Steering Frustrations (Slight Wandering, Replaced Everything)

[GrantP]

I take my Carli upper BJs apart about every 2-3 years to clean all the old grease out , makes a massive difference. Mine are about 7 years old and pretty they have corrected the issue a while ago.

@AEdelheit Mine are about 5 years old and I just cleaned them up for the first time. Yes, massive difference. No issues now.

 

[Ozymandias]

@AEdelheit Mine are about 5 years old and I just cleaned them up for the first time. Yes, massive difference. No issues now.

Good to know, will keep an eye on mine and service them if the steering gives me headaches.

 

[sag2]

Just make sure you didn't miss it, Ozy said make sure the nut is loose before you attempt to turn the bolt head in your photos. If you didn't loosen the nuts and still got the bolt and eccentric to move you are stronger than you think!

 

[BigRedMonster]

If you havent already found your issue. Check and double check the steering box. I have had 3 brand new big bore steering boxes from PSC and they all had excessive play in them. 2 had it on arrival and 1 developed it within 20 miles. There is lots of slop when turning the input shaft before there is any change to the output shaft. I ended up replacing the whole front end of the truck and i literally mean that and eventually looked at the steering boxes. Who would have thought brand new steering boxes would make a truck steer like an old ford tractor on ice. I also spoke to Borgeson around 2.5° of play is within their tolerance at the input shaft. It took me 2 years to get to the bottom of it.

 

[Prairie Dog]

X2 on the steering gear. I only have 122K on mine but I checked it after some strange handling issues while towing and found I had a full 1.25 turns of looseness. Adjusting that out made a huge difference.
Then I got it alligned and they gave it a little over 5 degrees of castor and it feels very solid now.

 

[Prairie Dog]

In my last post, I wrote that they gave my truck 5.2 degrees of castor. I find that the more I drive it, the less I like it.
The steering feels very heavy at anything under 25~30 MPH. Return to center at those speeds is lousy. Much of the time I have to turn it back to center. Although when backing into my parking space at home, it seems to RTC like before. It also seems a little twitchy - I'm constantly making inputs at 30~40. I haven't had a chance to drive it at higher speeds so I don't know what it's like then.

Is this the result of all that castor?
Before the allignment, my adjustment was straight up on both sides. I could easily return it to something close to that. Will that effect any other part of the allignment?

Thanks for any and all advice,
Scott

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[Ozymandias]

I would go back with the caster, but not much, every 10th of a degree makes a difference.
Try by moving it just a little at a time.

I'm sure you read Thurens writings about the Gen3 steering.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks Oz, I appreciate the input and I'll go slow.
I just read the Thuren tech (thanks again) but it's mostly for the newer, T -type linkage that I haven't got.

Scott

 

[Ozymandias]

Thanks Oz, I appreciate the input and I'll go slow.
I just read the Thuren tech (thanks again) but it's mostly for the newer, T -type linkage that I haven't got.

Scott

Thats right, it's more of the general input how a steering actually works and what the different settings do.

Edit says I'd never go back to the Y-steering, my truck tracks perfect with it. Like a normal Car.

 

[3rdGenGuy]

I upgraded to the ‘08 front end as well. I used oversized XRF Million Mile ball joints. The problem with our 3rd gens is the front end setup was too Puny from Jumpstreet, i.e., DeathWobble. To do the XRF’s takes a little skill, because you have to size the holes by hand and keep them in Round. I used a die grinder and an oversized socket to check for Round. Put the XRF’s in some dry ice. When you’ve sized them to go in 3/4’s of the way, heat up the knuckle with acetylene/O2 torch. Take the XRF’s out the dry ice, drop them in, then immediately pack it with dry ice to cool the knuckle. I did it that way because you’d never find a beefy-enough tool to even come close to pressing the oversized XRF’s in there. That, and the ‘08 front end and Bilstein shocks and polyurethane bushings all around and I was good to go