Odd steering issue recently arose in my brick.

Last year, I installed the RR steering, and since then the truck has handled perfectly (for a brick, that is). No real issues to speak of.

Now I'm getting a weird issue that so far, I'm stumped. This happens so infrequently, I don't really have much of an idea on where to look.

While making a turn (lefts more than rights), when the turn is complete, I'm used to the truck "re-centering" itself and continue to drive forwards after the turn. On a couple occasions ( I can count 5 times in the last month +) the truck fails to re-center, and I have to manually turn the steering wheel back towards the other side to not head off the road. It's almost as if there is something stuck and preventing the truck from returning to forwards after the turn. Again, so infrequent, I cannot even replicate it if I wanted to, but it just happens out of the blue. No correlation between Hot engine, cold engine or weather that I can find.

What I've checked:

King pins seem to be tight, although I'm going to rebuild them before winter.

Front U-joints in the axle were replaced last october

Just replaced the steering fluid filter, and there was no debris whatsoever inside.

TRE's are still tight after 20 years..... I cannot believe it. I tried to get them to show any looseness, but they wouldn't... so I just re-greased them

From last year...
Drag link is new
Steering gear is new
Intermediate shaft is new.
Brakes are new
Bearings are new in hubs


So, I guess since it's happened about 5 times in the last month, I'll just have to be aware of it until it keeps happening enough to diagnose properly.

 

sounds like something somewhere is not getting enough grease and has a dry spot?

 

I think it could be 2 things SAI or a bad axle u joint. For it to be SAI I think it would need to be king pins. It's difficult to check for worn kingpins. If I had to pick one I would blame the u joints. (I know they are new)

 

Hey T, I may have a clue for you. After I changed my key cylinder a month or so ago, I noticed that the steering wheel started to make a squeaking sound, like it was rubbing on something. I also noticed that sometimes the wheels don't always straighten out, just like you describe. I was busy with the ac and my trip down here, so I didn't get around to pulling the wheel to see what happened. It is like I over tightened the nut or something, if that is possible. When I get home, Sunday I hope, I am going to pull the wheel again to see what happened. Didn't you do your lock cylinder also? I do know that it is king pin inclination that sets caster, which is what causes the return of the wheels to straight. This is not adjustable on our trucks. unless you somehow rotate the axle. My kingpins were replaced recently, as well as the front u-jonts so I am sure it is related to the squeek in my steering wheel...Mark

 

Today, I greased everything on the front end... again, and I locked the hubs.

So far, made no difference, nor has it happened again. I, so far, have not been able to replicate this issue, although I do think it has something to do with the king pins... since they are the only thing that I haven't touched.

I'll just keep driving it and see what happens.


Thanks for the suggestions, as I really do appreciate your (all of you) experience, and help.

BTW,

Mark,

I did change my ignition cylinder (lock), but this started before I did that. It happened about 6 weeks ago. Didn't happen for about a week and a half, happened again, then nothing for a week, then happened again. I don't have to remove my steering wheel, as I have tilt column. I just had to remove the covers.

 

What is an SAI ?

Sorry for not being up on the linguistics here.

 

The king pins would make sense if they are badly worn. Like I said, it is the front/back inclination that sets caster. Badly worn pins just might affect caster...Mark

 

Steering axis inclination, same as what I know a king pin inclination, we both said the same thing with different terms...Mark

 

I tried jacking up the truck today, using a bar, yada yada yada..

I couldn't get the kingpins to move, other than how they're supposed to move.

I understand that Ball joints give play when barring the tire, but I couldn't get these suckers to move. Ultimately, I'll use the sticky to replace the kingpins before winter.... or sooner if this keeps up, or happens again... IF ?


BTW, about a year ago, I replaced the UPPER plastic cups on the upper king pin. Just as a "maintenance" thing. Metal wasn't worn that I could tell, but the plastic cup had seen better days.


If anything the bottom KP is probably the culprit

 

My king pins did not move either and you may recall that they were not only bad, they were cracked. I think that the spring, cap setup is so strong that it can take up a lot of slop. Anyhoo, they should be changed anyway. Ball joints are a much weaker setup, in my opinion, and the slop is easier to find...Mark

 

Im leaning t'wards the u-joints. But not very much

Before you dig into them of anything else separate the pitman from draglink steer L&R easy & slowly

tilt up tilt dw tilt strait.

motor running motor off.

Steering column rebuild is not uncommon.

 

Mine did that. Was told that in the actual input shaft of the steering box that there is a valve. Can't remember if it happens when it gets stuck open or closed but it will cause it to not recenter. Can't say how sure the facts of that are but I flushed my box in both directions and it fixed my problem.

Mine was also too infrequent to replicate. So I assumed it was a piece of dirt or maybe some foil off of the bottle that would flow, get stuck, then release and cause the intermittent problem. I never did get to see what it was as I used a dirty oil catch pan. Although I'm not sure if yours gets completely stuck and won't turn at all but when mine didn't return to center I could still actually turn the wheel to center it on my own

 

Any power steering malfunction will make it not recenter, and also tend to wander. Mine work truck acted intermittently like the whole front end was shot and all that was wrong is the power steering fluid was low.

 

One U-joint had a little rusty grease in it, which is difficult to believe, considering they have less than 5K on them, but nothing is made to last now a days, right ?

When I take the front end apart to do the KP's, I can try this.


That's exactly what happened... on the rare occasion that it happened.

I can re-center it myself, but it was just a bit of a shock to not have it happen on it's own.

I really don't think it's the gear, but anything is possible. I use a magnefine PS filter on it, and the fluid is sparkling clean. So clean that when I replaced the filter (after a year of driving it ) I felt like I wasted my time changing it out. I was going to cut up the filter, but figured... why bother.'

I'll drive it around for a while and see what happens. I'll read Mark's "doing my kingpins thread" a few hundred times and order me some new KP's. DTS should have them and I can look forwards to taking my truck apart AGAIN...

 

Currently on a weekend getaway with the boys and just heard a story last night that a Superduty had your same issues, and it turned out to be the ujoints.
A little rust in one? I would check them out.