500 4X4. Loose steering and it pulled heavily to the right.



To fix the loose steering I installed a DSS steering stabilizer and a Thuren Fabrications track bar. The steering is now very tight.



To fix the pull to the right I added caster to the passenger side front axle. When you add caster to only one side it pushes that side forward. The truck now goes straight down the road. It's also easy to do, or change back if it doesn't work.



Phil

 

[Joe Mc]

Finally, What would cause all this wear on a truck with only 40K miles on it? I have the SKyjacker 4 1/2" lift and 35" Swamper SSR radials which have not given me any problems and have ridden fairly smooth. Could either of these contribute to the wear problem?

Lift kits are notorious for killing front end stuff. Look at the 3rd gen track bar conversion and if you can afford to get the adjustable track bar that's the way to go. The other 3rd gen stuff is much more beefy that our 2nd gen stuff the Thuren stabilizer kit connects to the bottom of the sector shaft (cones out of the box) and provides a stabilizing bearing to reduce/eliminate the play in the shaft. You can tighten up the play by the adjustment nut screw - see "steering section" in your shop manual - just don't go too tight or . . . a box is about $7-800 I think. The pull to the right coud be . . . . a miriad of things. 1-are the pins and slides on the calipers well deburred and greased (Sli-Glide is a good product), is a caliper hanging up, forget what year - not sure if you have drum or disc in the rears - but if they are drum - even a rear brake that's a bit tight will cause a pull. Or like Phillip said have caster added. I would start by taking in to a frame and alignment shop (not a Pep Boys or other place that "does" that kind of work. Ask them to perform an alignment and go out with the Tech - slip him a $10 or so and ask him to go over everything to let you know what's bad/in need of replacement. You can do all the replacing of stuff yourself and bring it back for a set up.



Good luck - get ready to spend some $$$ on these parts mentioned above but - you get what you pay for and with a lift kit and big tires you will keep burning out factor/replacement parts.

 

[Deejayare]

Front End problems..

The front ends on these trucks are problematic when stock. When big tires and a lift kit are added, you're gonna see premature wear. Gives ya a chance to add even more cool parts.



Sounds like you need tie rod ends for sure (cracked boots, loose). The stock track bar on the trucks like mine seems to be weak. I'd recommend one of the fat aluminum adjustable one's like you see in my signature.



I replaced everything in the front suspension on mine, but the the PSS steering box made the biggest dif. I think I only spent a couple hundo on mine. My steering is incredibly tight, like a new vehicle.



I do my own work because I've never been able to find anyone who takes the time to do it right.

 

[02diesel]

Guys, Thanks for all the responses. I did add the DSS steering stabilizer a while back. Are there any tie rod components that would be better than the OEM and possibly serviceable that may last longer? Anyone in San Diego area that I could bring it to? When I bought this lift I thought it was fairly mild and wouldnt hurt. It sounds like 40K miles is not unusual for these items to wear out. Guess I was wrong. Do I need to look at different tires? I bought the Swamper SSR because it is a 10 ply tire and thought that it would be right for the truck.

 

[Jong]

There's a couple other things you can do to help your steering on a lifted truck too. Get Moog ball joints (they're the best- check out www.quad4x4.com) and change your tie rods back over to an inverted T setup- you have an inverted Y setup on your truck. The T is much stronger than the Y. Check out the thread "My steering sucks" in the TDR for the complete story on the upgrade. If you have to replace the parts, do it right the first time. Also, I hope you put a dropped pitman arm on when you put your lift in otherwise your steering geometry will be way off and chew up your drag link quickly. Also, Don Thuren makes a track bar specifically for lifted trucks and it is WAY beefier than a stock '02 bar or a '03 upgrade. You will need to weld the drop bracket on it. Last, change your steering box over to a 3. 25 turn box from Power Steering Service in Missouri. They are only $325 and they make a big improvement in your steering. After all that, your truck will probably steer better than a new '07. Good Luck!!!

 

[Bishkoff]

Sorry to barge in, but what is the Inverted-Y and Inverted-T. I have been upgrading the steering on my truck since i bought it a year ago. Is this something I should look into changing on my 02? Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Jong]

An inverted Y setup has a tie rod that goes directly from the pitman arm to the passenger side steering knuckle and then another tie rod that connects about a foot away from the passenger side knuckle to the drivers side knuckle. The inverted T has a tie rod that connects both steering knuckles directly and then a drag link that connects from the pitman arm to a point on the tie rod about a foot from the passenger's side knuckle. The inverted T has been used for decades on straight-axle rigs and is overall a stronger setup. Why Dodge decided to change it is a mysterious engineering decision. At least it's an easy thing to change.