Howdy All,

Front end of my truck feels terrible when I turn left or right at corners. It feels similar to the feel/noise when you turn sharply in 4wd, but it does it in 2wd. Happens right away, it doesn't need to be turned sharply. Seems to be in sync with wheel rotation. Seemed worse when I was hauling a 6000lb load yesterday.

Makes me think front diff, any other thoughts? Changed F diff fluid this past summer.

Thanks in advance.

 

It's quite possible there is a front axle joint starting to seize up. In 2WD, they are not transmitting power, but they still turn and need to flex when you steer.

 

x2. Check your axle u-joints.

 

Replaced drivers side axle u-joint this summer, other side spins freely when turned both ways.

Does something change when the front end is on the ground bearing weight?

 

Not as far as u-joints go. Sounds like you are already aware of the best way to check them- jack up the front end and spin each wheel while cycling the steering from lock to lock. You will feel a u-joint that is binding while the steering is turned.

If they both feel good while doing this, I would next look at a front tire for a lack of roundness. Maybe rotate the tires front-to-rear and road test to see if the feeling changes.

 

Both front tires are new.

The symptom is most noticeable at low speed. It's like there is something binding every wheel rotation.

More info that may be applicable: There are alignment issues with the truck. I replaced both front tires because they were worn down to the cords on the inboard side and still reasonable on the outside. I replaced the tires because of this but haven't had it aligned yet because I'm lacking funds to do so.

Also, can someone clarify for me what the front differential does when the truck is in 2wd? Is there any chance that it is binding? I'm not very well versed in how they work......

 

In 2WD, the passenger side axle shaft is disconnected. Both U-joints turn all the time, and the driver side axle turns all the time. But, because the right axle shaft is disconnected, the differential can't get in a bind. Even if the center axle disconnect was not disengaging, it shouldn't create a bind when turning, unless you have a locker in the front. Now, if the CAD won't disconnect, and the transfer case won't go into 2WD, then you would get into a bind. It is pretty unlikely that is happening, though.

I would look into why the previous set of front tires were so worn on the insides. That would be the natural place to look for your issues.

 

I'm having the same exact problem with my truck in 2wd. I just had it in to the dealer for oil change and fuel filter change. I didn't notice the problem until after I got my truck back. I was thinking it was something that they did, but now I'm wondering if it might be a u-joint problem. I'll try the troubleshooting method described above. Hopefully, this will diagnose the problem.

 

If this is happening with very little input from the steering wheel, I would immediately suspect the 'ball joint' end of the track bar, where it attaches to the driver side of the frame. When they get loose, the joint itself walks in and out of the track bar as it try to hold the axle centered, and they can clunk pretty good when doing this.