Loose steering is driving me crazy

[Tinman]

For about 2+ years I've had felt a knock/clunk/looseness/bumping in the steering wheel (sometimes brake pedal). The truck actually steering and tracks fine. During this time I have replaced: Steering shaft - Borgeson; ball joints, sway bar, track bar - Carli; hubs - Dynatrac; shocks and steering stabilizer - Thuren. No of these have made any difference. so I'm thinking it must be in the cab/steering column. I can't ignore it any longer. What next?

 

[Wingate]

I doubt that this is your problem, but within 15,000 miles of my truck being new( about 1. 5-2 years) I kept hearing a muffled clunk/thump noise under the hood and/or firewall area. I only heard it when I hit a bump and only at low speeds. I suspected steering suspension, but couldnt find anything wrong. To be honest, it drove me crazy!!. .

I Finally had my son back my truck up in our pasture while I walked beside it with the hood up... . It was the friggin' coolant surge tank!!!!. . More specifically, the coolant in the tank! It just happened to be at just the right level that when the truck hit a bump, the fluid would all slosh to one end and hit the recession that formed in the tank!. I could duplicate this condition repeatedly!. I simply added some fluid and I'm actually over the top of the top mark when its cold; the tank still has its expansion room and I have never heard this noise again!. Go figure... .

 

[EricBu12]

The things we hear when you have a quieter diesel. . lol

 

[JCrockett]

I would check your steering box and get a rebuilt one from Redhead. Red-Head Steering Gears, Seattle WA - Red-Head Steering Gears Inventory

Had a buddy replace his and said it was a world of difference.

 

[ENafziger]

For about 2+ years I've had felt a knock/clunk/looseness/bumping in the steering wheel (sometimes brake pedal). The truck actually steering and tracks fine. During this time I have replaced: Steering shaft - Borgeson; ball joints, sway bar, track bar - Carli; hubs - Dynatrac; shocks and steering stabilizer - Thuren. No of these have made any difference. so I'm thinking it must be in the cab/steering column. I can't ignore it any longer. What next?<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I'm in the same boat. A clunk/looseness/bump that can be felt in both steering wheel and brake pedal.

I've recently done Carli upper and lower BJs, DSSS steering stabilizer, '08+ steering upgrade including pitman arm, Dynatrac manual hub lockout kit with front axle u-joints, Carli high mount stabilizer, Carli 7100 regular mount stabilizer, Carli Bilstein 2. 65 shocks, Carli coils, Carli shock towers, Carli track bar, Carli sway bar and end links, Kore race hybrid control arms, trussed the front end, changed fresh Amsoil diff fluid, installed Centramatic balancers, new wheels, MagHytec diff cover, front diff temp gauge, installed grease fittings on all tie rod ends, new tires, new lug studs, new lug nuts, etc.

Granted, all of this wasn't in an attempt to do away with this clunk, but after installing well over $10,000 worth of parts on the front end of this truck, it's somewhat annoying to have a constant looseness and rattle!

My last things to try, were a Borgeson shaft and a Red Head gear box. It looks like you tried the Borgeson with no luck, so I may try the gear box...

--Eric

 

[Tinman]

Oh yeah, forgot about the Defiant Steering stabilizer that's on there as well. I didn't think of steering box but it could be. Is there a way to test the steering box. I want think its inside the cab but I can't find any play and don't know what to do to trouble shoot that.

 

[AlaskanCummins]

I had the same thing; did most of the same replacements that you have and finally changed out the steering box to a Red Head.



Finally back to "normal". Steering is tighter and it doesn't dive to one side or the other when going over bumps, dips, etc...



Just drove the truck home from Denver, over the worst road in the world (to me) which is the Alcan between Haines Junction and the border where the frost heaves are amazingly terrible. The truck handled very nice and wasn't all over the place as before.



I think the price on the box is reasonable (315. 00).



Wayne

 

[CPittman]

Same here... replaced hub assemblies, uppers, lowers, all tie-rod ends and added the BD steering box stabilizer. The small 'waggle' at the sector shaft of the steering box gets amplified through all the steering parts resulting in a lot of play at the tires.



Red Head box finally cured my truck. Call Harvey at RHSG to get the goods.



OBTW, install the suction line with the new box out of the truck then fish the hose back up to the firewall...

 

[Tinman]

It could be the steering box, but it really don't have loose steering as much as a bumping I feel in the steering. Only with bumps in the road surface. It'd definitely be worth the cost of a new box if it fixes it. I'll see if I can isolate some "waggle" in the sector shaft.

 

[ichoplin]

ditto to your exact situation Tinman. Just took my truck to the dealer for a weak a/c problem and had them consider the clunk. The mechanic told me it was the intermediate shaft. I can shake it a little and I'm sure the clunk gets amplified while driving, but how can we be sure it's the shaft and not the box?
Ian

 

[ENafziger]

had the same thing; did most of the same replacements that you have and finally changed out the steering box to a Red Head.

Finally back to "normal". Steering is tighter and it doesn't dive to one side or the other when going over bumps, dips, etc...

Just drove the truck home from Denver, over the worst road in the world (to me) which is the Alcan between Haines Junction and the border where the frost heaves are amazingly terrible. The truck handled very nice and wasn't all over the place as before.

I think the price on the box is reasonable (315. 00).

Hey Wayne!

Well, i just called Harvey and ordered one of the Red Head boxes. I have new Red Line fluid to compliment the Red Head box :-laf so we'll see how that goes...

I'll be headed your way shortly, so I sure hope this fixes the problem! It's going to be a nightmare driving 12,000 miles with a 31' bumper pull if the steering is all over the place!

--Eric

 

[ENafziger]

The mechanic told me it was the intermediate shaft. I can shake it a little and I'm sure the clunk gets amplified while driving, but how can we be sure it's the shaft and not the box?

By intermediate shaft, you mean the shaft that goes from the steering gear box up to the shaft on the end of the steering wheel?

--Eric

 

[firemansdiesel]

By intermediate shaft, you mean the shaft that goes from the steering gear box up to the shaft on the end of the steering wheel?



--Eric

I believe that what he meant, or also called a steering shaft. When it went bad in my '05 CTD. . I felt terrible road feel through the steering wheel and the brakes when pressed. I ordered a Borgeson Steering Shaft and worked great.

 

[ENafziger]

I believe that what he meant, or also called a steering shaft. When it went bad in my '05 CTD. . I felt terrible road feel through the steering wheel and the brakes when pressed. I ordered a Borgeson Steering Shaft and worked great. <!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Well, shoot... alright, well I just ordered a new Borgeson shaft too.

Hopefully between the Red Head gear box and the Borgeson shaft, this thunk-rattle-glitchy-binding-won't-track-straight-steering will be fixed!

--Eric

 

[CPittman]

My money's on the steering box! Remember, install the suction line with the new box on the floor and have a helper assist you to fish the hose back up to the firewall. Don't cock the suction line off to one side either.



Good luck, hammerhead!

 

[Tinman]

I did the steering shaft first, years ago. Didn't help but my stocker didn't seem loose. Eric, if that steering box helps I may go with that next. Not much else to do.