i have a 06 dodge regular cab dually with 50k on it now and it likes to i guess youd call it wonder going down the road. you are always having to correct it because it likes to drift side to side to the point were i feel like some one driving in an old cartoon where there going strait but keep turning the wheel left and right. ball joints are tight and changed about 8k ago along with a 4 wheel alignment and did it before and after the alignment, tires are good not chopped or any thing good tread wear with about 50% left on them and every thing else feels tight in the front end no play. the stearing wheel is tight no play in the wheel side to side to make the truck turn. cant figure it out, any ideas?

 

What ball joints did you use? MOOG? I did, and I have the same problem now, left to right wander. Apparently, someone took their ball joints apart and they were crappy.

 

Your BJ's were bad, and you switched them. Did it happen just after the new BJ's were put on?

I read that Moog was refunding money for the BJ's now.

I'd start there, don't trust that they look tight! The problem is they bind under load, and hold the direction they are in and then when you correct they hold that new direction and you end up driving like a fish swims.

 

i wanna say it was doing it before did them but cant remeber how bad and it could have been just because the ball joints in the truck were bad but that was probubly alittle over half a year ago. so not really sure it was as bad before

 

Yeah, it happened right when I switched them. It was not bad enough for me to tear every thing apart again, so I said screw it. With the size of my tires, they'll probably take a poo again soon anyhow.

 

Tire rods, steering gear or a hoofed steering stabilizer will do that too. The only way it steers right is if everything is good.

 

So where do you find info on the Moog recall/refund? I looked online, but only found a recall for acura and hondas or something.

 

so if it does come down to being the ball joints what brand would be recomended

 

McQuay Norris or XRF.

Don't throw parts at it! Just replace those BJ's. First thing I would do is check the caster, be sure it is at least 3.4 on each side, some guys are running up to 6.

If the caster is okay and it still drives sloppy, replace those BJ's.

 

One of our guys here took his off after fighting them and MOOG wanted them back. They said they were checking into complaints.

You'd have to search for who it was and check with him, but I'd take them back to the vendor and demand a refund.

 

This thread has got me to wondering why my truck started wandering right after getting new ball joints.

I had about 97K on the meter and noticed that I was hearing a "clunking" sound when turning a sharp corner. I kinda figured that it might be a u-joint on the front axle. Had it diagnosed at a dealer and they agreed that the u-joints were making noise and there was some free-play in the ball joints and they needed replacing also. But they wanted too much money.

I had a former Dodge dealer do the work and they put in MOOG ball joints, and I noticed the wandering right away. I took the truck back to them and they double-checked the alignment and said everything was "in spec." But the truck still wanders.

I have had this truck since new, and I really enjoyed the way it steered. Nice and straight with little or no input from the steering wheel. Now it wants to wander back and forth in the lane and I am constantly correcting it.

I don't know what to do now because I can't really prove that it is the MOOG ball joints that are causing the problem.

I do have a related question. Can the upper ball joints be replaced? or are they an integral part of the upper control arm.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

DMH

 

DMH,

Do a MOOG search on here and you'll learn a lot about people's struggles. You can replace just the BJ's and when it fixes the trouble you'll have proven it's the MOOG's.

I steer with one finger. You should too!

 

I do too, and mine's had Moogs for about 14 months now...

 

I won't say EVERY MOOG is bad... But I will say that many guys have had bad ones.

If you change your BJ's with MOOG's and your truck starts to wander.... It's probably the MOOG's.

 

Thats great I put XRF in my truck. Ive used moog for years in other applications,but I wont take a chance after reading about them on here. Just Saying! Way to much work to take a chance.