Steering Problem Dodge won"t fix

[BILLYGEE]

I tried searching the forums but get no results. I have 17000 mi on my 2001. 5 2500 4x4 qc auto and I've had steering play since 2500 miles. Took it to selling dealer then was told everything's normal, that's the way they drive. BS. Took it to different dealer where I bought my 98. 5 3500 (who did fix steering problems twice with all new front-end and steering box parts) at 14000 miles and they had a different mechanic? (from the one who diagnozed and fixed 98. 5) look at it and couldn't find anything wrong with it. BS. Well I'm going to try once more at the selling dealer and if I get the same song and dance I want to know what I have to do to try and get DC to buy this pos back. I just drove up north an back several times this past week and I almost developed carpeltunnel fighting this thing in normal driving. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Bill

 

[AKDrifter]

Billy, I hear ya on the zero help from Dodge thing. I spent $1,500 of my own and 3,000 mi. over the course of 7 months to get my right pull fixed. BS is right, where's the dozen rotten eggs? Warranties are BS! Find a private party to fix it, from a safey standpoint it's worth it.

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Check out this TSB (technical service bulletin) that indicates it applies through 2001 trucks regarding steering wander.



http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/tsb/1997/19-10-97/19_10_97.htm

 

[Fireman Dave]

Billy,



I had a lot of excessive play and wander in mine at first. It took a new track bar and a new steering box to fix it. These were done before I hit 4,000 miles. They know the boxes are a problem - my service manager told me that from the first time he drove it. He replaced the track bar and aligned it first, then ended up replacing the box to finally get it fixed. My steering wheel also wouldn't return to center on it's own before I had these parts replaced. Air pressure also plays a part in wander - too much air in the front makes mine wander at times. Don't believe them when they say it's normal. There's nothing normal about constantly steering back and forth to keep it between the ditches.



Hey, are you still interested in our local meetings? I haven't heard from you in a long time - has your email changed?



Dave

 

[johnrv4]

I adjusted my steering gearbox as mentioned in the TSB posted by Kurt. In my '98, the bearing preload was way too loose. Adjusting it made a BIG improvement in the way it steered. My '01. 5 seems to be fine(so far).

 

[RIVRUNR]

Just got back from a 200 mile drive on icy and snowpacked I-70 from vail to denver and back, whiteknuckled it most of the way due to a lack of road feel in the steering wheel. Felt like the front end was loose and the steering wheel was tight, had very little "FEEL" of the road. Stopped by my dealer on the way back and discribed the problem, I was told that i was not the first to discribe this steering problem, and dodge has yet to come out with cure. I've made this same trip 100's of times, this one was far from fun.

 

[Pit Bull]

It's funny about the steering, sometimes right after I first bought it and I drove the beast it felt like I had to keep adjusting to keep it going straight. Other times it seemed to be perfect. I have now owned it for 2 months and driven it on several 300 mile trips and it seems to be fine 98% of the time. The steering on mine seems to be very touchy and like I had to learn how to drive it. I know that before I ever drove my truck and bought it the dealer had installed a new track bar and had it alligned. I drove several 1 ton 4x4's before I bought mine and I know what you are saying about some being really bad. I drove one that was scary to drive and it was a new truck. I drove another that felt solid and not that touchy. With my truck I now think it is me when I am having the "keeping it straight problem" since 98% of the time it is not a problem. Before I bought the 1 ton I was use to driving a Toyota Landcruiser 4x4 with solid front and rear axles and a Toyota Tundra 1/2 ton with independent front suspenion. I use to think that the Landcruiser was hard to drive compared to the Tundra. Now I think it is a lot of getting use to the vehicle. Don't get me wrong I think there are some out there that are messed up, but I think you know it the minute you drive it, and it does not get better. Have any of you experenced the 98% of the time it is fine and then 2% of the time it is real touchy? Or do you agree that it is just getting use to the vehicle?

 

[Chris N5CWM]

I noticed the same thing

My 2001. 5 2500 drives OK, but my wife swears it

pulls to the right. It does on some roads but I

think it is sensitive to the crown in the road.

My previos Ram was a 2001 3500 and it drove great

compared to the 2500 I now have, but it is not

so bad that I am going to take it in to the dealer

anytime soon. Tire wear is fine, and I am going to

let out 5 PSI of air in each front tire to see if

what little wander I have goes away.



-Chris

 

[Fireman Dave]

98/2

I think I know what you mean about the 98% ok thing, D. My theory on that is that the 2% of the time it's questionable may be due to tire temperature fluctiuation. If the pressure in my fronts is off, I do notice it in the steering. If I have too much air in the fronts, it doesn't steer as well. Some days it's really great, and once in awhile it's a little sloppy - without any pressure change. That's what brings me to the temp. idea. As everyone knows, the hotter/colder the tire, the more the pressure changes. So maybe there is some relation to poor steering. Then again, maybe I'm all wet.

 

[Pit Bull]

Re: 98/2

Originally posted by Fireman Dave

I think I know what you mean about the 98% ok thing, D. My theory on that is that the 2% of the time it's questionable may be due to tire temperature fluctiuation. If the pressure in my fronts is off, I do notice it in the steering. If I have too much air in the fronts, it doesn't steer as well. Some days it's really great, and once in awhile it's a little sloppy - without any pressure change. That's what brings me to the temp. idea. As everyone knows, the hotter/colder the tire, the more the pressure changes. So maybe there is some relation to poor steering. Then again, maybe I'm all wet.

