2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Steering Wheel Clunk / Rattle : Solved With Column Bushing Fix !

[2Farr]

Oo. . Just put one on the old Dodge last weekend. 2 hours easy job. The truck has over 168K on the clock and now it drives, well better than I can remember.

 

[JustDave]

Excellent Upgrade

Just installed the Rock Solid Ram Steering column bushing in my 1996 2wd. It completely eliminated the excessive over center play in my steering wheel. Steering is now very accurate and tight. Easy installation as well. I'm very pleased and highly recommend this product.

 

[qreiff]

Still waiting for my bushing kit. I hear you need to be patient. Can't wait to get it installed as my truck (240+K) needs some attention in this area.

 

[Boondocker]

Here's to resurrecting an old thread. I got my bushing kit a couple of years ago, early in the deal. I figured it was pre-emptive, like the DSS and 3rd Gen trackbar I installed. I didn't have the symptoms that the bushing is supposed to cure, and I didn't feel like pulling out my steering column.



Now that my truck is 10 years old, has 109,000 miles, and the steering is pretty sloppy, I'm doing all those steering fix/parts replacement things. So I finally installed this bushing.



The hardest part of the job was getting the plastic lower kick panel off. I've installed a multitude of crap there over years. Anyway, when I got the original bushing out, it was just fine, so I didn't expect much improvement. BTW, the whole job took about 2 hours. Good thing I put it off for 2 years.



As expected, due to the good condition of my stock bushing, there was no real improvement of the steering wander I experience. The column is a little tighter, which is probably OK. This is not a condemnation of DBazley's product. It fixes a real problem, if you have that problem, which I didn't. So now I'm off to swap out the stock "Y" tie rod system for the old style, heavy duty "T" style. After that, ball joints and control arms will be the only things left.



Cheers,

Boondocker



P. S. I don't have any kind of retainer, so I'll probably just put a hose clamp on the shaft "behind" the bushing. It's pretty snug so I doubt it would fall out. Fit perfectly, by the way.

 

[MMoyle]

Hi All,

I have had the the rock solid steering bushing installed on my 02 for almost 2 years. At first it fixed my steering "clunk" and appear to work fine. I did notice some tightness in the steering, but I figured it would go away after a while. As this thread mentions, temperature changes can cause the bushing to expand or contract and make the steering so tight that it is a chore to drive. Since most of my trips with the truck are not long ones, I decided to stick it out in hopes that it would get better.

Well, after a long trip this week in the truck in very hot weather (93+ degrees and humid) the steering was so tight that steering the truck was a major pain (especially on a long trip). I am looking for solutions to this issue and would like to hear from you guys and your experience. I could be convienenced to try and "repair" or modify the rock solid bushing that is already installed or put the original components back in place.

Do you guys have any suggestions? If I wanted to put the original spring and bearing back in place, where can I purchase that from?

Thanks
Mike

 

[harrisonm3]

Read every post and ordered the part.

The play seems to be originating closer to the steering gear. My spring feels solid.

Stock components are recently replaced / solid. I do have a clunk.

97 Auto 190k Miles

veggiescout.org

 

[WWillisJr]

I recently ordered one of these Delrin bushings for my 2001. 5 2500 4x4 with auto transmission & 133K miles. I removed the steering column, since I was chasing some wiring & electrical problems anyway. It was easier to do than I thought. Once removed, the stock spring & bearing were removed, and I spent extra time cleaning up the steering shaft as thoroughly as I possibly could, as deep into the shroud as I could reach. I lightly sanded the inside of the bushing so I could get an easy fit; with a little WD-40 the bushing slipped into place completely by hand... this should give me a little room for heat expansion during the hot summer months here in the desert. I installed the retaining clip to keep the bushing in place, as I could rotate it on the steering shaft by hand once in place.

Since then, the steering is like new! Last weekend I took it out to Death Valley to enjoy the warm temperatures, and didn't notice any unintended side effects. I'll know more in May & June as to how any expansion might cause steering bind, but so far, so good! What an outstanding, easy upgrade!! Thanks David!

