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

[pcarlson]

I greased the bushing inner hole, the steering rod and WD-40 to the column and outer bushing.



I didn't beat the bushing with a sledge or anything. Just the pvc and a small hammer. From what I can tell the shaft was collapsing as the bushing was going in. Remember this is only held up by some metal punches around the toe kick any force could pop these and the column will collapse (look where the mesh surrounds the toe kick).



The little white plastic that ProspectorTim was talking about I had broken as well. I have been playing with the column, tapped it back out and no shift. If I wiggle the wheel the shift fulcrum moves with it. When I move the shift lever I can watch the inner column move about 3/4 the way up and then it stops moving, hence the white plastic, as I can see where this might have been used to lock the shafts and allow the shift. I cannot even get the bushing out.



My column is dead, I spent $930 on a new one today and should get it tomorrow. I doubt I will do this bushing replacement twice. One pricey bearing replacement.

 

[ProspectorTim]

... I spent $930 on a new one today and should get it tomorrow...

Ouch!
I'll be pulling mine out and trying REAL HARD to repair it; but I doubt I'll get much done this week. I work an overnight shift, and this week it is too dang HOT to work on the truck in the afternoons. Oh yeah, now I need to FIND that piece of plastic. It's gotta be there somewhere, but I think it was just camera-shy today so I couldn't find it.

If you stop to think about it though, your steering column was "broke" before you started. The bushing could have SAVED you $900 if all had went well. As is, you are out half-the-price-of-a-tank-of-diesel and just learned (more than you wanted to know) all about the steering column. When you are done, the truck should drive better, no "clunk" - for at least a couple of years before the factory setup fails again.

Hang onto that bushing; next time you install it, you start out "experienced".

 

[ProspectorTim]

Here are the photos I took this evening:

"inner column"? extended
"inner column" pushed back up

Under the dash. What is with this gap?

Another view

 

[CHornsby]

I don't have an auto, so I don't have to worry about this problem. However, since I did my install "in truck" I couldn't get any leverage at all and the bushing is no where near seating itself against the "lip" of the bushing.



My shaft and ID of the hole the bushing goes into were all lubed up quite well.

 

[DBazley]

Back to you on column fix ideas

Ok, a few thoughts and reflections:



First, it's not necessary for the bushing 'lip' to go completely 'up' to contact the column tube. We kind of tapered the bushing so as to come to a point of a tight fit. This is necessary because of minor variations among column tolerances.



Unfortunately, neither the column outer tube or the inner shaft are 'precision made' - they're roll formed to a certain minimum tolerance, about . 005 - . 020 thousandths by my estimate, quite a wide range. A bushing that is tight on my truck, might fall out of yours. (This is exactly the case, in fact... )



This poses a challenge - how do we design a new bushing to make a precison fit (to eliminate the most slop to rid both the clunk and imprecision) and one that will fit most all trucks ?



Our answer now is to make a 'stepped' taper so that it can fit the range of column tolerances. At first, we had some too loose, so we enlarged it, but kept a smaller beginning dimension.



It should fit at least 75 % of the depth of the bushing or more up into your column, or call / email us and we'll provide a smaller

one.



CHornsby, does yours fit up in that much ? If not PM me here, or contact me via:



www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com



Tim, thanks for the pics. I think your gap is at the point where the outer column tube pierces the 'toe plate', correct ?



Do you sense any column 'wiggle' before you did the column rebuild ?



I recall a TSB on a loose fitting toe plate with too much clearance that caused the entire column to wiggle within the toe plate. The TSB has a retrofit toe plate that is tighter, and goes over the exisitng one. Perhaps this is your issue ?



http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1997/19-13-97.htm



PCarlson, sorry to hear of your column issues !

It sounds like you did every thing right in your approach... . hitting softly, not hard, etc.



I confess to not fully picturing exactly what you've described.



As I said before if I had an auto truck I'd go examine/disassemble it to understand more.



