In an effort to isolate a problem that the dealer has chosen not to pursue, I need your help. In recent posts, I have explained an odd feeling that I have in my steering on my 2 month old truck. There is a non-responsive dead zone on either side of the 12 O'clock position on the steering wheel. It causes the truck to feel like it is floating. The best way to describe it is if you had a ton of weight in the bed or a really tongue heavy trailer, the front of the truck would lift causing a lack of responsive steering due to less pressure on the front tires. This is what I feel ALL THE TIME.

I crawled under the truck today and noticed two things: 1) when I grab the steering shaft (from the steering wheel) right before it enters the steering box and turn it, there seems to be quite a bit of play. 2) The steering linkage that has the steering dampner attached to it has quite a bit of play at each knuckle. Is this normal?

Next time you guys and gals are under your trucks, will you perform two quick tests to see if you have this play in those two components and either respond back or PM me? I'm trying to isolate the problem, and since I felt play in those two parts, I figured I'd start there.

I appreciate your help greatly.

LT

 

how many miles on the truck???

 

3550 Miles. I just cannot figure it out. This is my dream truck and every time I get in and drive it, this stinkin problem always makes me sad and worried.

 

I'll check mine tomorrow.

Mine seems to feel pretty tight while driving. Nothing like you describe.

 

have a helper get in the front seat and rock the steering wheel back and forth...while they rock it look for excess play in the tie rod joints and trac bar joint.

 

I'll get my pregnant wife to step outside into the sunshine tomorrow and do just that. In regards to the track bar, I noticed that there is no "joint" on the trackbar. Both ends appear to have large bolts going through two metal flanges, one welded to the frame and the other welded to the axle. Did they get rid of that "knuckle" design in 07'?

If you have any more ideas or if you have experienced this same feeling please let me know.

Thanx,

LT

 

hmmm I thought 07's where the same??????
can you take pic's of the trac bar joints and post them???
should be a tierod end of some sort on there is it just a rubber bushing???

 

I'll get some pics tomorrow. It appears that both ends of the track bar have an eye with a bushing in it throught which a large bolt passes and attaches to the flanges I mentioned.

 

Track bars were changed in 03.........

Bob

 

I'll go out today and check mine.
Will

 

Here are a couple pics of the trac bar ends.





And I checked the steering linkage and there is no play in any of the joints. The shaft the enters the steering gear though has a little bit of play. Measured at the u-joint right above the steering gear I would say there is about a 1/4" of play. While driving the steering is very tight with no float or wander.
Hope that made sense
Will

 

wmonroe, thank you for taking those pics. The two joints that appear loose on my truck are captured in your first photo at the tire and your second photo in the upper left corner of the photo. Do you think I ought to get a cheater bar and try and crank down on those things?

Thank you again.

 

I wouldn't do anything yourself. Keep after the dealer , or find a new one and get it handled. Trying anything yourself may upset the service guy ( shouldn't matter though! Won't void your warranty)Keep all your records of service and threaten a buyback if they cannot make it right. Ask them to go for a ride with you in yours, and then ask if you can test drive a new one to compare. Let them dirve both vehicles as well and see if they can notice anything then. Keep your chin up!

 

hers something that might help you with the dealer it might work or it might not take the truck where they do DOT inspections (that is for the commercial trucks they are all required to have them) they have to check the steering for the proper amount of play see if the inspector can determine if it is bad are not they will check all the steering components he might find something and write it down and you can take it to the dealer. it might work or it might not give it a try

 

There should be ZERO play in any of the joints after the steering sector (and also balljoints) and there shouldn't be enough play in anything else to have a sloppy steering wheel feeling in anything that new. At least that's the way it was when I used to do safety inspections that were mandated by the DOT. If I let something like that go, my license was in jeopardy. I didn't have a choice about fixing the problem. That was almost 40 years ago and I doubt if the rules got any more lenient. You might want to remind your dealer about DOT regs! Craig