 

[tamaracram2500]

I, Im new here, 8 years after the most recent post. Does this part exist for sale for an '01 2500 quad cab with auto trans? iv egot that clunking and steering issues Im trying to fix. All ball joints have been done, new tires, and still cant get it aligned. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[wlowe]

I, Im new here, 8 years after the most recent post. Does this part exist for sale for an '01 2500 quad cab with auto trans? iv egot that clunking and steering issues Im trying to fix. All ball joints have been done, new tires, and still cant get it aligned. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

I have a 2001 Ram like you. Shortly after purchasing my truck in 2002 I started feeling a clunk in the steering wheel. Long story short, Dodge replaced my steering column under warranty, saying there was a bad bearing in the column. Afterwards I started seeing more and more posts of guys with the same issue so I started spraying silicon up into the column from inside the engine sompartment, (where it goes into the firewall). I have about 85,000 miles on it now with no clunking problems, but I still purchased one of these Delrin Bushings just in case I start having problems. So to answer your original question, yes these will work with your 2001 Ram with auto trans. Here is a link to their website if you need to ask anymore questions:

http://www.rocksolidramtrucksteering.com/

In regards to your problems with alignment not sure what to tell you but you should find lots of info with a search, good luck.

 

[tamaracram2500]

Hey wlowe,

thank you for taking the time to get back to me. I really appreciate your help. I will be ordering one of these bushings post haste. I will keep everyone updated. Time to get this tired old queen back in shape.

 

[MMoyle]

I had the same issue on my truck a few years back and I used one of these bushings to address the problem. While it did address the clunking problem, I could never get the steering loose enough (but not to loose) so that it was comfortable driving. It was to tight for my liking so I ended up replacing the steering column and have been fine ever since. I hope you have better luck than I did.

Mike

 

[tamaracram2500]

Hello,

Im new here and still learning my way around here. I had the same problems and solved them with the "rocksolidramsteeringbushing.com

I am NO mechanic and this bushing replacement was pretty easy and what a difference it makes!! No more death wobble and wandering all over the road.

What a great replacement for an OEM piece of spit.

 

[Treetopflyer]

This is a quote of my email to Dave Alan dated 01MAR14:
" Dave, I just wanted you to know that my installation went well and I couldn't be happier with the results...Clunk: GONE, Wander: GONE...truck finally steers as if I weren't drunk (and I don't drink). For others looking for similar results this is really a no-brainer. I do highly recommend a dremel style cut-off tool, it's small size made it easy to get into the tight space of my 1995 (that year has vacuum brakes and the booster takes up a lot of room). I ended up cutting OEM spring because I couldn't the factory retainer to release and had no room to get a hammer and chisel in there. As far as installing your new bearing, it went as per instructions...I tapped it in 60%, checked for binding...tapped it another 1/8th inch, checked for binding and repeated until I detected slight binding. I probably have 1 inch protruding and then I clamped it.
As a note, I changed the steering box at the same time because the internal valve had failed and was causing the steering wheel to "motor" to the left inducing a pull. I jacked the front end up so both wheels were off the ground, secured the steering wheel with a ratchet strap to the seat bracket (I did have to rotate the steering 90 degrees so the I would have a straight shot at the coupler bolt) and made a note as to which way to turn the wheel to get back to center so as not to ruin the "clock spring".
I hope this feedback helps and feel free to post it where it will do the most good."

Now for my TDR brothers & sisters: I did not sand the bearing I.D. to reduce the turning effort, in my case it is very slight and not annoying. If this bearing does wear I can still drive it deeper into the column to tighten it up if needed. I also had a question about the provided instruction photos and what came in my package. I actually reached Dave by phone and he explain that he upgraded the kit to include a reusable clamp (nylon) as opposed to the original on-time-only / P-nut style retainer (stamped metal) that is in the photo. Dave also recommended using a light machine oil vs. grease to alleviate potential cold weather issues. As stated in the above email I also replaced my steering box...at 262,000 miles it had some issues that were demonstrated by my alignment shop. I researched the various steering box offerings and went with "RED HEAD" as a replacement. I have a little over 500 miles on the new box and bearing and have a much happier commute (50 mi. round trip @ 55-65mph)...I'll keep you posted as things "wear in" and advise if I'm still satisfied.