Let's open up the steering issue again

[Trophy Truck]

Yes there have been numerous posts on this topic, but I wanted to check in and see if anyone has cured the dreaded steering issues with the 3rd gen (wander and slow lazy reaction feel). I am pulling my hair out and was looking for more suggestions. On my 06' I have installed the complete upgraded steering kit, an additional steering damper from the pitman arm link to the frame, new ball joints, dodge alignment plus my own string method plus adjusting on a long highway trip, new Michlen tires, two different rebuilt steering boxes by Straight line steering in San Jose, new Rancho shocks, BD steering brace, Genos luke link bushings in trac bar, measured and cross checked frame and axle distances, adjusted Caster.

Thanks, Pete

 

[jelag]

Caster is not a tire wearing angle, which means if you change it, tire wear won't be affected. . Have you experimented with increasing the caster an extra +2 degrees... as the Caster increases the vehicle tracks better...

I have several of these trucks but mine are all dually's, so the front track and rear track are different... we're I'm at, we have a lot of ruts in the road, from studded tire wear... my trucks are always fighting the ruts as the width of the track on the truck is different than the rut...

 

[DBrooks]

I haven't solved the wandering issue with mine either. After reading Carli's article on what he found with the Moog lower balljoints I'm going to try replacing my lowers with either Spicer or XRF in about a month when I get a chance and see what happens.



Here's a link to the article if you haven't seen it: Dodge Ram Suspension: Carli Upper Ball Joints w/ Moog

 

[Trophy Truck]

follow up

very interesting article by Carli, thanks for sharing... I also wanted to add, that the "Dodge Dealer" replaced my upper and lower ball joints under the 30 day warranty when I bought the used truck and the only thing I noticed was that the obvious clunk noise was gone when you hit bumps. NOTHING changed in the steering dept! Everything I did to the truck marginally helped but like I said in my post, it's still not right.

 

[EZeis]

My truck started wandering around 15K. Dealer inpected twice and said everything is ok. Had them adjust the gearbox, helped but minmal. Off the lot the truck had nice tight steering and now I hate driving it.



Earl

 

[JKreiss]

Solve your problems once and for all Thuren Fabrication- Crossover steering kits. I chased steering gremlins on this truck for years, now it's a thing of the past. Remember though, it's only going to be as good as the road you're driving on. Trophy Truck, you and i are at a disadvantage in this state:-laf

 

[Regcabguy]

Dick Cepek

Dick Cepek explained the wander issue with a fixed live axle. His theory was that the opposing rotating wheels acted as gyroscopes and would influence each other unlike an IFS. In a live axle,if one wheel hits a bump or groove by being connected it talks to the other one. My steering is as tight as our Honda Pilot's but it too must be corrected to a degree. My '98. 5 was awful. If I still had it,Don's crossover setup would be a must. I think we sacrifice some tracking for the strength of a solid axle. This is not limited to the AAM axle as my neighbor complains about it on his 2003 F-250 also.

 

[wneubauer]

My theory is that the front end of my 2005 Dodge 3500 Ram 4x4 is a real mess and poorly designed. Sort of like a Fiat... .

At 60k, for my 2nd replacement set, I just bought XRF ball joints. They look stout, they were half the price of the Moogs, I'll let you know how they work when I get them put on. .

 

[Matt400]

adjusted Caster.

Thanks, Pete

To what spec?

Thuren would tell you the Rancho's are horrible and you don't have to buy his. They are the worst shock he has tested.



What tires & air pressure do you run and is there any lift, like a level kit?

 

[Jeepr]

You know, my '05 is just turning 50,000 miles, and has been through a few sets of tires (because I keep going bigger) and now even has the Kore lift with 35" Open Country MT's. I'm on my stock ball joints, but they are about to get replaced. I did replace the track bar just to re-center the axle. I have not done the steering "upgrade" with the new Dodge parts. Through all of this, I've been VERY happy with the handling. I don't feel like it wanders, and I've never had any problems with death wobble.



By comparison, my buddy who bought an '06 about the same time, but he does have a few more miles on his, has upgraded all of his components, and has ongoing death wobble problems and complains of bad handling.



I think I'm going to leave mine as is!

