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

[DBazley]

Waylan, are you asking me ?



If so, I didn't replace my column, it's the same one the truck came with. I know the part #'s vary by if you have auto/manual, tilt or non-tilt, but I can't say what they are exactly. (might vary by year, too ?)



I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe that Dodge has updated the column.



There was a post in this loooong thread [about halfway back ?] from a guy who had a crash recently, got a new column and it clunks already - that doesn't sound like an updated column, eh?



I do think the 3rd gen trucks have fixed this issue, though.



David Bazley

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

 

[walexa07]

David,



I apoligize... ... ... . I had a brain f**t... ..... I meant steering shaft. You stated that you replaced your borgeson with a factory shaft, and that the factory shaft was beefier than your original factory shaft... ... ... do you have a part number? Is the new factory shaft an improved version of the original, or did you order one for a later model truck that happened to bolt right up? Sorry for the confusion.



Waylan

 

[Willys]

Waylan, are you asking me ?



If so, I didn't replace my column, it's the same one the truck came with. I know the part #'s vary by if you have auto/manual, tilt or non-tilt, but I can't say what they are exactly. (might vary by year, too ?)



I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe that Dodge has updated the column.



There was a post in this loooong thread [about halfway back ?] from a guy who had a crash recently, got a new column and it clunks already - that doesn't sound like an updated column, eh?



I do think the 3rd gen trucks have fixed this issue, though.



David Bazley

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

David, I think walexa was referring to your steering shaft? I think somewhere further back in the thread you mentioned you'd replaced the original with a Borgeson, then the Borgeson with an upgraded OE because the Borgeson was too stiff? I'm curious about a part number and cost for this as well.



I have a definite clunk that is felt in my steering wheel(and sometimes brake pedal ) when I hit bumps/potholes at slower speeds. I can't feel much if any play at the lower column bearing, would removing the steering shaft make testing for play more accurate?(In other words, just HOW does one test this lower bearing to see for sure that it is the culprit?) I do have some slop in the slip joint of the steering shaft, so it could stand to be tighter, but I don't think that is the source of my clunk.



I like the solution of replacing the bearing with a nylon bushing, but I'm wondering how long this new part will last? (I'm guessing longer than the stock one by far :-laf ) Still, would it be best to have some sort of method of keeping it lubricated? Something as simple as a hole drilled into the side of the 'donut' so you can squirt a little spray lithium grease in on occasion? No offense meant to you and your design, just want to make sure I don't have to this again anytime soon. Hehe... I'm probably overthinking this. :-laf

 

[walexa07]

Willys,



Yes, you are correct... ..... I meant to refer to the steering shaft... ... . not column.



If you have the clunk... ..... I would put my hard-earned money on it being the bearing at the bottom of the column as the culprit. Mine has done it since I bought it used and I've had my front end checked out 4 times or more since I noticed it 60K ago. Everything has always been good... ... . ball joints, wheel bearings, all steering linkage, shock mounts... ... . no looseness anywhere.



So far as how long the nylon bushing will last... ... ... I don't think it's a matter of how long the bushing will last, but rather how long the steering shaft that goes through the center will last. I have an atv that uses steel pins that pivot inside a nylon bushing and the steel is what always wears out... ..... it took me probably 3 years to come to that conclusion... ... ... BUT, that was on a swingarm that saw lots of mud, grit, water, etc. I honestly don't think we will have problems with the bushing or steel shaft wearing... ..... at least I hope not.



Waylan

 

[Willys]

You're right, I have seen plastic(don't know if it was nylon) wear away aluminum and the hardened bolts holding the aluminum pieces together, so I could see the same happening here. I'm just overthinking it...



This truck('96 281k now) has had balljoints, front u-joints, tie rods, rotors, hub bearings, trac bar bushing and lukes link kit, and DSS added in the last 100k miles. The only other things I could expect to find play in are shocks, control arm bushings, pitman arm, steering gear, steering shaft, and column bushing. (Though I've considered installing a Thuren trac bar- thinking the clunking might be from the luke's link). It's funny, the '95 I bought recently with 221k miles, and worn ball joints, has tighter steering(with mostly original steering components) than my '96.

