Steering Issue

[eellington]

Hello,



I just recently purchased a 2500 Diesel 4x4 QC SWB. After about a week, of being as higt as a kite, as you all know why... I started to notice that the steering wheel was never "level" while driving to and from work or anywhere around town. The truck always wants to drift to the right and I must constanly hold in a left steering wheel input. So as you all can imagine I returned to the dealer to have this checked out. They said they checked and and reset the front end alignment and recentered the steering wheel. I droved the truck for another week and still noticed this same condition. I returned back to the dealer and had the service manager take a test drive with me. He tried to convence me that this was a normal condition for this series truck, do to the solid front axal and said that the truck is always going to follow the curvature of the road. To prove this,during the test ride, he drove this truck down the road centerline and all was perfect.



Is this the condition all of you are having, in your daily driving routes? Or am I being spoon fed a bunch of "S__t".



Please reply... .

PS. .

Sorry for any spelling errors.

 

[Shooter]

IMHO

Welcome

Congrats on you new RAM.



THE DEALERS ALIGNMENT RACK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND !!!!

The dealer's can not or will not set the front end to a spicific ( recomended by several in the know front end tech's on the TDR )setting. They just check to see if the front end is in factory spec's. Factory specs are so broad they are not spec's but a REAL broad RANGE, that mine was in specs with + 3* caster left and -1* caster right, they will pull to the short side. The dealers print out said it was in spec's. A good alignment shop got it on the straight and narrow.

Toe in and camber can also cause it to pull as well as the brakes.



Do a search on alignment and you will find the recommended settings.



You will find that the only time you will want the dealer to touch the truck is when you can't do the repair yourself. It is not only DC but F & C. Dealer's mechanics don't care if they do a good job or not, they are just there for a pay check.

 

[Lsfarm]

Tire slippage

I had the same thoughts with my first truck, a '96 LWB EC LB 4x4 CTD. I was holding about 2" correction for the crown in the road. The problem is that all tires have a 'slip angle' or simply stated, a certain amount of turn of the steering wheel to get the desired amount of direction change in the vehicle.



That said, find a stretch of highway with a significant crown in the road and drive in the left lane, you should see a similar steering correction in the opposite direction required to keep the truck on the road.



Some makes of tires require less steering input to correct for the drift. Increasing the tire inflation 'might' make a difference.



Five CTD Rams later, they all drive the same. Michelins are better than the Goodyears in my opinion.



Good luck, enjoy your new ride!! Greg L

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

eellington,

My truck does the same thing as yours does. I took it to the dealer and they suck. Went to old man who has an alignment shop in town and he says there is a valve in the steering box that is supposed to center the wheel. drive down a flat road not a crowned road. All trucks will pull on a sloped or crowned road.

Drive down flat road without hands on wheel. Every little bump in road, I mean little, will effect your steering. My truck will pull all the way to the right. The wheel jumps a little on every bump. If that is the case: It is the steering box... ... . Try to show this to your stupid service manager, Mine said that is normal. I don't think so. I almost gave up but this has added fuel to my fire. Let me know what you find out. Greg

 

[Shooter]

Greg:

When you take it to the dealer complain of excessive play in the wheel. On the 9th trip to the 5 screw I did not say any thing about loose, wander, does not center, poor ... . When I said excessive play in steering ( had about 3" ), they ordered a new gear box w/ out even inspecting the truck. I cornered the service writer about the 8 trips and 8 times of BS. He said that you have to have the right nominclature in the complaint or DC does not allow them to do certain repairs. Do not mention DRIVEABILITY or they will check alignment, say it's ok even if its not and blow you off.



My experience. Some members have tried this since I posted it 9-00 and it has helped several.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

thanks shooter, I will give that one a try on monday.

 

[Paul Somers]

I have a friend that has a 2002 4x4 and is so unhappy with steering and dealer, he has filed a complaint with DOT. My 1999 2x is only slightly better.

 

[WCrovo]

Mime is at the dealer right now. they replaced all my ball joints and are following the alignment procedure I pulled off Geno's and Fritzs web site. They are test driving and adjusting to minimize the drunken sailor effect. West Valley Dodge in SLC has been good compared to other dealers in my life. They are also cking my fuel pressure cause you guys have made me paronoid. I also gave them the TSB on steering box adj for wander, the service mgr was aware of the TSB but had not seen the alignment worksheet. The pulling is normal with the crown of the road. Good Luck

 

[proflow]

alignment

A guy in the automotive trade will always say "it'll fall to the low side of the road" this is true, usually the vehicle manufacter will compensate for this by adding a little here, a little there & costomer is happy. (if you have a complaint) This is not true wheel alignment. (& I dont recommend it) The reason why this standard is set the way it is ---is because if a driver were to fall to sleep at the wheel, you would hit the ditch or rail instead of on comming traffic to the left. Our roads are off camber to the right for many reasons. One being mentioned aboved, second being rain fall off. I have the same complaint about the Dodge truck, checked the alignment on my 02 & everything is exactually were i would have set it myself-----Proflow

 

[mediccummin]

adjustable ball joints

This is the only thing that would correct my pull to the right besides a real alignment shop. The dealers suck at this, obviously. Do search on adjustable ball joints, or ingle products. Good luck... .