No control

[KFranco]

Recently I had my alignment fixed because the steering was all over the place. The alignment helped a lot but no back to where it was. I properly hitched my 30' tt for a winter weekend get away with my son. I fought that steering wheel the entire trip (4hrs) to PA. Didn't matter if I was going 30mph or 60mph. Of course the faster I went the worse it did get. Any possible ideas? I replaced the hub/bearings and ball joints don't have any play. I should add that a have had the alignment done twice in as many weeks because I can't keep the wheel straight to go straight. The alignment tech assures me it is within spec? Thanks for you help.



Kevin

 

[Skydiver]

Do you have load range E tires and what is your tire pressure?

 

[jandtjil]

The alignment tech assures me it is within spec?

maybe this

Ram steering specs

 

[KFranco]

Do you have load range E tires and what is your tire pressure?

I have 245/75/16 load range E and the pressure was good before I left at 65psi front and 80psi rear.

 

[KFranco]

maybe this

Ram steering specs

Thanks for the specs info. I'll have to show this to tech. He'll think I'm an @$$ when I ask him to align to these spec!

 

[nunya]

have you or the tec checked the track bar for wear?

 

[Hoefler]

If the problem only exist while towing your 30' TT, I would say you are tongue heavy and need to use an equalizing hitch if you are not already using one, or chain up the bars more. If you are already chained up as far as you can go, you need heavier bars, that size of trailer you need 1,000 pound bars minimum or 1,250 pound bars. You could also look at how the trailer is loaded, if this just started recently, have you added anything of significant weight to the front of your trailer?? If this has been an on going problem, I would look at your hitch set up.

 

[dcoffman]

Heavy rear load would cause this faster than a heavy front load. This is what I was thinking also. But he might have this problem all the time,if so I'd check the track bar or bushing on the sway bar.

 

[Hoefler]

Heavy tongue weight will cause a teeter totter effect on the tow vehicle, it will cause the front end to be light and change the alignment geometry and cause the front tires to loose proper contact with the road.

 

[KFranco]

Well last year I didn't have this problem with the same loaded travel trailer setup. I still have the problem unhitched only not as bad. I'm thinking a front end problem. I will do a search on how to check track bar specs and also sway bar bushing. Thanks for all you input

 

[dcoffman]

Heavy tongue weight will cause a teeter totter effect on the tow vehicle, it will cause the front end to be light and change the alignment geometry and cause the front tires to loose proper contact with the road.

You're right,but anyone that has been pulling for a while,hopefully, would have sense enough not to put THAT much weight up front. I have seen people with a 1500 with wood stacked where the rear bumper was real close to the ground and they were fighting the wheel. But a TT has lift bars to equallize(sp) the load. Whay I'm saying is you need more load up front than in the rear for handling.

 

[Hoefler]

You're right, but anyone that has been pulling for a while, hopefully, would have sense enough not to put THAT much weight up front. I have seen people with a 1500 with wood stacked where the rear bumper was real close to the ground and they were fighting the wheel. But a TT has lift bars to equalize(sp) the load. What I'm saying is you need more load up front than in the rear for handling.

Very true. Another thing to consider as well, has anything been added to the bed of the truck?? Tool box, fuel tank, etc. .

 

[KFranco]

No tool boxes or such. I can make almost a 1/4 turn of the steering wheel before the tire will repsond!!! I checked this morning with the front tire on ice to reduce friction. I'm thinking same thing as relieving some weight off the front??? Does this indicate steering shaft?

 

[PToombs]

If you can turn the wheel 1/4 of a turn before you get action, you got problems! Have someone wiggle the wheel while you look for the play. It may be the gearbox, steering linkage. Or track bar. You should be able to see something wrong. If it's the track bar, the axle will move sideways back and forth. Can't miss it!

 

[dcoffman]

No tool boxes or such. I can make almost a 1/4 turn of the steering wheel before the tire will repsond!!! I checked this morning with the front tire on ice to reduce friction. I'm thinking same thing as relieving some weight off the front??? Does this indicate steering shaft?

Franco,I just thought of something so I checked mine. You can adjust yor steering box some. Rack & penion came in in 03 so you should have recerulating ball. That may take some play out but not that much. And if you go to tight it will be hard to steer. You may need a new shaft. Good luck.

Dan

 

[dcoffman]

Please forgive my spelling!!lol

 

[FJfonda]

My experience has been --- one of 2 problems. Loose track bar or a played steering box.

For the steering box slop - you can watch from under the truck while someone wails away on the steering wheel --- if the output shaft goes side to side before rotating, then the box is worn. This item works very well as a fix - Solid Steel. biz . If there is no slop there, then most likely the track bar has a worn end (the long bar that goes from the passenger side of the axel to the drivers side frame). Again, have someone wail on the steering wheel -- if the axle assembly moves side to side before the spindles move -- this is your problem. Lukes link has a fix here - Luke's Link Home Page .

Most likely, you have both problems - depends on truck miles.

 

[KFranco]

4givN

Please forgive my spelling!!lol

You are forgiven!! Didn't notice until you mentioned it. It's like that paragraph study that has only the first, middle, and last letter of the word but our brains can somehow still process the word correctly when spelled wrong. Aniwey thencs fir the halp!

 

[KFranco]

My experience has been --- one of 2 problems. Loose track bar or a played steering box.

For the steering box slop - you can watch from under the truck while someone wails away on the steering wheel --- if the output shaft goes side to side before rotating, then the box is worn. This item works very well as a fix - Solid Steel. biz . If there is no slop there, then most likely the track bar has a worn end (the long bar that goes from the passenger side of the axel to the drivers side frame). Again, have someone wail on the steering wheel -- if the axle assembly moves side to side before the spindles move -- this is your problem. Lukes link has a fix here - Luke's Link Home Page .

Most likely, you have both problems - depends on truck miles.

Think we're getting somewhere now. Thanks for the tip I will check when I get home.

 

[EricBu12]

Do the Solid Steel. biz setup. The redo for the trackbar and steering stabilizer helped my truck greatly. I can now tow my 15k trailer and steer like I'm steering a car, 2 fingers if needed. Very steady and solid straight... .

Get both, the trackbar retrofit and the steering Shaft stabilizer bar.