 

[DBazley]

Hi guys:



Waylan, oh you mean that ! Now I get it... . I simply went to Dodge parts, asked for the intermediate shaft, they gave me a superceeded (twice over) part # for my year, and my impression was that it looked re-designed and stronger than my original stocker (which had been tossed when I installed the Borgeson, so I can't do a direct comparison, sorry).



But, my Borgeson was stuck fast, and besides I suspected it was a large contributor to the 'clunk' manifesting. Of course guys with stock OEM shafts also have the clunk, but I noted on my extensive researching of thousands of posts & threads that quite a number reported having the 'clunk' get worse, after using the Borgeson.



That, coupled with the fact the new, apparently improved OEM shaft was available immediately at Dodge parts for about 1/2 cost of the Borgeson part, is why I chose to do so.



I believe the parts person looked up the #, and it was for all 2nd gens across the years, so the superseded part is a 'new' updated one for most / all Rams. $ 153. 00 - not too bad, I thought.



Hope that helps.



Willys,



Your description fits what I felt to a 'T'. Felt in steering wheel and pedals area. Makes sense, it's originating down low in the footwell / firewall area, hence vibrations felt there in your feet, and the telegraphing 'up the column' to the wheel.



[First the clunk I felt was at highway speeds over broken pavement joints, then later, sensitivity seemt to increase, to when stopping or starting and on every rough surface or dirt road it would 'clunk or rattle' repeatedly. Stopped driving for a month, thought the wheel was going to come off in my hands. ]



Grabbing the spring/lower column end and trying to move the mass of your truck using that as a 'handle' should reveal any play.



I wouldn't say mine had so much that I said "wow - that has to be it. " I did say, 'hum, I think that could be it' - So I proceeded on faith to pull the column - but a few others were certain that was it - SMorneau had located it with certainty, and employed an effective home brew fix, but most either suspected it and ignored it, or had the dealer replace the column multiple times @ $ 500 - 800 each, and with the same weakness - not a sane solution !



Durability - what Waylan shared about steel being worn by grit, not the Delrin is what I suspect is the case, from his ATV experience. It also makes sense that our columns have quite a bit more isolation from grit as they're underhood, high on the firewall.



No hey, no offense taken that's a good suggestion. The lube hole, and maybe a sealing boot of some sort, if required.



It will be good this winter, for us who drive in nasty conditions, to observe if crud makes it that high when splasing through mud puddles, etc. I don't see any evidence on my firewall that it does.



We make the bushing tight within a couple thousandths, so there is tiny gap where lube can be sprayed between the inner shaft & bushing. Plus the Delrin is self-lubricating.



The bearing surface area is now about 4x what the stock one was, and uniform to boot. Hence the tighter fit & improved road feel - the road forces aren't trying to balance on a tiny, thin undersized bearing with a forcing cone & spring trying - and failing in the long run - to keep everything aligned.



I appreciate your questions and suggestions, and hopefully this is of help to you in a practical sense.

 

[walexa07]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news... ..... but my bushing fell out. I'm not exactly sure when it happened..... I'll explain.



When I removed my borgeson to install the bushing, it would not telescope like it was supposed to... ... ..... so I beat the inner shaft out hit it with the angle grinder and the file... ... ... . and got it to slide pretty good with almost no slack. I called it good and decided to try it out at least until I could get another shaft... ... ... . so, when I put it all back together, there was a tiny amount of slack side to side, but the clunk was gone. It seemed to get progressively worse pretty quick and I thought the shaft was just developing slop... ... . WRONG!!! It was that my bushing had come out. Before I inspected the bushing, I took the truck in to the local tire shop and they checked the wheel bearings and ball joints..... everything was in great shape..... at this point, I assumed it had to be the steering shaft. 2 nights ago it got to bothering me so bad that I decided I had to have a look and I was astonished that it was just above the upper u-joint on the steering shaft. I got it started back in the hole, tapped it all the way back up in there, and then tried to pin it in by bending one side of the column tube using a hammer and long rod. I think it would be a great idea to use a collar with a set screw to keep that thing in there... ... ... I am going to try to find one today from the local bearing supply store.



