I ordered a Trailmaster steering stabilizer yesterday and it showed up today, so with luck I'll put in on this afternoon and try it out.

It should help my wayward Dodge.

 

I am of the opinion that maintenance of the upper knuckle bushings and springs is crucial for good handling and tie-rod end/drag link longevity.

For around $20 you can replace the upper king pin bushings and springs which will give you tighter steering, less shimmy, and better alignment.

Normally you do not have to change the upper king pins, but even those can be done without taking the knuckle apart . . .

Those spring-loaded bushings are supposed to act as steering dampers.

Just my $.02

 

I agree with you about maintenance on the suspension and steering components, but since I just got this truck I'm doing a little at a time. Valve adjustment is next as it's never had that done and it's got 202,000 miles on it.

Also, I need to replace the tires in the next month or two, and I just had the front end aligned, which helped a lot. I'm not going to bother to have these tires balanced because they are not long for this world.

That steering stabilizer, though, took out 90% of the nasty swerving I was experiencing, and I'll bet new tires and balancing will knock out most of the rest.

Now I can take my hands off the wheel and it tracks pretty darn straight. I'm happy!

 

I am working on these kinds of problems in my truck as well. Shimmying when braking, swerving and diving sometimes. New shocks have helped some, but I've already destroyed one drag link and a set of Toyo ATs in under 25k miles. It doesn't have any perceptible play in the wheel bearings or kingpins, but there is definitely SOMETHING amiss. I did take some ply out of the steering gear, but it didn't help much. I would love to figure out what killed the drag link before I buy another one.

 

You won't necessarily notice any play in the king pin, because it is spring loaded. However, even though it isn't loose, it probably isn't as tight as it should be -- there is actually supposed to be drag on the knuckles from the spring loaded bushing, and the bushings don't wear evenly, which can have an effect (though pretty small) on alignment.

Assuming that the problem isn't that you got a bad drag link, I would double check the tie rod ends and then try replacing the upper king pin bushings and springs.

 

what is involved with replacing the kingpins and bushings? Do I need to remove the knuckles from the truck? if so I might as well do brakes while I'm at it.

 

Duh, just went back and read above and saw the answer to my question...

 

Woodrat --

I used a wire brush on an angle grinder to clean off the cap (pass side) and steering arm, undid the cap screws/ nuts evenly and carefully while holding the knuckle up on a jack, was all ready to pop in new bushings and springs . . . and then decided to replace both king pins, both U-joints, take out & inspect the lower king pin bearing, the spindle bearing& bushings & seals, Rotors . . .

And I really doubt it was worth it.

You will need two new springs and two new bushings and a new gasket (my truck actually had a gasket on both sides, but most people don't use one under the steering arm). You should be able to re-use everything else with no trouble, unless there is rust damage on one of your king-pins.

If you need to change a king pin, you can use a 1/2" extended acorn wheel nut with a 1/2" screw jammed inside it and then a 7/8 6pt socket to get it in and out.

The torque spec is 500 - 600 lb feet, so you can use a scale and a bar if you are reasonably careful to torque them back on.

Taking the spindles off is a PITA -- lots of dirt, seals, bushings, bearings, etc. So I would avaid it unless necessary.

Good luck if you decide to do it, really should just be a matter of popping in new springs and bushes (~ $20 in parts).

Parts Mike Parts on the Web (in CA) had the best prices I found. Local folks only had more expensive "kits" that they had trouble ordering.

 

Those are all things I at least want to look into for mine, but since it tracks straight as hell with the stabilizer, I'm not going to sweat it for now.

The first owner did nothing but load yard waste into the back, and since I think he used 4wd for only winter, I don't have any reason to think anything is seriously off, and other than a moderate buildup of old grease and dirt I think it's okay.

Besides, that stuff is heavy!