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2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission I am fed up!!!!

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2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Steering wheel adjustment?

Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) tool buying

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Alright, I have almost had enough of this truck. I have put Thuren track bar, which is highly recommended by myself, I have steering column bushing, new ball joints, new EVERYTHING from the steering column to the wheels. not a new steering shaft though, still have the stock one. I am still having to chase this truck in the lane. I just got done installing Bilstein 5100 (silver with black boot) and love those, but I have a problem with this trucks instability. What else would help this. I have heard of a 3 turn steering box, would that help at all.



Also, with the new shocks, do I need to put taller rubber stops to keep shocks from bottoming out.
 
the steering box will make more difference than all the other stuff you have done or at least it did on mine. ive done all you had done and more the steering box was the final step. i wish i had started there first.
 
on the top of the box there is a locknut with an allenhead setscrew inside it. Back off the locknut, tighten down setscrew 1 turn or so and re tighten locknut. Will help take some slop out of a older steering box.
 
When you tighten that allen screw, make sure the steering wheel is pointed straight ahead. That will put the worm gear on its "high point". Also, make sure you don't tighten it too much or the wheel won't want to return to center when you go around a corner. If it's too stiff, you'll know it immediately and then just back the screw out, bit by bit until the steering will return to center properly and it doesn't want to stick on the high point.
 
Check and see if you have a 4&1/4 turns on your steering wheel from stop to stop. That is what I had on my 98 12v that I bought new. I found out 7 years later and changed to a 3 turn box and now my Ram steers like it should. like a car. -- email address removed --
 
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NHays- I just put a 3 turn box on my '97 (same as yours and with 304k) from PSS. Unbelievable difference and not hard to do. Drives like a car w/ 2 fingers at 70mph.
 
You didn't mention an alignment. If you didn't have it checked yet, I recommend seeing if the caster if equal on each side, and I like mine as positive as possible. It increases steering effort, but tracks better at travel speeds.

Joe
 
NHays said:
Alright, I have almost had enough of this truck. I have put Thuren track bar, which is highly recommended by myself, I have steering column bushing, new ball joints, new EVERYTHING from the steering column to the wheels. not a new steering shaft though, still have the stock one. I am still having to chase this truck in the lane. I just got done installing Bilstein 5100 (silver with black boot) and love those, but I have a problem with this trucks instability. What else would help this. I have heard of a 3 turn steering box, would that help at all.



Also, with the new shocks, do I need to put taller rubber stops to keep shocks from bottoming out.

It is probably the steering box or the bushing in the column lower section under the hood. The dss steering stabilizer is the best steering mod I have made to my truck by far. It takes the death wobble out & makes the steering feel like I'm driving a sebring rather than a 3/4 ton truck. They are pricey, but a great investment... . if all other steering parts are good.
 
Cummins724 said:
It is probably the steering box or the bushing in the column lower section under the hood. The dss steering stabilizer is the best steering mod I have made to my truck by far. It takes the death wobble out & makes the steering feel like I'm driving a sebring rather than a 3/4 ton truck. They are pricey, but a great investment... . if all other steering parts are good.

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First things first. Thanks for the replies. Second, I have the steering column bushing fix, and the alignment. I ordered a 3 turn box from PSC and it will be here Tuesday. I will tell you if it helps.
 
b. ferrara said:
what's pss and how do we find info? thanks

It is a Dss steering stabilizer..... it can be found at Source Automotive, PDR & many others. It really stiffened up the steering alot, but not if other parts are bad.
 
WDaniels said:
Cummins724,

If I read your post correctly, your part will eliminate the pull to the right?

WD

No... . it is for slop in the steering..... I never had a problem with my steering column bushing. I just saw it in posts & guys say that it works well. I was only throwing ideas on the table to help this guy figure out this problem.
 
I don't know if you did anything to change the pinion angle, but in my wrangler had death wobble and uncontrollable steering until I readjusted the angle to a lesser degree than stock. This helped realign the front drive shaft and solved 99% of the problem in the lifted jeep I have. Just another place to think about.
 
PSS is Power Steering Services at least as far as I know. They are in Springfield MO and rebuild power steering boxes. 417 864 6673. I have one in my Ram and it is excellent. They may rebuild other steering parts, I don't know for sure. I replaced the wrong (ratio) box with the correct (ratio) box and cured the terrible wandering problem.
 
J. BURCHFIELD said:
PSS is Power Steering Services at least as far as I know. They are in Springfield MO and rebuild power steering boxes. 417 864 6673. I have one in my Ram and it is excellent. They may rebuild other steering parts, I don't know for sure. I replaced the wrong (ratio) box with the correct (ratio) box and cured the terrible wandering problem.

Sorry for the misunderstanding... . I never heard of pss.
 
have you checked your control arm bushings? just for the heck of it, might want to talk to Don Thuren about his work in progress to hopefully have a permanent fix for the handling of these trucks, one of the reasons he bought a 3rd gen, its his test mule so to speak. I see you already have his trac-bar. . its one hunk of fine steel ingenuity is it not! :D
 
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