Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Ok, I've seen quite a few complaints about steering slop/wander of which I have participated in. I think the best way to handle this is to file a consumer complaint at www.nhtsa.gov . I filed a complaint last August, and I have seen some others too, but not near enough to catch the attention of anyone. Please file a complaint at this site and be specific as to year, make, model, and component. If the government sees enough whining, they will, or might, look into it. Strength in numbers and all that. Dealerships are puppets. They can only remove and replace and call daddy (Diamler-Chrysler) for advice.
After poking my nose into this problem for the past several months, I have come to the conclusion that the steering gear and the track bar (4x4 only of course) are seriously undersized for the weight of the diesel engine. That’s probably nothing new to most of you. The problem I'm having is pitman shaft side play. I just measured this a week ago with a dial indicator and got . 008". To take up this slop requires about 20 to 30 degrees of steering wheel movement as measured with an angle finder on the center of the steering wheel. I also checked the thrust bearing adjustment on the input shaft and the over-center and off-center torque required to turn the input shaft. Everything was within spec here and actually toward the high side (16 to 17 in-lb over-center). Also, at 12,000 miles, that weak little Heim joint or rod end on the track bar has . 040" play. So now, I'm also dealing with drifting which is most noticeable at 50mph and up. I constantly have to keep correcting for the front end shifting around. The manual says that up to . 080" play is acceptable for the track bar joint. It probably is if you don't have to drive the truck. Take note that I have never been off-road since buying the truck new last February, and I'm afraid to now.
What has Chrysler done? The best I can determine is that they firmed up the valving on the steering gear which makes it harder to turn the wheel and give the feel of “tight” steering. It doesn’t work for me. Also, the service bulletin (TSB 19-10-97) advises making an over-center adjustment with the steering gear in the vehicle to tighten things up. Just crank it down 1/8 turn and see if this helps. But if you go too far it could bind or the wheel will not return to center after making a turn. It appears as if Chrysler is just avoiding the issue like putting a band-aid on a wound requiring stitches.
As a final comment, I make my living as a mechanical engineer. I have about 10 years experience in the business of designing industrial equipment, mechanisms, linkages etc. Not really any different in basic form from any steering system. If I ever designed something that performed this poorly, I would probably be looking to start a new career (translation: I would get fired). The only way to solve the steering issue on these trucks is for Chrysler to take a serious look at the design and fix it. They will lose money in the short term, but they will most likely have repeat customers in the long run. The TDR is a great place to share information and frustrations, but nothing is likely to happen unless a lot of us take some positive action. I only ask that everyone scream and shout (www.nhtsa.gov). If you have any comments or plan on taking action, please post a reply.
After poking my nose into this problem for the past several months, I have come to the conclusion that the steering gear and the track bar (4x4 only of course) are seriously undersized for the weight of the diesel engine. That’s probably nothing new to most of you. The problem I'm having is pitman shaft side play. I just measured this a week ago with a dial indicator and got . 008". To take up this slop requires about 20 to 30 degrees of steering wheel movement as measured with an angle finder on the center of the steering wheel. I also checked the thrust bearing adjustment on the input shaft and the over-center and off-center torque required to turn the input shaft. Everything was within spec here and actually toward the high side (16 to 17 in-lb over-center). Also, at 12,000 miles, that weak little Heim joint or rod end on the track bar has . 040" play. So now, I'm also dealing with drifting which is most noticeable at 50mph and up. I constantly have to keep correcting for the front end shifting around. The manual says that up to . 080" play is acceptable for the track bar joint. It probably is if you don't have to drive the truck. Take note that I have never been off-road since buying the truck new last February, and I'm afraid to now.
What has Chrysler done? The best I can determine is that they firmed up the valving on the steering gear which makes it harder to turn the wheel and give the feel of “tight” steering. It doesn’t work for me. Also, the service bulletin (TSB 19-10-97) advises making an over-center adjustment with the steering gear in the vehicle to tighten things up. Just crank it down 1/8 turn and see if this helps. But if you go too far it could bind or the wheel will not return to center after making a turn. It appears as if Chrysler is just avoiding the issue like putting a band-aid on a wound requiring stitches.
As a final comment, I make my living as a mechanical engineer. I have about 10 years experience in the business of designing industrial equipment, mechanisms, linkages etc. Not really any different in basic form from any steering system. If I ever designed something that performed this poorly, I would probably be looking to start a new career (translation: I would get fired). The only way to solve the steering issue on these trucks is for Chrysler to take a serious look at the design and fix it. They will lose money in the short term, but they will most likely have repeat customers in the long run. The TDR is a great place to share information and frustrations, but nothing is likely to happen unless a lot of us take some positive action. I only ask that everyone scream and shout (www.nhtsa.gov). If you have any comments or plan on taking action, please post a reply.
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my truck drove great after that! With the tight balljoints the wheels stuck , you had to constantly over correct the steering!