But judging from the one auto I've done, which was straightforward & trouble free, (plus how my column is constructed - essentially similar to yours) - do I understand correctly that the 'punched hole / mesh tube' portion has come loose from the column part above it ?



I can kind of see how this could happen. On mine, I noted as you said, it was just secured by some very weak looking spot welds and a couple of punched areas. Not very strong looking indeed.



I suspect this is because of the 'collapse in case of collison' safety design. Flimsy from the start.



Nice if you crash, lousy if durability & column precision is a goal !



If I understand correctly, (please correct me if not... ) was there no way to re-attach this lower punched collapsing portion from where it came loose ?



I'm thinking on mine if this happened I would try to reweld it or use self tapping screws secured by epoxy, etc.



Admittedly, the column on the auto trucks has a bit more 'going on' as it isn't just simple tube, as the manual trucks have, but a rotating 'shift tube/ collar' within the outer tube.



Any pics you can provide would shed light and be much appreciated... ...



Thanks, David Bazley

 

[ProspectorTim]

DBazley,
That TSB is for 94-97 trucks built before 12/31/06. Mine is a 1999.

I agree that the way it is constructed is probably a safety "feature" to allow the column to collapse in an accident. That said, I would go easy on the repair; I won't make it too strong. Once I have it out of the truck to take a better look at it, I'll decide how I want to repair it. When working on "non-servicable" parts that are meant to replaced you just have to be more creative.

I'm thinking this may be another application for JB Weld, a sheet metal screw, or maybe a soft steel pin - kind of like an outboard motor's propeller "shear pin".
... Or even a cotter-pin. Hmmmm

Bear in mind that *this ONLY affects the shifter.
If the repair is too weak and fails, it is not going to cause an accident. Just drive back to the shop and do it better. #ad


*this - I'm talking about the the repair to the automatic shifter column, NOT the steering column bushing!

 

[DBazley]

Tim, on the TSB, I wasn't sure on your year - thought it might have some applicability, perhaps.



Amen on the 'non-serviceable parts' REQUIRING creativity.



Your excellent observation covers this whole column rebuild issue, really . The only reason I even started this was because I was aghast at Dodge Parts demanding $ 750 for a new (defective) column !!



How could we do worse than that on our own ?



But your suggestions have merit because it's possible if a repair is done in a workmanlike way to avoid the cost of a new column, perhaps using the trusty JB weld & screws.



I'd sure like a picture from PCarlson to see what has broken, if he can provide such.



Maybe you can help Tim.



Do you think he's describing the outer column tube coming loose from it's upper part, or the inner tube (into which our new bushing fits) coming loose from it's internal connection to the outer column tube ?



This is what I am not clear on... ...



Best Regards, David B.

 

[ProspectorTim]

... How could we do worse than that on our own ?...

I think PCarlson found a way (to do worse) LOL.

Seriously though, $930 ain't funny, and I sure wish he and I could have got together and sorted this out before he blew his "bombing budget" on it. I'm *sure* it can be fixed, I just need to get mine out of the truck and figure it out. Did I mention it is HOT here?

Lucky for me, I'm blessed with a work-at-home job, and my wife drives her Subaru to work. My truck can wait until it is convenient for me to work on it. My guess is that PCarlson (and many others) don't have that option. When it is broke, it needs to be fixed NOW.

 

[ProspectorTim]

I fixed mine tonight.
One strategically placed pop-rivet. $0. 00

I took the column out of the truck, studied it, analyzed it, photographed it, and fixed it. And drove it home.

I'll post photos and details later.

 

[ProspectorTim]

I fixed mine tonight.
One strategically placed pop-rivet. $0. 00

I took the column out of the truck, studied it, analyzed it, photographed it, and fixed it. And drove it home. #ad


I'll post photos and details later.

Here goes...
Note, these pics are LARGE and will take time to download if you are on dialup, so I'm just posting the hyperlinks to my website. D/L one at a time if you need to.

