Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) front end wonder

[MCharlebois]

truck seems to be wondering when driving down the road,i know the roads aint flat and they aint worth a **** in VT-just checked my ball joints with a 4' bar-yes i jacked it up and everything,it is going in tomorow morn so if i knew what i was *****in about it would really help--any reply would be much appreciated

marcel

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Track Bar in good shape? How many miles?

 

[MCharlebois]

will check in am -54k miles-if bad something a common fool could do????

marcel

 

[Sageair]

Is this a new problem? Mine wandered right from the start. It was a bad steering box in my case. Dealer replaced it and life is good!

 

[MCharlebois]

wander

i asked the dealer about this when i first had my truck,they said it was normal. the diesel engine was alot heiver than the other motors--36k warranty gone

marcel

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

The track bar is a notorious culprit in front end hunting / darting / and wonder. MANY have failed with as few as 11K miles and some good for 80K. ... . maybe more who knows. It mainly is the amount of stress applied to the bar and the direct relation to the bar's mounting angle / position. Trucks that see smooth roads and towing over the road see the latter half of mileage. My Track Bar was wasted at 25K (Still in there) and my ball joints have not EVER been able to get an Oz of grease in them as the zerks are frozen solid from day 1. (1100 Lbs of force in the pnumatic gun still couldn't get any in) So I am slowly in the process of rebuilding my entire front end complete with Grab~Bag steering.



One thing that has helped my truck in its Meeger state was the addition of the DSS (Darin's steering Stabilizer) and that stopped the RADICAL truck wonder on the highway ... . even with a clunking track bar and bad balls.

 

[MCharlebois]

i wish to hell

that i would have known agout this website when i ha d first got my truck. the wife is like are you gon a be on that @!#@# thing all night. As far as the dealer by me they have a good rep but me older brother worked there and told em what hen thoudgt when he left-You can bet when i go in there is ALWAYS something that needs replacing-and there better than the one up north of me

marcel

 

[MCharlebois]

thourgh check

of everything tomorrow after work--i will be doing all of my one **** from now on-i think i can ithink i can Thanks for all ther help!!!

marcel

 

[jrobinson2]

Heres a couple of TSBs that may help

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1997/19-10-97.htm

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1996/02-06-96.htm

Good luck getting your dealer to help, mine said the 5" of play at the steering wheel was "within spec"

Jared