• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Loose steering??

treegump

treegump

Romans 3:22-24
Messages
2,299
Reaction score
983
Location
Martinsville, IN
I've got IFS and about 15k miles ago I replaced the tierods, pitman arm, ball joints, shocks, anti-sway bar bolt linkage, and the driver's side hub assembly. A couple of weeks ago I replaced the passenger side hub assembly.

At 55+ straight driving on interstates/etc, it feels like the truck wants to drift to the left or right, and when taking on/off ramps it also feels like the truck "slides" a little to the opposite direction of the turn in the first part of the turn.

The left/right turning is responsive with only about a 1/2" play between the two and also feels tight. I also have not replaced the steering absorber (mainly because I couldn't remove it all the way when I tried) - but it felt like there was still some resistance left.

Is there an adjustment on the steering gear box that needs adjusted at a certain time? If so, where and how do I do it? How much do I adjust? Any other thoughts?
 
Steering boxes usually don't need to be messed with.

When you say steering absorber you are referring to the "shock" right? When that goes bad it will not allow smooth steering. I'd get that replaced first.
 
If all new parts should be steering like a champ. Did the alignment shop say anything when you took it in to reset it? Do you have one or more bad balljoints?

If the knockouts have never been done then your caster may be off not a pull thing most of they time but can cause funny tire wear if excessive if you turn a lot like on/off ramps.

Tire wear with worn front end parts might have worn the tires out of "square" and they are causing funny things.
 
schiker said:
If all new parts should be steering like a champ. Did the alignment shop say anything when you took it in to reset it? Do you have one or more bad balljoints?

If the knockouts have never been done then your caster may be off not a pull thing most of they time but can cause funny tire wear if excessive if you turn a lot like on/off ramps.

Tire wear with worn front end parts might have worn the tires out of "square" and they are causing funny things.
Click to expand...

knockouts? And from what I've noticed - no abnormal tire wear has happened
 
The caster adjustment is set from factory and doesn't usually need to be changed but now after so many miles could be off. If need for adjustment it has to be get a kit and break a knockout of some kind is what they say. Did the alignment shop say anything when you got it realigned after all the new parts? Sounds like something is wrong fundamentally. With all new parts and good grease everything should be tight and run true. When you did idler did you do body and arm both?

What did the alignment shop say when you took it to get it all realigned after all those parts?

Now caster usually doesn't cause issue with tire wear or pull but it can affect overall feel as its how forward/back the tire is like a caster.
 
First thing to check is the steering box nut that holds the pitman arm on. I have found that the new pitman arms we are getting are rather soft and the pitman arm will continually move up the steering box shaft and require that the 1 5/16" nut be tightened about twice a year. The one on my BURB never loosens up, but I have done a few since 06 that are always loosening. Others here have commented on this as well in the past. And if your box does need adjustment, it is best to pull it off the truck as it is nearly impossible to adjust it in the truck and get it right.
 
mines getting sloppy too, and it's not the steering, it's the box. My old (73-87) trucks had an adjustable box, running 35 and 36 inch tires led to wear but the box could be tightened up. I havent looked into this truck yet, but I expect it's going to need a box. Why make something adjustable when you can sell a new one for hundreds of dollars, right? I know it isnt the steering stabilizer shock, that's new too.
 
The boxes are adjusteable, it is just MUCH easier to do it with it out. The adjustment on top that most people change does very little except make the steering tight, the one that needs to be adjusted is the one where the steering shaft comes into the box.
 
might also be the bad hub assembly that I just installed in september. I bought it from advance auto (only place that was open and had it in stock). Planning on returning it after I can afford to buy a new one from bumper to bumper - then I'll get under the truck and check the steering as well.
 
Have you jacked up each tire by the lower control arm and check wiggle side to side, and with a long bar under tire for leverage check up down play?

Usually there is alot of idler arm SLOP from my experience on these, but its not a 'dead space' freeball 'clunk' movement.

Of course tire pressure and/or matched tires (pattern and wear) can make a slight differences.

I grease my stuff once a month / every other month, and I still run factory balljoints, but I think all steering components been replaced once. (Maybe not idler, and dirvers side inner/outers, if so by a PO)

Don't forget to undo your mud flap in the front to get to the idler's grease fitting!
 
well, i know that the hub assembly is bad because I jacked it up by the frame on the driver's side - grabbed at 12 & 6 and it was wriggling. There is a slight side to side movement...but not horrible. (this is with 1 side up and not the other)
 
treegump said:
well, i know that the hub assembly is bad because I jacked it up by the frame on the driver's side - grabbed at 12 & 6 and it was wriggling. There is a slight side to side movement...but not horrible. (this is with 1 side up and not the other)
Click to expand...

helps to have a 2nd set of hands wiggle the tire and you crawling around looking... I always have a slight side to side wiggle, idler slop I call it, but no 'clunk' movement.

When My I replaced my steering stabilizer shock with a working one, I noticed huge improvements on road feel and steering. FWIW. Not sure if you have one or if yours is working.
 
Forest, did you crank up your T-bars any when you went through the front end repairs? Because that does throw the caster off and will make the truck want to wander side to side at speed. For that matter... have you had it aligned since the repairs?
 
i did have it aligned at Jim Van Dam's shop on Wolf St. right after I did my steering repairs. I didn't crank the T-bars though...didn't really see any point to it. And I have a steering stabilizer...but I've only tried to remove it once and 1) I couldn't remove it...it was stuck in the tierod(?) and 2) there was still plenty of resistance left in the stabilizer. But I do have a new one, and I also got a new tool...so when I get a chance, I'll check it out.
 
there is a little up and down movement in my idler arm when I have my passenger tire jacked up and i push it side to side. Do I need the arm and bracket or just the arm?
 
treegump said:
there is a little up and down movement in my idler arm when I have my passenger tire jacked up and i push it side to side. Do I need the arm and bracket or just the arm?
Click to expand...

If teh arm itself moves then you need the idler bracket as it supports the idler arm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top