i feel play in my steering wheel. like its loose, i can move it from side to side or up and down a tad bit, not the hole column just the wheel. is this a common problem? how can i take this airbag off and retighten the bolts(hopefully that fixes it) with out teh airbag going off or???? is it possible to work on myself....i hope so.

98 ram 4x4 automatic, 129,000k miles on it....but very clean nice taken care of truck, it doesn't make any noise just a pesty problem i hate....drives fine, just i can even move the wheel when its in park and not running, so i dont think it has anything to do with the front end parts....like most threads i find.

 

nobody done this???

 

i don't have a good answer, as i've never had the steering wheel off my 2nd gen, and i'm scared of the air bag to boot. i have taken the steering wheel off a lot of other vehicles, and there is never seen any play in the big nut that holds it onto the splined, tapered, shaft. in fact, it takes a steering wheel puller to get it off.

i have replaced a steering shaft bearing in an 85 ram, its just below the wheel in the column, but its rare for these to fail until they get really old and worn out, this one might have even been put in upside down in factory. i doubt this is your problem.

more than likely you have play in the 2 piece steering shaft where they overlap in the engine compartment, about 1/2 way down, where 2 square tubes overlap. check that. you might need a new steering shaft, its a pretty common problem, try some searches on that. if that is your problem, borgeson is a well known brand of replacement.
http://dodgeram.info/tech/mods/borgeson/index.html
http://www.borgeson.com/

 

but there is no noise coming from under the hood, its right there in my steering wheel? i'll check under the hood, but movement and noise is right there at my steering wheel??????

 

I would check everything else first, I did it once on an older car, and I'm 99.99% sure the SRS system no longer works now... Since it's my own car I'm ok with it, but come time to sell I will have to tell the buyer at least the part about it not working...

And I think it's against the law for me to tell you how to remove an airbag...
Not sure, but there's a chance it could deploy in the process and cause injury (not to mention an expensive repair bill), also if anything goes wrong then the SRS system may not work properly in a collision... Too many variables involved, it isn't that you can't DIY but you take great chances with it.

 

if the play is not in the lower shaft, then its probably in the upper ujoint which allows your tilt steering to work. you can get to, or at least see, most of this w/o removing the wheel. disconnect battery FIRST, you will need some torx wrenches to remove the lower panel, and the little covers over the steering col requires a long skinny torx, unscrew tilt handle. might have to pop off dash trim. this will expose switch, wire connections, i think you be able to see the ujoint for the tilt.

 

HMMM, if it is that can you tighten it or?

 

i don't know.
i was wrong about the u joint being at the tilt, its actually below it. the tilt is an additional pivot.
download this service manual for the 01 and look it over. its got all the air bag info and wheel removal.
NOTE the 2 min wait for airbag disarm. always disconnect battery when working around the wheel.
pull your trim covers and look it over, see where your looseness is.
https://dodgeforum.com/m_340929/tm.htm

anybody else ?

 

mine is a 98 you think a 2001 manual will work? if so i will download....

 

yes, if not exact, pretty close.