Thanks qmikep! I figured as much. Pulling the steering box off and cleaning it up to see the extent of cracking. Didn't mean to hijack the thread but I'm dealing with the exact scenario as you (short time before roadtrip) and your pictures etc. really helped! On a different note, it's great troubleshooting for driveability issues. Clearly, the frames can be cracked and not be the reason for the wandering/darting etc. My truck drives SO MUCH different than my 91. It's always been a one finger straight down the road rig (and that hasn't changed a bit). Glad I did find the crack though so I can address it before it becomes a bigger issue.

 

No problem. I bought my truck with 220k on it. I've had it for about 7 months and put around 9000 miles on it. I figure my frame had to have been like that for quite a while before I got to it.

 

So, I was driving around town today. I stopped at a stop sign, and made a right hand turn on to a two lane road. Something in the steering seemed to let go or release a bit as I was turning, and I had to stop to avoid hitting an oncomming car. I got home and noticed theere was a drip of fluid on the front of the new steering box. I can't tell if the play is in the sector shaft of the steering box or the box bracket. It appers to be in the sector shaft.

I'm getting sick of this...

 

Sorry to hear this happened to you, as I hoped that you had fixed your problems with the truck.

FWIW, I re-read that you replaced the box and the borgeson shaft. Did you also replace the hoses and PS pump ?

Chip from Powersteering.com told me that I "could" invalidate his lifetime warranty on the box if I used old parts with the new gear. He said that 20 year old hoses litter the new fluid with internal particles of hose, as well as the pump doing the same. BY replacing the pump with a rebuilt unit, and replacing the hoses, I ensured myself that I wouldn't run into this problem. I also installed an inline "magnefine" PS filter as well on the return side to the pump. This catches any fine particles of metal let loose in the rebuilt pump, if they exist.

IMO, expert advice from the guy who does it every day is worth much more than I paid for the gear....

Hope you can get a new one under warranty.

 

Thanks, unfortunately I didn't buy the box. The guy I bought my truck from had bought the box and gave it to me. I'm gonna get ahold of him and see if he can dig up a recipt.

Was your steering tight at all before changing to the older style box?

 

It was typical dodge sway left and right while compensating with the steering wheel. Now it's as tight as a brand new truck, although it still has the same crappy turning radius. Difference is now, instead of having to turn the wheel a million times to pull into a spot, I just move it 3/4- to 1 turn...

Night and day

 

That is how mine is. After I initially installed the new box, I actually had lock to lock steering. It was fantastic, I could actually pull into a parking space with relative ease. now it seems to go to lock but "pops" back from full lock.

I'm not sure what I'll do at this point. I think my truck is lifted a bit (2" or leveling kit), but am not sure if it enough for crossover.

Thanks for the help.

 

Seeing that all of the 1st gens are at least 20 years old by now, it should be recommended that all 4x4 first gens with cummins motors retrofit to the reverse rotation style box with cast iron frame mount, along with the mopar frame triangulation brace. Better than a stick in the eye and much better than a cracked frame. As a reminder, these frame cracks, and steering box 4x4 plate cracks started showing themselves way back into the early 1990's. Of course those trucks that failed early probably had the worst case of most weight and deep offset aftermarket rims with oversized tires.

I base this opinion off the fact that many stock trucks with stock tires are now experiencing frame fatigue.

 

papecat doing that would be like taking off the turbo and saying that is better for the Motor . yes some have had good result's by going backward's in design but I have owned dodges for Decades and have Never cracked a frame I rolled a crewcab it never twisted the frame or anything . If the owner's of a 4x4 should do anything they should go Cross over steering route that's the best thing you can do too theses truck's .but this is just My 2 Cent's anyway I would Never go back to cast bracket Yuk .

 

I'd go crossover now if I could, but I don't think my truck is lifted enough. I need to figure out how I want to go about the lift before I can think about doing crossover(I really want to get rid of the blocksin the rear). I believe it has a rancho 2" lift and I can't deal with it riding worse than it does.

 

I have double block's and maybe it's because I have a Long wheel base but truck rides really Nice .good enough even with unballanced tires I could let go of wheel and it goes smoothly down road .

 

Your opinion on anyone with a 4x4 is simply that.. your opinion. What you fail to take into account is that the crossover was designed for "LIFTED TRUCKS" and from what I gather, reading here, no one has perfected an aftermarket kit for the stock height ride trucks yet, as the suspension constraints are too tight between the leafs and frame, not to mention that you lose your anti-sway bar in the process.


Not everyone wants to ride around in a lifted truck with oversized tires, and considering almost every Peterbuilt, Mack, International, Mitsubishi, most Class 8 trucks and heavier still use the "Yuk" design you despise so much where the gear and drag link parallel the frame, I guess the large truck manufacturers should be calling you for your advice on what design they should utilize to make their trucks work better.


If I was going to significantly lift my truck, crossover would be the way to go, otherwise, tried and true works for me.

 

well comparing our truck's to class 8 is kinda wild isn't it ? there is a Hugh difference between the two .they got rid of that cast bracket a long time ago due to they came up with different disign's that's all I was saying I was not knocking what you did with your truck that is up too you with how you build it but if you also notice you can't run big wheel's with that type of set/up either because the arm will hit the tire . To each there own you do it your way I will do it Mine it's all good and we can both give our point of view .

 

Agreed.... .
... just not in a stock height truck

 

It's all good in the Hood