1 Steering column out, laying on the tailgate. I have the lower part of the shifter tube slid out some to highlight the problem. Note the ROUND HOLE on the lower left side of the main column, just above the toe-plate. This is important.

2 Lower part of the shifter tube, removed from the column. Note the bigger HOLE facing the camera, and the slits in the tube near the right end. These are important too.

3, 4 The HOLES, all lined up... When you have the hole in the steering column, the hole in the lower shifter tube, *and* the smaller hole in the steering shaft all lined up, *and* the shifter is in "Park", everything is in the RIGHT place. I didn't find this documented anyplace, since steering columns are normally replaced, not repaired.

5 A screwdriver can be used to lock everything in place while you work, and prevents the steering wheel from turning while you work.

6, 7 With the shifter tube out and holding it so the holes are at the same level, you can see how "deep" it goes into the column.

8 Looking thru the slots in the steering column with the lower (outer) shifter tube removed, you can see a keyhole-shaped indentation in the upper (inner) shifter tube. THIS is where the little pieces of plastic go (one on each side).
When I took this photo, I had lost one piece of plastic, and was still unaware that there was another one. I proceded to repair the column *without* the plastic pieces.


Refering to photo 7 to determine where I wanted to drill the hole, I picked a spot above the "collapsable" part of the column, but not beyond the end of the lower shifter tube. I drilled a 7/16 hole through the steering column 9 and let the drill "mark" the shifter tube 10. Then I used a smaller bit to drill a hole through both sections (upper and lower) of the shifter tube 11, 12, being careful NOT to drill into the steering shaft.

I used a short pop-rivet and put it in with my pop-riveter.

The completed repair ... or so I thought.

Note to self . . make SURE the shifter is in Park before you drill.
I had to drill out the first rivet and re-do it with the shifter in Park.

The installation went great. I didn't even need to adjust the shift linkage or the PRNDL cable. Those alignment holes are good as magic. #ad


The initial test drive and first few miles were un-eventful, the steering was tight and smooth; and as others have reported, a little bit stiff. However, a couple of days later a new problem popped up. It went beyond "stiff", to the point that when I turned the wheel it also moved the shift lever. I had to hole the shift lever to keep it from putting the truck in neutral every time I turned left. Back to the shop... thinking about it on the way.

It didn't take long to take the column out this time. I'm *experienced* at it now. #ad
I didn't see anything obvious, but speculated that maybe when I drilled out that first rivet a piece may have fallen down into the tube and waited for a good time to wedge itself between the shifter tube and the steering shaft or steering column. I drilled out the rivet and took it apart, shook it and blew it out with the air hose. This is about the time that the second piece of plastic showed up too. Maybe, with one piece of plastic already missing, the second piece was loose enough to slide into a position to jam the shifter? Maybe it was pieces of rivet that caused the problem? No way of knowing for sure #ad


Anyway, we cleaned it out real good, and used that plastic piece as a template to try to cut out another one from one of those plastic clips for hanging Chrismas lights from the eaves of the house. My buddy that was helping me was having problems getting the home-made piece to fit, so he cut off the round part of the "keyhole" shape. He still couldn't get it to go in. #ad
We figured out later that that round part was designed to keep the plastic piece from sliding out of the slot when you slide the outter tube over it. We DID manage to get the factory plastic piece in place, but gave up on the home-made one. Instead, we filled the keyhole indentation with JB Quick, slid the parts together, and added more JB quick to the slot 2 at the end of the outter tube. Note that the slot in the outter tube fits directly over the keyhole indentation in the inner tube, and that is how the piece of plastic (and JB Quick) lock the two tubes together. Meanwhile, I had drilled out my access hole in the steering column to 3/4", so I could get the nose of the pop-rivet gun in deep enough to pull the rivet tight this time. Now I had it together with one piece of plastic properly positioned, one tighter pop-rivet, and JB Quick where the second piece of plastic should have been. We had thoroughy cleaned out all the metal shavings and sprayed all the moving parts with Amsoil Metal Protector (similar to WD-40). Everything was tight, clean, and right.

