2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission To hell and back! Front end alignment?

[snowracer69]

Well, had some problems tonight, and dumped the front end of my pickup into a 2 foot ditch with vertical sides... basically put the front end onto the frame, but not before slamming the steering system into the ground with the force of my engine coming down on top of it. Now my steering wheel is turned 90* to the right of where it was before when going straight down the road. What can I do to fix this? Should I just take it to the local Big-O and have them do a full alignment and adjust the steering for me? Or maybe to the local dealer instead?



I know I can straighten the wheel myself, but I'm unsure if my alignment is still good. It doesn't pull differently, just has me worried.



Thanks, Josh.

 

[EricBu12]

sounds like you might have bent something, did you give it a good look over when you got home? You might have bent a knuckle or something.



If you did bend something, you will have to go to a place that does specialty alignments and components. don't go to a big-o or something for your 7000 lb truck. Big o is for cars and light trucks.

I would also have them check the straightness of the frame as well.

 

[snowracer69]

.

I looked it all over good last night when I got home, and nothing looks bent. I twisted on all the steering linkages (sp?) and they're all free to move without any problems. I'm just not sure what could have happened to twist my steering wheel off 90*, and yet the truck still drives perfectly straight.



What sort of place do you recommend I take it to to have it looked at?



Josh

 

[tgbol]

Take a real CLOSE look at the splines on the output shaft of the steering box. I have seen quite a few that have twisted by hitting a curb or something. If there is any twist replace the box immediately because there might be a crack forming.

 

[Dane]

See if you can find a shop that does RV's , delivery trucks and such. Ask them if they have aligned Dodge Ram 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. If they say yes, it's probably a good bet.



I found a good shop by asking "have you aligned many Dodge Rams 4x4s ?"



He replied - "You want me to cure the pull to the right problem?"



I knew I was talking to the right person

 

[CFAR]

Originally posted by tgbol

Take a real CLOSE look at the splines on the output shaft of the steering box. I have seen quite a few that have twisted by hitting a curb or something. If there is any twist replace the box immediately because there might be a crack forming.

tgbol is right drop your pitman arm and look closely at the output shaft splines if there is any twist to them at all, there IS a crack, and it needs to be replaced

 

[snowracer69]

ok...

I yanked my Comp and turnbuckle off today, and made an appointment at the local Dealer for tomorrow at 1:30. They're supposed to diagnose it tomorrow afternoon and then give the truck back to me if they don't have the part in. You guys have me deathly afraid of driving it if those splines are tweaked. I don't have a wrench big enough available to me to drop the pitman arm, so I didn't get to look at them.



Question: Can they replace just the output shaft from the steering box? Or am I looking at a whole new box? What's a whole box gonna run me?



There goes the DDII's. :{ :{ :{



Thanks, Josh

 

[jrobinson2]

AHA! A post I really know something about. This spring my wife calls, "honey I think I broke the truck" the wheel was 190*off.

Dad looks and says looks ok to drive home. She drives her home (260+miles). Closer inspection reveals bent and twisted pitman shaft, bent steering knuckle, bent tie rod. When I removed the pitman shaft I found it was cracked nearly 1/2 way around!! The crack was way up inside the box under the bearing. The new shaft and seal kit was around 200 bucks from www.mopar4less.com Shaft alone was $70 less than Vegas dealers, one dealer said shaft isn’t available separately, need new box, over $600. Steering knuckle well over $700.

Wife says it wasn’t THAT big a bump. Dad says there were black marks on the concrete block 4 feet high. Big mystery to me is there was no body damage? Be very careful with a Damaged pitman shaft! Imagine that thing letting go at about 75 MPH.

I have removed many taper locked shafts, John Deere loves em, but that pitman arm was one of the worst! Not the tightest but way up there.

 

[snowracer69]

ok

jrobinson2,



Thanks for the great info. At least now I've got a good idea about what things they might claim are wrong. I was hoping that the shaft would be available seperately so that the wad outta my wallet isn't too much thicker than it needs to be. This was a MFU that's gonna cost me.



Any other info that you can give me? What should I look at when I inspect my truck after they've got it all apart? I won't let them do work on it without inspecting the parts myself. They're gonna be thinking that it's just some punk kid... they're pretty much right, but not if I'm armed with the right info.



Thanks, Josh.