Waylan

 

[CHornsby]

I'm still waiting on mine.



Ordered it a couple weeks ago. *sigh*

 

[DBazley]

Hi Waylan :



Hey sorry to hear the bushing 'fell out'. Obviously, it can't fall far (LOL), right ?



On some of the earlier ones, we had the clearances a bit on the small side. They fit fine in columns that were on the lower end of the OEM tolerances (mine for example... . ), but not on others.



Solution: we're now making them in a tapered, and slightly larger size. Waylan, I'll be happy to get you a larger one ASAP.



Look for a PM from me on this, ok ? We're not happy till you are as we said: "Satisfaction Guaranteed"



A locking collar is a sound idea, too, if your new upgrade bushing is slightly undersized for the column tube ID.



We're looking at options along those lines, too, so that every case is addressed. The larger, tapered fit bushings are fitting much more snugly.



CHornsby, thanks for your patience - yours goes out tomorrow -



Best Regards, David Bazley

 

[snake]

Just had the bushing installed yesterday by a local mechanic for less than $150. Took him 2 hrs to do it plus replace multi-function switch. Bushing was a press in with "fingers only", so he glued it and peened (dimpled) the outside sleeve with a round punch and hammer. Both of us were impressed with detailed instructions and clear photos you supplied. He said the bearing that Dodge uses may hold up in a child's roller skate or an electric razor. Clunk is gone, steering is precise, and the truck is now a pleasure to drive. Best $34. 50 I spent in a long time. Can't really factor in labor cost because it would be the same to install the $700 column that Dodge wants you to buy.

Do you remember the part number?

 

[CHornsby]

I was unaware they took so long to make. My appologies as I didn't mean to be rude. I recently changed mailing addresses. Do these go out USPS? If so, my mail is forwarded, but if not, there could be a delivery problem.

 

[DBazley]

I'll PM you the address to which it was sent so you can know. You also got a confirmation email at the ordering address you entered upon ordering the steering fix.



All are sent Priority Mail, which is forwardable.



Hope this helps.



David B.

 

[tshort]

Well got mine installed. No problems what-so-ever. Fit was tight. Steering takes two hands, but hopefully that will fix itself once a few miles get on it. No clunks, bumps, squeeks or anything else that I was hearing or feeling. Nice solid feel. Just hope the tightness in the steering smooths out a little. Easy install. Thanks for a great product , wish it had been released a few thousand dollars ago.

Ryan

 

[tshort]

Oh yeah, no problems with the Borgeson binding. Mine moved freely. I've had it for a couple years. I know others have had problems with theirs. I'm wondering if they left the boot that covers the expansion joint up?

 

[pcarlson]

Where can I get the best price on a new column? My bushing was so tight that it collapsed the column and now it won't shift. This will end up being a very expensive fix.

 

[ProspectorTim]

Uh-Oh!

I just got home, been working on mine all night; and I guess I've got the same problem. It won't shift! I didn't realize that "collapsing the column" was a possibility.
Somebody tell me how to FIX this without having to buy a new or used column.

 

[CHornsby]

Mine was a tight fit as well. It didn't go in all the way so I cut the spring down and installed it so that it would push on the bushing since I had to use the truck this weekend. I also installed the bushing while the column was still in the truck so I couldn't get any leverage on it at all.



Overall, with the bushing not seated all the way, my steering is quite a bit better. Didn't have the "clunk" to begin with, but can still tell a difference.

 

[DBazley]

Hey auto trans guys, as the above posts strongly imply, the bushing fix is to be lightly tapped in, not hammered in with significant force.



I just spoke with Matthew T. who mentioned that he used a bit much force, and it didn't damage his column, but it did 'push in' the internal collar to which the shift lever is attached, and he didn't notice it until re-installation (then the shift lever was conflicting with the dash bezel).



His solution was to tap it back out into proper alignment (which would be away from the firewall / steering wheel end).



I confess that I never forsaw this issue, as the auto trans trucks I've done didn't exhibit this tendancy- not sure why.



