J_T

Hello all, I'm frustrated b/c I just bought this truck and Just drove it home yesterday. I Bought it off ebay and was told that the steering was sloppy, IT's a 4" lifted 4x4, I thought that was normal. (everything else was as described)

Well its like I have a TON of play in the steering wheel! it takes almost a quarter a turn one way before there is a response and a quarter of turn back the other direction as well.

I searched and saw Ball joints. Tie Rods, Track Bar, Steering box, etc...and now that I drove it this is more than a lifted truck should have! Well I see $$$$$ flashing before my eyes and its hard b/c I just spent more than I wanted to get it and it cost me more than I thought to get it back!!

Can anyone tell me what their steering was like before they fixed the track bar?
Can anyone tell me what their steering was like before they fixed the Steering Stabilizer?
Can anyone tell me what their steering was like before they fixed the Tie Rods?

Tie-Rod ends is what I am suspecting b/c once its tracking straight it all of a sudden pulls to one side or the other when it gets in a groove on the highway. But this could also mean play in the steering box? (ugh)

This is frustrating me b/c its a new to me truck that will be my highway travel truck as well which means I want my wife to be able to drive it as well and with the steering this loose its NOT SAFE!!!

I guess I will get someone to turn it back and forth and I will watch for play...after I replace the Alternator that went out on my way home as well!

Surprises like this are one thing once you have the truck for a while but when I don't have extra money to repair it b/c I just spent it on it thats frustrating.

Any help, direction is appreciated!

Thank you
JT

sacnvr2l8

Mine was pretty sloppy prior to the DSS install. Probably not 1/4 turn sloppy but pretty sloppy. The DSS helped a ton. Well worth is for the cost...install takes 30min tops...

TIMMY22

the most common part to wear is the track bar. make sure you buy a lifetime warranty bar. you can buy a thuren or you can buy a lukes link ball stud kit.
it is not uncommon to wear out a track bar in 10-15K miles.


the tie rods wear out as well as the ball joints. steering stabilizers fail and steering shaft bushings get worn too. the list goes on.

basicly, the front end was never engineered correctly to handle the extra weight of the diesel vs. the gas engine. they added some stronger coils and thats about it.

just keep on top of it, yes it can get pricey especially when you have to pay labor.

J_T

I just swapped the alternator;

So I got my wife to steer it back and forth and here's what I found;

1) play at the trackbar mount to the frame!
2) play in multiple tie rod ends
3) the pinion of the steering box has some slight play inside the pitman arm.

I need Tie Rods and ends,
And updated Trackbar
I need to see if I can tighten the pitman arm on the box.

I know I could use the Steering stabilizer but thats another $199 plus s/h :-(

I can do that labor myself...but I've done ball joints in the past and I don't want to do them on this truck! I was told by a local shop that if it needed ball joints it'd be ~$800 for both sides. :-( IT doesn't FEEL like ball joints but I'm going to go get the free estimate just to let an expert put it on the rack and see!

kawi600

Steering is sloppy in part because you probably have a 4 turn steering box. Maybe change that to the 3turn one? with such a long travel required to make a correction its easy to over-correct.
I wouldnt trust anything other than a 3rd gen or thuren trackbar on that truck. Its a lot of force on a small balljoint. That joint takes something faily large, like 250 to 300ft-lb to torque down too.
Youll need a solidsteel.biz dodge steering stabilizer to minimize play in the sector shaft. You might want to nuke all those tie rod ends and the pitman and replace em all with lukes links.

John Faughn

I've seen some that were allowed to go and ended up cracking frame , so do not drive too much & not on ruff roads .
I went on a 5 state road trip , when I got mine , I told the guy that , when I got there , it wasn't safe to test drive over 10-15 mph , winter time , and he said he was firm at $6,500 , the hole truck was junk , inside and out , the bead was wore through from dragging stuff in & out , found the add at this site so maybe he'll chime in .
Front ends can be a lot of money , especially when dodge does not want to make a real truck anymore ,
I bought a Cummins not a dodge .

J_T

I have looked into the luke's link but it appears as more of a way to strengthen an old or worn tie rod end?
It looks kind of rigged?

I guess I don't get it. Do they completely replace the tie rod ends. or do they rebuild them? is it a permanent fix? Is it better than new tie-rods?
Also there are no prices on his site. Any ideas on cost?

Can someone tell me a little more about them...His website isn't very clear on how i works and what is included?

Thanks

JT

kawi600

Lukes links cut out the original ball and insert something thats a bit stronger and rebuildable later on. it beats the cost of a tie rod end or a pitman arm.

tony597fitter

I just bought my truck a month ago, and had the same problem (play in trackbar at frame mount). Well, I pulled it this weekend and found that the bushing on the trackbar was completely GONE! i bought a new trackbar at Auto zone with yes!! a lifetime warranty. Previous bar was a MOOG so the Lukes Links wouldnt work.

I went to work today and its like a new truck.

Also, adjust the steering box worm gears with the adjuster. Makes a huge difference.

I put the DSS stabilizer on when I first got the new truck and it made a little improvement in steering play, but not as much as the trackbar.