2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Something went to hell real quicklike under the truck.

[WDixon27]

my solid axle 2wd C&C wobbled once convincing me to ditch the crap shocks it had on it and it hasn't done it since, i deal with a death wobble on bmws all of the time in my job and several things can do it but it is different on every suspension design, the problem is finding the one or two things that pushed it over the edge, i like the sound of more caster to help keep things inline with a solid axle

 

[PRattenbury]

Dude, I hope your caster eccentrics/control arm bushings aren't in the same condition as mine were. Signal can tell you how much fun we had trying to get mine loose from the front axle. Things like the smoke wrench and sledge hammers made the scene that night.

 

[Signal73]

Dude, I hope your caster eccentrics/control arm bushings aren't in the same condition as mine were. Signal can tell you how much fun we had trying to get mine loose from the front axle. Things like the smoke wrench and sledge hammers made the scene that night.

toolmans underneath of his truck looks like it never saw water, no matter rain, snow, salt, etc. Unlike our sunken u-boat looking rigs Paul. :-laf

Im thinking if he needs to replace those, they will slide out like they were new.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Once I get some "Qualit Time" with the truck I am going to get down and see what is loose, or worn. I am crankin out some O. T for the next couple weeks to catch up on some overdue taxes.



It's funny you guys mention Paul's truck as I started thinking about those bushings. I guess a prybar and check for excessive movement at the arm ends?



Is it cheaper to get a set of profab arms than getting OEM? Can you just get OEM bushings or are they part of the arms?

 

[Cummins Thunder]

Complete arms only from Chrysler. I believe you can get urethane bushing kits for the factory arms. I personally hate urethane bushings for most applications and would not go that route.



DodgeDieselParts.net - Lower control arm $182. 50ea

Upper $114. 19ea



I am running some lower arms off an 05 because of the much improved bushing design. The third gen upper arms share the same bushing design as the lower but I am not sure of the the fit on a 2nd gen.



My next set of lower arms will be the Solid Steel Industries adjustable lower arms for $465

 

[Alphacowboy]

Tim, Make sure that bolt on the axle end of the track-bar is tight, and I mean super tight. When I talked to Don at Thuren, he said to lube up the threads of that bolt with grease when torquing it down, it needs to be THAT tight. I racked on mine to no tomorrow, and it still ended up wobbling on me, I then followed Dons advice, and no issue since.

 

[WTBurke]

Tim, before you make a possible selection on control arms have a look at Don Thuren's. I know they're pricy but, the way he has lined up the Zerks is outstanding. The Skyjacker system I purchased has the poorest constructed control arms from every stand point. You can't grease these babies and the Zerks are the cheap pop-rivet type that pop-out of their mountings. I called those hay-seeds and asked about their choice of positioning the Zerks incorrectly for routine service and they haven't a clue. Skyjacker just sucks in my opinion



William



. : THUREN FABRICATION :. DODGE RAM CONTROL ARMS

 

[Yo Hoot]

Tim..... changing to very heavy wall 10 ply tires cured mine. Been gone now for years.

 

[BILLVO]

For control arms I went this route and am more than satisfied with them and the top arm zerks are easy to grease with a 90 degree zerk nozzle.

 

[Cummins Thunder]

For control arms I went this route and am more than satisfied with them and the top arm zerks are easy to grease with a 90 degree zerk nozzle.

Never seen those arms first hand but they look just like the skyjacker crap I was using at one point. The bushings were shot after maybe 15,000 miles on a truck with stock tires.

 

[BILLVO]

Never seen those arms first hand but they look just like the skyjacker crap I was using at one point. The bushings were shot after maybe 15,000 miles on a truck with stock tires.

For the price they are a better deal than the stock ones and stronger also. I was getting tired of replacing the factory tins and decided to go with some steel ones. Haven't bent one since. If I need to replace a bushing on occasion its still better than the stock tinny junk that bends way to easy.



Sounds like lack of grease to me if they went bad that fast. I have had mine on for over 20k miles and they get the hell pounded out of them. I grease mine about every 2500 miles.

 

[David_VT]

Tim, good luck!
Some how I've managed to avoid the shake thus far. I know it is only luck at this point!

 

[Signal73]

tim try rotating tires too. maybe something went bad in the months it was sitting when the trans went down. Who knows. Its a long shot but its free.

 

[SRath]

I don't know what you ever found, Tim, but I had a dually K30 that developed the same completely out-of-control shake like my Dodge with it's death wobble. In the Chevy's case, it turned out to be one tire with the cords separating. An out-of-round tire will do the same thing.

 

[WTBurke]

Yes Tim, What have you found?



William

 

[Gweeds12V]

On my 95 i was having the death wobble, everythings tight in the front end, steers like a champ, could fall asleep and still get where i'm going. my tires were worn and couldn't balance, got new ones, havent gotten death wobble since.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Well being the truck has been getting VERY little use (105 miles scince I posted this LOL) I *Think* the steering box is to blame. If you let go of the wheel when going over say a speed bump the wheel rocks back and fourth very easily. Do the same with the wheel being held you can feel what seems to feel like the dead "Slack" what I can assume to be the internal gears. So under the truck I went and with someone rocking the wheel I have about 2" of slop either side of "center" or what feels like no hyro assist before the pitman arm starts moving.



There is no return to center feel whatsoever in the steering. I can turn a curcle and the wheel will somewhat track the same arch.



So with tat I am going to start scrapping together some cash and do the column bushing and steering shaft at the same time being that alone has some attrocious play in the rag joint and the column connection.



What are the steering boxes to have now a days? PSC, Flaming river, STAY AWAY FROM AUTO ZONE ?????

 

[DCreed]

The castor setting IIRC is the cause of "self centering" and the damper may reduce that effect dramatically. I dont think the box itself is designed to self center. FYI, I just got a PSC brace and it helped a TON! I was surprised how much wander and play were reduced. It should also help prevent much of the box wear and tear.

 

[AABEN]

Some time you can rase the air about 10lb and help it but most of the time it is tires.

 

[Joe Mc]

For control arms I went this route and am more than satisfied with them and the top arm zerks are easy to grease with a 90 degree zerk nozzle.

Tim - if you consider changing the control arms - I went the same route as Billvo. However, before I installed them I removed the cheap zerks and replaced with 45* thread in units. My stock bushings were toast on the lower frame end. Replacing the bushings on the stock units was not something I considered - I considered price of the bushings and said "with all the work why bother replacing junk with junk?". I think the Top Gunz units were a great buy and constructed well. MHO



Keep us posted.