I run 65 lbs in the fronts, what do you guys run?

 

[K_Arts]

The wifes 2001 seems to be pretty good... . boy is her steering tight compared to my 2000.



I've also noticed after 24000 miles on my truck that when I press the brakes kinda hard the truck has started pulling the right hand side. Do you think it could have anything to do with how loost my steering seems to be? What I mean by loose is that in order to turn my wifes truck you literally have to be holding the steering wheel, where as my truck, you can turn it with one finger on the steering wheel. Is this normal?



Thanks



Kev

 

[Tomscreek]

me too

I know my truck doesn't steer good, never did, but I think I'm just used to it now. Don't know if I should complain to the dealer or what. I took it in once and they put a new steering gear in and it seemed a little bettter for a while. My truck really follows any deviation in the road. If the road has a pronounced crown then it really pulls to the right. On older paved secondary roads it's all over the place, back and forth. I have 26,000 miles on it. I'll probably take it into the dealer one more time. Can this really be fixed?

 

[roadranger]

There are posts in the past that said there IS a cure for the wandering. DC does not plug in enough camber in their specs, and sometimes the trucks are built with improper camber settings. The guys who've had their trucks realigned at independent shops, and dial in 5*> camber have no further problems with wander.

Think of a motorcycle front fork angle- the more upright it is, the harder to keep in a straight line,- the more angle forward on it, it seeks to return to center stronger.



Course, the steering box has to have nothing loose in it, too.

 

[mediccummin]

TOOK 1 YEAR

I just recently completed a year long battle with my dealer on steering issues. I'm not happy with dodge at all as you all have probably noticed. They did not replace the steering box but they did adjust it. It took 6 alignments, adjustable ball joints from Ingle products, 4 wheel alignment due to dog tracking real bad. The dealer only alignes the truck within specs they don't care wether it steers straight or not, at least that what my dealer does. Each time I took it in for these problems they did'nt drive it after to see how it steered. Eventually after I got the adjustable ball joints put in I took it to a real alignment shop and had it done correctly. The mech told me the dealer had it all out of wack. Now the truck handles like it should, no wonder, steers straight, I can let go of wheel with no wonder, tracks well, decent tire wear so far. Well anyway that is enough from me again. Good luck

? Does your truck pull to the right or left, if it does you might need the adjustable ball joints, this is what eventually fixed mine... ... ...

 

[Pit Bull]

Mine does not pull it just sometimes feels very sensitive, so you feel like you are steering it down the road?? Other times I just hold it with one hand and it is solid and straight. It seems like it should alway act one way or another. Nothing is different, can even happen on the same trip. Any ideas??

 

[Fireman Dave]

I usually run 45-50 in the fronts. More when towing. I try to go by the tire pressure sheet that came with my owner's manual. I find those pressures to work well for me.

 

[Ron Bissett]

One more time

Posting a short one this time same answer take your truck to the shop that do the heavy trucks fire ,garbage motor home, Bus , Simi tractors in your City see if DC will foot the Bill for the alignment , My 99 3500 cost 58$ and was a cure See my old posts , try it youl like it. Hope this helps No more wander in LOUISVILLE . Ron in Louisville

 

[mpjmpj]

Still wandering

Ok folks,



Since new a year ago, I have had a new steering box, intermediate shaft, track bar and a ball joint all replaced along with alignments and four trips to the dealer (2 different ones). I had a friend adjust the box, this solved the excessive play in the new box but the wander persists.



Dodge has said that there is no "abnormal" conditions to the way it drives and refuses to do the TSB repair (19-10-97) on it saying that it works on some trucks and not others! The dealer said he would split the cost ($125 each) to keep me happy. DC says that the TSB doesn't apply to my 2001. 5 (the note was an add-on apparently).



I don't know what to do. I shouldn't have to spend any more money on this truck for this problem! i had to pay the $50 deductible plus a diagnosis charge for the second dealer to look at this problem. Maybe a class-action is in order??



Now I have 47k on the truck and I think the track bar is shot again. The joint at the frame moves up and down when the wheel is turned back and forth.

 

[Dave Fleming]

Ayup, 1995 Heche en Mexico 3500 Club Cab SLT.

Never steered right, In My Opinionated Unexpert Opinion, that is.

2 Track bars within warranty and extended warranty period. Supposed Wheel Alignments, done by out side shop as dealer/s did not have equipment for 3500's yet or so they said.

Finally out of all warrenties and into National Spring here in San Diego. They do big rigs, motorhomes you name it.

Wheel alignment 'was' to factory specs but according to mechanic not good enough for the real world. So another wheel alignment, Lukes Link, Borgenson intermediate steering shaft, steering box adjustment,Bilstein shocks, Michelin XPS LT 215/85R16's and it rides like a dream. I cannot describe adequately just how good it feels to drive the truck and feel confident that it will go just where I wish it to, without wandering all over the damn road. Oh a nice Brake Job by National Brake( family related to National Spring) helped too!

As I have said before I am resigned to looking at this truck, supposed to last me for a long time, as a project in progress. My previous ride was a 1962 D-100 Camper Special with untold thousands of miles on it. Mechanically it was sound but the body was shot. Being near salt water all of its life didn't help that much. But reliable as hell right from the get go, Not like this truck, thats for sure.