To PCarlson & Prospector Tim: I'll PM you this post, and in the event you need a 'looser' bushing**, I'll get you one ASAP.



But, try the thing Matthew discovered - the inner shift collar / column can apparently be moved back & forth within the outer column tube, just as it moved in as you tapped the bushing in, so just tapping it out (as Matthew T did) should get things back into alignment. Please repost here your results, will you ?



One more thing, did you guys remove the column ?



Reason I ask is the guys who do the column fix 'on the truck' haven't reported this issue.



Probably because they can't get that much force on the column when it's in the awkward position on the truck.



To really 'hammer it' seems to require it be out of the truck in front of you.



Please PM me or call the number on the instructions for any further discussion, OK ?



Thanks David B.



** to make it looser, try this:



Some emery cloth or light sandpaper, on the inner shaft to take off any debris or roughness, will add a bit of clearance, and you can spray lubricant WD 40 or similar into the joint where the bushing & inner shaft meet - have a person turn the wheel back & forth while you do so.



I admit this is a challenge - I could size things 'looser' but then you'd have a possbility of clunk or some remaining steering imprecision which we're trying to eliminate.



I do appreciate the feeback - this fix is certainly 'evolving' as we ALL learn more about the whys and wherefores of our beloved (& admittedly frustrating) Ram trucks.



I'll amend the instuctions immediately about this issue.



Take Care,



David Bazley

 

[ProspectorTim]

I didn't remove the column. There wasn't much room to swing a hammer, so I used a steel body-dolly to pound it in - kinda like a caveman with a big rock. I did have to hit it pretty hard to get it in.

Is this the "toe plate" that moves in & out of the main steering column? I can wiggle and push mine all the way up to the steering column, or out as far as the shifter rod (still attached) will let it go; probably 4-6 inches. I also found a piece of white plastic laying inside the collapsable part of the column. I sure wish I had my camera with me when I was working on it last night. The truck is in my shop, about 5 miles from home.

Before I quit this morning, I did remove the lower dash panel and loosen the column but did not disconnect the wires or try to remove it - I just wanted a better look at what I'm dealing with.

FWIW - I spent some time reading the instructions, and refering to my shop manual. *I believe* that a lot of the steps to R&R the column are intended for replacing the steering column with a new column. I don't see why you would need to remove the steering wheel, air bag, tilt lever, ignition switch, clock spring, etc just to remove and replace the SAME steering column. You sould be able to just disconnect the wiring and the PRNDL cable and be good to go.

 

[DBazley]

Ok good to hear your report.



Couple a thoughts: One, the toe plate is not in question for the guys who thought they damaged their column (I don't think so, and I hope they discover they didn't).



They're referring, I believe (if I had an auto truck I'd take it apart right now to confirm this to be the case), the fact that the 'inner column', which has the shift collar that attaches to the shift linkage, apparently can slide 'within' the column's outer tube / shell. (It is within the end of this 'inner column' that the new bushing fits... . )



If one hammers the bushing in with over-much force, this 'innner column' piece can move inward, thus changing the relationship of the shifting mechanism / collar to the column outer shell, and the dash / firewall as well.



The key must be to use 'gentle tapping' so not to move this inner column piece, which stands to reason, is moving 'towards' the steering wheel end as the new bushing is hammered in forcefully.



Don't do this ! But, one fellow already told me he did, and he fixed it by just 'tapping it back out' the other way. No harm done, just put it back the way you find it, as regards this aspect of the procedure.



Tim, on your FWIW, those instructions were exactly the factory procedure, and you're right (as I wrote in the provided instructions), you dont' need to folllow every 'jot & tiddle', of their overall procedure. For example, the steering wheel & airbag stay on, just pull it with them in place. Make sense ?



thanks, David



PS: another item of note: check the fit on the inner shaft as best as you can before tapping the new bushing into place. Your inner shaft may have old grease/ dirt / debris that can be removed by sanding lightly with emery cloth, then lubricating with WD-40 where the inner steering shaft rotates within the new bushing. This will help ease break in, so steering is not too tight.