We got it installed and hit the road again. Steering was smooth and tight, but not as tight as before. Great!

A couple of days later, it got TIGHT again; shifting into neutral almost every time I turned left, or when I turned the wheel back to the left as I straightened out after a right turn. #ad
I drove it home, hanging onto the shifter, and parked it.

When I drove it the next morning, it was OK again. HUH?
I still haven't drove it enough to really diagnose what is going on, but I'm thinking that I have a really tight fit, and on hot days (or is it when the engine warms up?)and the metal steering shaft expands more than the plastic bushing and causes the binding. It was 102 degrees Monday (the last time it happened). Tuesday and Wednesday it was a lot cooler, and I made a couple of real short trips - and it worked fine.

I'm hoping that it will "break in" and loosen up. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to pull the bushing and get out the fine sand paper. One thing for sure: If I do remove the bushing, you can be sure I won't be hammering hard to put it back in! #ad

 

[GKarpen]

Nice going Tim. Beautiful country also. My question would be, did this repair cut down or eliminate the dead zone? This is the space where U can turn the wheel left and right when driving straight and nothing happens. I have about two inch's of travel on mine. I ordered mine two days ago. But I was also thinking if a sealed bearing would work assuming one could be found. I have not taken mine apart as of yet. I will do this when the bushing arrives.

 

[DBazley]

Back to you GKarpen....thanks David

I ordered my steering retrofit bushing yesterday. Keep the faith David and thanks for all of your help in the manufacturing of these bushings for those of us who do not have a lathe. I have about a two inch dead zone and I hope this cures it. I just installed MOOG problem solver tie rods and drag link, close ratio steering gear, new damper and going in a straight line is still a pain in the butt. My wife's 2-wheel drive RAM is perfect. I wish my truck would drive like her's.

You bet, brother, thanks for the encouragement !



I'll keep the faith and I promoise not to 'keep it to myself' !



"Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty", so the Scripture assures us. This is the real reason America is and has been FREE & a bastion of FREEDOM for the whole world. Freedom such as we enjoy here doesn't exist in nations that refuse to honor the LORD. Our national motto is "In GOD We Trust", for a reason, right ?!



The best, most through definition of I've heard is: FREEDOM is the moral choice to give up wrongs, so that we may gain RIGHTS, under God.



Of course one of those 'second tier' freedoms we enjoy is to modify the daylights out of our Ram trucks - and I think we've gathered in the right place for that !



Re your comment about you wifes 2 wd (Gas or Diesel ram ?) driving perfect - most of the guys ordering the steering fix have Diesel & 4wd. I think the 'heavier' nature of that combo are CTD & 4wd puts more stress on the front end components & thus things wear faster, get loose faster.



With all you've done, you're zeroing in on a fix and I hope this does it for you !



Take Care,



David B

 

[DBazley]

Back to you Tim, good work guy !

... ... ... We got it installed and hit the road again. Steering was smooth and tight, but not as tight as before. Great!



A couple of days later, it got TIGHT again; shifting into neutral almost every time I turned left, or when I turned the wheel back to the left as I straightened out after a right turn. #ad
I drove it home, hanging onto the shifter, and parked it.



When I drove it the next morning, it was OK again. HUH?

I still haven't drove it enough to really diagnose what is going on, but I'm thinking that I have a really tight fit, and on hot days (or is it when the engine warms up?)and the metal steering shaft expands more than the plastic bushing and causes the binding. It was 102 degrees Monday (the last time it happened). Tuesday and Wednesday it was a lot cooler, and I made a couple of real short trips - and it worked fine.



