Hello everyone.
The new steering gear box installed has only helped some with steering problem on 1998 Ram. It's Ok but still has slack and am not sure what to do.
Have put $4,500 into truck which only has 102,000 miles in past six months. Is it the end. Should I look to trade it in for something newer?
Suggestions are greatly appreciated. KJK

 

wow what did you spend 4500 on?

 

you've put 4,500 bucks in repairs, in addition to some purchase price? damn, how much did you pay for it in the first place. i hope it wasn't more than a 1000 bucks max. the ugly truth is that if you trade it now, you lock in your loss.

the second ugly fact, is the steering on these trucks is not very good.

so, how much play are we talking about, as in measured inches of steering wheel slop ? 1 inch? 2? 4?

have you looked at this ? this removed several inches of play in mine.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-steering.html

have you checked the steering shaft joint. some put in new borgenson shafts.
have you checked the tie rods, ball joints, and crap.

 

there is a way to tighten up the slack. I believe dhvaughan posted it...found it
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-steering.html

Hope this helps out.

 

I looked back through your posts:

You have owned the truck for 8+ years and said that the steering was perfect before the balljoints were replaced. Then Halfamil told you "If the steering was perfect before new tires and ball joints, then it should have been even better after the new tires and parts." Then when the dealer told you that a new steering gear would fix the slack, you said "It sounds so simple to fix this bad steering with a gear and I am worried there is more to it." Now you are "ticked off" that the gear didn't resolve the problem.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you knew the problem showed up after the balljoint replacement. Before paying for additional parts replacement you should have taken it to as many shops as necessary to get a consensus on why it was now slack. Then with written, detailed diagnoses in hand you should have returned to the shop that performed the original repairs to have it corrected.

I feel bad for you because I know you have spent a lot of money and must be incredibly frustrated right now. When having service done it is very important to have a good understanding of the repairs being made and agreement on the results that should be expected.

Considering the financial investment you have made, I would suggest investing some more time in getting 2nd, 3rd & 4th opinions from other reputable shops. Hope this turns out well for you!

 

Thanks everyone.
The woman in service department said since new ball joints were added the older parts are reacting and probably problem existed before ball joints were added but I didn't notice.
Am thinking of going into dealer and asking questions about how to fix it better, particularly concerning the shaft. Do you think he missed examining shaft during first examination? KJK

 

Spoke to service department and they want me to take mechanic for ride in the morning. How much will new installed drive shat cost? Have about two inch play in the wheel, better than four or five it had.

 

Sorry, Meant to say *drive shaft*.

 

I think you mean "steering shaft". A drive shaft connects your transfer case to the axles, it has nothing to do with steering. The steering shaft connects your steering wheel to the steering gear box, and it's a known weak point for rams.

I had my steering shaft replaced when I bought the truck but I didn't notice much difference, if any. I had about 3-4 inches of play in my steering wheel because the track bar bushings were bad. Have your tack bar checked out.

 

GREAT call on the trac bar!! when the bushings wear, they tend to flex and cause some decent play cuz the steerings pushin' the bar back and forth until it binds and THEN turns da wheels. and its a cheap fix. cheap enuf to do anyways........