In the last 5k miles or so my steering has started something a little goofy. At slow speeds, after a turn like at a city street corner, when I let the wheel go back to straight...it...kind...of...jerks...back...to...th e neutral position in a steady rhythm. It seems to be slightly less noticeable after everything warms up, but is still there.

Any ideas? Small problem, big problem, sign of worse things to come, nothing to worry about?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

Is you truck 4x4 if it is it could be a u joint in the front axle. I just did mine today and it was doing the exact thing you are describing. When I got the shaft out I could only move it one way and it was froze the other.

 

Thanks, yes it's 4x4. Any diagnostic tricks a guy can do short of taking things apart?

 

The way I found mine is to look at the caps and there was rust like powder coming from the bad cap. The u joint was only about 1 year old only had about 20,000 miles on it. I jacked up the front end and turn the steering wheel all the way one way and then turn both wheel by hand and the drivers side tire I could not turn until it was back straight.

 

Sounds like axle u joints.

 

Bingo, U joint was seized. Forgot to follow up on this. My wheel bearing started going bad, squeaking, etc. Wound up installing 2 new wheel bearing assemblies, u joint, and a few other parts that were all rusted and seized up and took a beating to get apart. Right at 100k miles. My mechanic (whom I have trusted for years) says he's recently seen a diesel Ford, Chevy, and now mine all with the same rusted and seized parts at about 100k miles. He figures when they run hot and go through water, condensation just plain gets in there and there's not much a guy can do about it.

Any ideas for preventing this?

 

Buy a 2wd?

56k km and mine were just done under warranty, now I'm going back to get my ball joints done.
The front end of these things a junk aren't they?

 

I think the biggest problem is these parts are all non greasable from the factory Ive replaced all of my u joints with greasable ones even when the truck was still under warranty so the dealer wouldnt put the same wear out because you cant grease them parts