I'm hoping that it will "break in" and loosen up. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to pull the bushing and get out the fine sand paper. One thing for sure: If I do remove the bushing, you can be sure I won't be hammering hard to put it back in! #ad

Wow, that was quite a repair. I'll check you pics on your site later when time allows. I think it makes sense, but admittedly, I've not totally disassembled an auto column (as it sounds you have nearly done... . ).



Question, then I'll address your concern quoted above.



Do you think your column inner tube became dislodged because of excessive hammering to install the bushing or was already weakened / broken prior to removal, and the removal (to install the steering fix kit) just made that obvious ?



I've modified our instuctions to urge GENTLE tapping especially on AUTO columns so others won't 'go there'.



Nevertheless, I appreciate your being willing to show the repair fully, you have done others who may experience this issue a 'path to follow'. GREAT JOB for not going to Mopar parts and laying down $ 900 for a new column, which many would have done out of desperation.



(I don't mean to denigrate any who have laid down $$$ for a new column; they probably were in a hurry to have the truck back and have more $$ than time or desire to 're-engineer', as you've done... . ) But the satisfaction of doing a fix for very little $$ and some effort is worth quite a bit !



That's about the same aim we have with the steering fix, is to not just avoid the $ 900 cost of a new column, but to improve things as well.



To your concern on tightness, your suspicion is exactly right - when first installed, there is some sensitivity to temperature, and so if you have an initial . 003 clearance (for sake of example), on a hot day of 100 + degrees, plus hotter under your hood, the bushing swells slightly, and it's down to . 001 clearance and feels tighter. Mine did that the first 200 miles / few days, but now it doesn't care how hot the day is, it feels the same all the time now - Great !



Congrats on the steering housing fix - happy 'clunk free' steering to ya...



David B.

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

 

[ProspectorTim]

GKarpen,
Hopefully you won't need to take yours apart. That is not part of the normal bushing installation process. If you haven't already read it, scroll back up and read pcarlson's and my posts about the shifter not working after the install.

I haven't drove the truck enough yet to tell if this helped with my steering wander, but it definitaly took out the clunky noise and made the steering smoother. I think the steering wander that I'm experiencing now is due to the new tires that I put on it.

If you have a 2" dead zone, I'd highy recommend that you order a DSS Steering Stabilzer for your truck. You won't believe the difference it makes!

 

[ProspectorTim]

Do you think your column inner tube became dislodged because of excessive hammering to install the bushing or was already weakened / broken prior to removal, and the removal (to install the steering fix kit) just made that obvious ?

The hammering did it, no doubt about it.

 

[DBazley]

Yeah, I guess it would do well to describe the auto columns as 'not tolerating abuse' very much.



A new commandment I give you:



AUTO TRUCK GUYS: 'THOU SHALT NOT HAMMER YOUR COLUMN TO PIECES', following the prophet Timothy's example... .



Pardon me, I couldn't resist the humor - and it is quite true, eh ?



The manual columns are basically a tube, therefore much more stout.



Ditto to GKarpen about the DSS - super idea - I wouldn't have a Ram truck wihout one. It will probably make the steering box last forever... . should tighten things noticably. Dont over look the stabilizer (sway bar) brackets, either, New poly bushings - greaseable types are an easy and cheap upgrade, often overlooked.



While we're at it, check your track bar for ball joint looseness, that can cause steering wander big time as your axle 'floats' side to side laterally under your chasis. Luke's link rebuild's em stout for a great deal... ... . sorry if this 'old news' to you, these issues are so pervasive, they really can't be emphasised too much.



Most guys here have done most / all of these things if they've been here long at all.....



DB

 

[ProspectorTim]

Well, my repairs are holding up real good; but I'm going to have to work on it some more real soon. The bushing is definitly affected by temperature.

When I first leave the garage, it drives ok.
But if it is over 100 degrees outside, you don't have to drive far before the steeing gets stiff. Then it starts moving the shifter, and you have to drive with one hand on the shifter to keep it from shifting into neutral.