 

[EDankievitch]

There was a service bullten from MOOG about spome AMERICAN AXELS used in Dodge trucks not having been machined correctly. I've looked all over for it but can't find the bullten I'd like to know what their repair is. I had the MOOG adjustable upper ball joints on my 05 one was deff and I replaced with the Carli ones but the steering is still very stiff. I'm looking froward to installing the Carli lower ball joints when they are released only, like the rest of us I've only waited two years for them... . I will say that the truck will go straight for as long as the road is straight once you get the wheels pointed in the right direction.

 

[Matt400]

There was a service bullten from MOOG about spome AMERICAN AXELS used in Dodge trucks not having been machined correctly.

that may cause a stur in this thread

 

[EDankievitch]

Well, that's what this site is for. To find out info and solve problems... Now if we could just get the ENGINEERS that design these trucks/parts to listen..... /I]

 

[Matt400]

Its was just your post about a bulletin but. . can't find it. That's a biggie if there is a bulletin everyone will want to know. I have never heard of one about axles manf. wrong.
Maybe what you are talking about is the offset Moog Ball Joints made to help those with the dreaded right hand pull.

 

[EDankievitch]

Not sure I had heard that there was a TSB out form MOOG dealing with binding balljoints and early balljoint failure due to the axels notbeing machined correctly. I've looked near and far even became a member of Moog's problem solver site to try to locate this bulliton. I did find a bulliton that deals with how much preload should be on the steering knuckles but it delt with an axel that had adjustable sleeves to set preload not our axels. Anyone ever hear about this bulliton dealing with our trucks???? Like I said I only saw one note about it in 8 lug mag and can't find any more info.

 

[Dodger440]

About a year ago I replaced the ball joints on my truck. The truck drove fine before I replaced them, but there was some play in the ball joints. I used Moog lowers and uppers from Napa. The truck never drove right after I replaced the ball joints, it was hard to keep it going straight down the road, you had to keep turning the wheel back an forth. After reading on some of the Dodge diesel forums about others having the same problems when they installed the Moog lower ball joints, I replaced just the lowers with factory Mopar ball joints. Problem solved, the truck drove perfect after that. I sent the Moogs back and filed a labor claim against them because I felt that they were made incorrectly. They paid the labor claim and refunded the price of the ball joints, no questions asked. Moog knows there is a problem with their lower ball joints, or they would have fought me on the labor claim. Just a warning to anyone thinking of replacing the ball joints, stay away from the Moog's.

 

[RonD]

I had the same problem, adjust up the slop in the steering box, and get a good alignment with max caster, the truck will drive as you want, I don't know where in Northern Cal you are, but if your up to driving 30 minutes east of Sacramento, take it to Keith's Alignment, the owner is Brian, they really know these trucks, his phone is 530-626-9396 If you had a Dodge Dealer do the alignment it's not right, the factory specs at 4 degrees positive caster is not enough, Dodge did mine 2 times, Keith fixed it just fine.

 

[wneubauer]

I just drove my truck home from the shop, about 20 miles at highway speeds most of the way. The truck is tight and runs true. I do not feel the "wiggle" I used to get when a bump or pothole appeared. I am very pleased so far with the XRF joints and the install and alignment.

I was also told all my tie rod/drag link/pittman arm ends need replacing. They said they would tighten things up as much as they could. Even with that, the improvement in the steering is remarkable. The shop gave me my parts back, and the old uppers simply swiveled around in the base. No resistance whatsoever. The lowers did not move in the base, at least with the pressure I could put on the stud of the joint.

We'll see how it goes. So far so good.

 

[CPittman]

Dodger440's post is very interesting. I've replaced both hub assemblies, new Dana upper ball joints, Moog lowers, Geno's track bar bushings, ALL four tie rod ends (parts from RockAuto.com) and installed the BD SBS and had Dodge do the alignment. This thing is still all over the road. The service manager at Dodge says that I now need a new steering box to stop the wandering. I know the steering box bushing is worn out but the SBS should take some of that out. I'm seeing a serious inside tire edge feathering problem (outer edge to a lesser degree). Stock Rancho shocks still on the truck. On edit: 181K miles.



After reading some of these posts I'm beginning to think my new Moog ball joints may be toast. I think I'll have them checked before I go buy a rebuilt RedHead steering box and new shocks. Just put new Nitto Terra on and I don't want them prematurely chewed up.

 

[Wooter]

Steering Issue

Had my tires rotated yesterday (same side fronts to rear) and when I drove home, on a smooth road, the truck wanders all over the road. Before the rotation the truck steered where I steered it and not where it wanted to go.



Any suggestions?????