 

[jrobinson2]

On my steering knuckle the casting for the tie rod was twisted, you could see the rust was broken. A bent steering knuckle arm would cause a toe in/out problem. I bet a dealer won't repair a damaged steering box. The tie rod wasn’t bent it was the drag link. Mostly I would look for broken rust or paint and bends different than new parts. Sometimes the damage is very hard to see. On my '99 the steering linkage was completely different than '97 or 2000. I'm kinda rural so it took about a week before a customer came in with a '99 to compare the drag link to. I hate going to Vegas! You had to look very carefully at the pitman shaft to see the crack. I think there may also be some frame damage but it drives as good/bad? as before and don’t wear tires so I think I’ll just keep driving it. I think the bottom bearing was a little looser than before but was not available from the dealer. I think what I'm getting to here is if your not doing and dealing with the consequences of your own work maybe get a new box. I'm not worried about mine. Sorry lotta B. S. here not much more info.

I’ll try to answer anything, just don’t always succeed.



Jared

 

[CFAR]

If you need a new steering box you might try to find an aftermarket type, I know AGR or something like that makes them, on sale around 325. 00. You should be able to buy just one socket, or wrench for the pitman arm nut. And a cheap pitman arm puller should be under 20. 00. If you are like me a cheap one should last for years.





Woody

 

[snowracer69]

GOOD NEWS!!!!

Just got back from the stealer... well, Dealer is more like it for these guys... so far at least (don't have the bill in hand yet). The tech put it up on the rack, and 20 minutes later I had my answer (about 2 minutes after he had it on the rack).



I jumped a gear or two inside the box. He said he's seen it tons of times, and that it hurts nothing. He kept giving me the "there's another name for that" when talking to me... . funny how when you start naming the parts that they all of a sudden treat you differently. Pitman arm is fine, as is the output shaft and splines. He said that there is no way to re-align the gears without causing more problems, and that he wouldn't do it. Said he'd gurantee it to leak if I was to just tear it apart and realign it. So, this is what I'm thinking. I'm having them do a full alignment on it now, but I'm not going to straighten my steering wheel. They said I'd be taking a huge chance in breaking my clockspring if I was (by turning too far to the one side). Basically, all I've lost is my turning radius to the one side, and gained it on the other. I'm going to leave it as is, drive it home over x-mas break, then either find a steering box in a junk yard, or order an aftermarket one. Probably order an aftermarket one. Anybody know where to get one? Who's the best and what's their going rate? Dealer wants $850 plus labor for the stock one



Thanks for all your help guys. Glad that the worst was avoided.



Josh.



EDIT: Also having them check my fuel pressure, as the lift pump isn't sounding right. My FP gauge is on the way, but isn't here yet, and i figure that while I've got my box off, they might as well have a look-see.

 

[jrobinson2]

Josh

Nothing inside the steering box can "jump a gear".

Tell this dealer thank you and get your truck back, something is damaged. If it turns farther to one side I still think the output shaft is twisted.

I would get another opinion.

 

[snowracer69]

.

jrobinson... . damn, now you got me all worried again. What should I do? Should I drop the pitman arm off the shaft and inspect it all myself? What am I looking for? Is there any way to look at the gears inside and what not? Is this truck going to be safe for me to drive 1000 miles home at the end of this month, or should I get myself a new box and replace it now?



HELP!



Josh

 

[jrobinson2]

Josh

Changing the steering box is not that hard. I think my arm puller was $30+/-. Always check for your self.

sent a pm with my phone #. Call me.



Jared

 

[tgbol]

I agree with jrobinson2

There is no way that the box can "skip a gear". The teeth are 3/8 to 7/16 deep. You would have to spit the case to skip a gear. Take it for a second opinion. A slight bend in the arm on the right knuckle could also make a difference in the wheel.

 

[BWilson]

I replaced my steering box a couple of months ago. Just took a big (3/4 in drive) socket and a $15 pitman arm puller and about 30 minutes. The replacement box I got was aftermarket and cost around $250. It's sold by Murrays and rebuilt by Cardone. It makes noise like it's low on fluid sometimes (but isn't) but it's got a lifetime warranty.



It looks like a big job, but's it's not!!

 

[geusterman]

Snowracer--see Kaiser Brake and Axle in Eugene. They are masters at issues like yours. They have doen wizard work for my motorhome. Thank me later. George Eusterman

 

[bbeatty]

ya bent what

mr . Snow racer My theory is that at the edge of the ditch you set it down on the tie rod, YOU better look for a tweek are bend there. It is simple you narrowed your tie rod by bending it. So your right front tire is turning left which makes you turn wheel to right! thats it. JUst to think about BBEATTY

 

[D. Showan]

My guess is that either your sector shaft in the steering box twisted just above the pitman arm, (you can probably see it without taking the arm off), Or your track bar is bent. If you dropped straight down and didn't put much side strain on the steering when this happened, and your toe didn't change much then I suspect your track bar is bent. If so it can change your steering wheel position and still drive normally, Good luck