Over the weekend I spent some time working on a friend's truck in a truck-stop parking lot (no shade!). We found that if I left my hood up (and the engine off) while we worked, it would cool down enough to make a difference. At least for the first few miles.

Yesterday it was 102, and I left the truck idleing with the A/C on while we went in the CB shop for a bit. When we came out, I almost couldn't get out of the parking lot. I put the truck in reverse and started to back out of the parking space but as I turned the wheel, it shifted to neutral, then drive (wrong way!). It was too stiff to hold the shifter with one hand and turn the wheel with the other. I had to put the truck in park, rev the engine a little bit and turn the wheel with both hands, THEN put it in reverse. After we got out of the parking lot and going down the road it would still shift into neutral with minor steering corrections. I had my buddy hold the shifter so I could drive with both hands until we got on the interstate. Once we got up to speed and got some airflow through the engine compartment it loosened up enough that I could steer with one hand (and still had to hold the shifter. Both arms were sore by the time I got it home to the parking garage; and I'm only talking about a SHORT drive from a truck stop in West Memphis, AR across the bridge to my place downtown Memphis, TN.

We decided to park the truck and take the Subaru to dinner!

Then we got a good thunder storm and it cooled things down. I took the truck back out around 11:30 pm and it drove fine. I spent a couple of hours cleaning up and putting away all the tools we used working on the other guy's truck this weekend, and when I left the shop around 1:30 to make a run to Wal-Mart down in Southaven, MS the temp had dropped to the low 60's. I even saw it hit 59 briefly.
The trip to Southaven and back was one of the longer trips I've made since I installed the bushing. In the cooler evening temperatures, the truck did just fine all the way.

 

[DBazley]

Tim, thanks for the report. Sorry for your to have to deal with this. I won't be satisfied, til you are. Thoughts:



Temperature & humidity have their effect. It's the bushing, not the steel, that expands or shrinks.



I heard from another 'auto trans' TDR guy who licked his 'stickiness' this way:



He located a hole in the outer column housing, on the INSIDE of the truck, must have been somewhat low on the column housing, and sprayed a generous amount of WD 40 through it and down, (maybe while moving the wheel a bit ?) towards the new bushing.



He said it had a far greater effect of lubing, compared to spraying the WD 40 the other direction from the engine side. Makes sense !



Also, we can get you a bushing that is 'clearanced' more on the steering shaft. Let's PM each other on this, ok ?



David B.

 

[ProspectorTim]

I greased it up real good with Amsoil Synthetic grease when I first installed it.
The last time I had it apart, I turned it upside-down and shook out all the metal shavings from where I drilled out the pop-rivet, blew it out with an air hose, and then sprayed everything that moves with Amsoil Metal Protector (similar to WD-40).

At that time, I thought the metal shavings may have been causing it to bind up. I didn't know it was a heat & clearance issue then.

The next time I have it apart I'll see what I can do to make it fit better. I hope that I can remove the bushing without pulling the column apart. Since heat affects it so much, I'm tempted to pack ice (or even dry-ice) around it to see if I can get it out easier. Once it is out I'll measure everything then probably sand/polish the steering shaft and Maybe hone out the inside of the bushing some. Before I re-install it I plan to drill a hole straight to the center and tap it for a grease zerk so that I can lube it whenever I want to. The zerk would also function as a set-screw to prevent it from slipping out of the colum (not that THAT is a concern at this point).

I'll probably work on it again as soon as the mail man delivers my VULCAN Big Line/Pusher Pump kit. I'm also waiting on some more polyurethane suspension bushing from Summit. The fun never ends! LOL

 

[walexa07]

I'm no expert on these bushings, but I have installed one. And no matter how hot the weather or drastic the weather change, I have no difference in steering friction. I believe something else is going on, but I'm not sure what it would be. Second, I don't believe these bushings need alot of lubrication. Plastic is made from petroleum, and is supposed to be self lubricating. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't believe the bushing is the lone culprit here. Just my 2 cents.



Waylan