Steering problems

[GReynolds]

My son has a '91 4x4. Somehow his steering began steering WAY more to the right than to the left. I tried to reposition the pittman arm on the steering box, but it only goes on one way. I noticed a significant "bend" in the upwards direction on the linkage connected to the pittman arm. Can anyone tell me if this bend belongs there or if the linkage is essentially straight? I'm thinking that this linkage is the source of his troubles.

 

[MEby]

I dont know about the bend in the linkage, but have you checked front end alignment recently? That could be the source of your problem.



Edit.

Reread the post, did you mean it will turn sharper one way than the other?

 

[Philip]

Check the mounting plate for the steering box. See if it is broken. This is a noted problem on the 1st gen 4x4's. The plate is Dodge only. It runs around $20 or so.



The link your asking about does have a bend in it from the factory.



Check the stop bolts on the knuckles. See if one has come loose and screwed itself out. This would cause a short turn in one direction.

 

[GReynolds]

Yeah, it turns much sharper to the left, and to the right it does not turn very sharp at all, much less than it is supposed to.

 

[GReynolds]

The mounting plate is fine. Everything seems tight. The linkage has two bends. One near where it mounts to the left wheel, and one near the middle that goes straight up.

 

[Leper]

It can be several things. A failing gearbox can create that problem as well as a pump going bad. A rag joint can even show some of the same characteristics. If it is a D60 axle, kingpin problems can cause alot of friction and make the same problem. I have even seen a bent steering stabilizer put a hard spot in the steering. There shouldnt be a significant bend in the draglink.



You are correct on the 4x4 pitman arm only going on one way. The splined ones from the 2wd boxes have 4 index points in them(if you need that info in the future).



If you know how to work on your truck safely... .

What you need to do is:

Lift the front of the truck off of the ground and get it on some beefy jackstands and block the wheels and set the e-brake and all the other safety items. With the truck not running, turn the wheel from one side to the other, full lock. Is it the same? Check balljoints and TREs. Check the kingpins,if so equipped. Double check the frame for cracks. Look to see if the knuckles are hitting the bump stops. Remove the pitman arm and move the wheels from side to side and see if they hit the bumpstops now.