I've dont alot of silent browsing around this forum and still worried i will not fix my steering problem on my 1999 dodge ram 2500 4x4.

The steering feels like it sways left and right, and the slightest bump will make you fight to regain control.

I replaced the ball joints, the traction bar, the steering stabalizer, adjusted the steering gear box, and had it aligned with maximum camber (+4).

I bought this problem truck with oversized tires and what appears to be a factory lift? The tires are

33 x 12.5 x 16.5 .

Everyone is telling me the tires are the problem but i feel that it is something else. This really is maddening and dissapointing after all of the money and work i've spent still to have not corrected the problem.



Is the steering gear box junk? Replace the tie rods (the shop said they are good). I'm running out of options please help!

 

not sure if this is helpful or not but the steering wheel doesnt seem to budge the tires when i turn it back and forth with the truck off. Not sure if thats becase they are big tires. Also i did adjust the steering box and i dont feel the sloppy play i had before, but regardless the wheels dont appear to budge as i semi genly swing the wheel back and forth.

 

also what would help the most?

going back to stock lift? Stock tires?

buy tie rods? Buy sway bar end links? Buy a steering gear box?

I'm so sick of spending my time and money but i'm tenatiously intense about fixing my ram

 

Check the Tie rod ends for play, thats probably your issue, if they check then Id check the box for play

 

Sounds a lot like the problems I am having here... https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen-ram-tech/175373-boat-towing-and-the-pendulum-effect.html

Let me know if you get it resolved...

 

How far are you able to turn the wheel without the tires moving? You should have a LITTLE play, but not a 1/4 turn by any means. Also, by traction bar do you mean the track bar or the control arms? (Control arms run parallel to the frame and there are 4, track bar runs perpindicular and there is only one). Also check for any seriously bent linkage, and make sure the drag link (runs from the pitman arm to the passenger steering knuckle) and the track bar are close to parallel, if they aren't you'll get some bump steer. Rule those out first, then move on to the following checklist.

Steering on these is a mechanical link between the steering wheel and the tires, essentially, it shouldn't be too hard to track down the culprit. Just move from the steering wheel to the front tires looking for play. Assuming you have excessive play in the wheel, I'd have someone sit in the truck and slowly move the steering wheel for you like you describe from side to side (to the point where it just begins to move the tire).

While they are doing this, look under the hood at the steering shaft, does it rotate in relation to what the person is doing? IF no, you have a serious issue in the column.

IF yes, then look at the pitman arm on the gear box. Does it move in relation to the steering shaft's rotation. IF no, your issue is in the gear box.

IF yes, then look at the tie rod ends, starting with the one on the pitman arm and moving down the drag link to the passenger knuckle, then across the tie rod to the driver knuckle. Is there any slop in the tie rod ends? IF yes, replace the ones with slop.

That is really all there is to it, when diagnosing steering linkage. You've said you have new ball joints and track bar, so I'm going to assume those are tight and still good.

Hope this helps you track it down.

EDIT:
While you're watching the steering shaft, watch the two pieces of it, do they turn together or is the play between them @ the slip joint?

If all this checks out, make sure your toe-in is set correctly also. Ruling all this out moves you onto your tires, you could be experiencing radial pull, I'm not gonna say BFG ATs are known for this, but I have heard of it with those tires, try rotating them.

 

my brother is some sort of high level mechanic and he came over last night. We jackedup the ram and turned the tires and he believes something is binding in the gear box. He wants me to remove the pitman and then turn the steering wheel and the tires seperately and see where the lack of movement is coming from. Basically the problem i now found out is that turning the steering column does not turn the tires, and something seems bound up.

 

i put in all new inner and outer tie rod ends. The ones that came out seemed sloppy as hell but then again i banged them out with pick fork so that might have destroyed them. I put the new ones in, didnt line them up too well and now the steering wheel is sideways but the swaying problem seems to be fixed. Whats strange is everyone told me that the tie rods were 100% fine... and i'm going to have yet another alignment tomorrow.

 

i have now spent quite a bit of money and replaced my rims and tires with stock.. so i have replaced the rims, the tires, the tie rods, ball joints, the trac bar, the stabalizer, adjusted the gear box, and had 4 alignments.....

the car now no longer wanders left and right, but what it does is after going into a turn it doesnt correct itself and go to center... like it feels locked into the turn or the direction the steering wheel was turned and wont return to center.

i have a sneaky suspecion this has something to do with the steering wheel shaft or gear box or pitman

but who knows, i'm NOT a mechanic and i failed so far to fix this problem and i'm already waaaaaaaaaaaaaay over budget.

 

If it doesn't come to center, your adjustment with the steering-box
was too much. You can turn the hex-screw just a 1/4 turn and have
it start to bind. Very, very small amount is all that is needed in most
cases.