Hi everyone....I'm new to trucks and my first one is my '99 ram 4x4. It's a 5.9L with 120,000 miles on it. Stock ride height with 245/75 r 16 cheapo tires. Although the miles were high the truck is in great shape, and IMO was well worth the $7000 I paid for it. It wasn't in perfect shape, I put new front brakes on it because the rotors were warped, added some nerf bars so the rug rats could get in and out easier, changed my oil and spark plugs. But the steering doesn't seem to be right. I find myself driving "dukes of hazzard" style from time to time, sawing the wheel back and forth on the highway, little to no on-center feel...it's worse on windy days. It also seems like when I change lanes like I have to force the steering back to center. Unfortunately I don't know much about trucks, is this just the way most older trucks drive? Or will performing this steering box procedure help?

"MY STEERING SOLUTION THAT WORKED FOR ME


I would try the track bar first, then draglink that is attached to the pitman arm, have someone move steering wheel slowly while your under front end see if joints move and wheels dont, go slow looking at every ball joint and both ends of the trackbar.

After I replaced everything that was worn I adjusted my steering box, got a total of six turns out of it, using a wrench the fits the nut on the top of gearbox and an allen that fits the adjustment screw in the center of the nut loosen the nut but keep allen immobile, loosen nut so you can get a few good turns out of the allen screw, when nut is loose then turn the allen wrench clockwise to tighten the allen head down, snug it then back off a half of turn. then holding the allen immobile, tighten the nut back down, whole trick is to only let one thing move at once. hope this helps

< Message edited by bamory -- 11/28/2005 7:57:52 PM > "

I think I need to change the shocks too, the front hits the bump stops far to easily...even just going over speed bumps! I'm thinking of going with bilsteins, I had good luck with them on my last car. Anyone have any other recommendations for a stock 4x4? Could worn shocks be causing or adding to my steering problem? Finally, I'm planning on changing the cheapo tires the dealer put on my truck, but I'm going to wait until next year to do it. They're cheap but they're new, might as well wear 'em out some. I'm thinking of going to 285/75 r 16's on my stock wheels or perhaps black steel wheels. Will I have any clearance issues? Will going this wide help or hurt my steering problems? Should I go with BFG all terrain TAs or Dueller Revo's ??

Sorry for all the newbie questions. I look forward to reading more threads here to learn more about truck ownership. I was skeptical when I sold my hot-rod VW jetta for this truck, but so far I'm loving it.

JQ

 

This guy post a good question and I have the same one. Does everyone have floaty steering with no "on-center" spot. My ram does, my friends 96 does. I have even had people tell me I'm swerving. The only thing I replaced was the steering knuckles (balljoints). My dads ford does the same thing short of totally changing out all the steering linkage, and putting on wider tiresI don't know what to do. Anybody who reads this and has steering issue please say so, I wonder if this could be a safety issue or a problem as wide as the cracked dash problem.

 

I had that problem with my 94 chevy. I own a 2001 dodge however i dont feel like im driving an old caddy or anything like described above. My problem is i just got an alignment done on the truck (well they said they did it at the dealer i bought it from) and i have to keep my steering wheel to the left to stay on the road =/. Not sure if thats "normal" but i think they might of lied to me =(

 

to me it does seem that both dodge and ford have floaty steering. Chev and GM steering is a lot stiffer. A lot of the time IF it seems worse then it should be its usually because your ball joints are wearing out. As far as your steering wheel turned to the left a bit it should be while driving down the highway because the road itself slopes from the inside out to make the water runoff of it; therfore you have to compinsate by turning your wheel left a bit to keep your truck driving straight on the road.

 

DFLYBOY, i never thought of that, I just took it out to see how it drove in my neighborhood and it drives fine. Here in Nashville the roads have nice grooves where traffic has made trenches... Didnt realize i was driving to the left a bit and having to hold the wheel to keep it out of the trench[8D]... hehe oh well.

 

When you have your alignment done, they should adjust the caster to offset the pull of the road crown

As far as the floaty steering, the steering gear is adjustable. You should be able to get a stiffer feel by adjusting it properly. There is a TSB (I forget the number) out there for adjustment. IIRC, many of the trucks had an improper adjustment from the factory that is seldomly fixed. Mine was one of them, though I have other issues with my steering (worn/leaking gearbox, worn trackbar, loose ball joint on driver side).

 

oh ok good to know thank you Burning Rom, thats somthing i will look into for sure.

 

yah Justin those dang ruts in the highway do make things interesting huh.

 

lol what steering?????!?!?!?

my steering is horible... i dont have DW but i bet my t-bar needs replacing/upgrading
ontop of that .. i get an alighment on the first of the month..by the 30th itll be off again... i cant keep an alighment on that truck for nothing.....

and my steering is really really floaty... i got a good 1/4 of a turn of the wheel where it feels that nothing engages.... i know i can adjust it but its one of those things where i forget when im doing stuff to the truck and say that ill do it later...

 

well I have a 1980 CJ 7
and my ram.....

so the steering in the ram is great in comparison, it is only about 1/8 of a turn off, and best part is it will track straight one day, and pull the next.

it is not as bad in a big *** truck as it is in the CJ to have loosey goosey steering. in the cj it is so short it darts from lane to lane on the freeway. in the ram it just get a little close to the line.

in a manual gearbox there is ussually a set screw you can tighten to tighten up the steering. can anyone tell me where to find the procedure for tightening a PS gearbox.

thanks all

hehe, I stole my first thread
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