bishgeo

I just put bigger tires on my truck.Not that big 285"s. I had the alignment done but ever since it seems to be wondering around in the road.I have to work the steering wheel constantly to keep it straight.I don't know if a new steering damper would help or not.

Hemi Cat

Try putting more air in the tires. Check your toe adjustment. Check your rear leaf spring bushings and shackle bushings.

bishgeo

The alignment was just done.The truck only has 75k on it it better not have anything wore out on it.The tires have the 60 pound max in them.

Raspy

bishgeo,

I don't think a new damper will help at all. Bigger tires do tend to steer the truck a little more than smaller ones but not much. I'd look for play in the steering box first. Did you drive it at all with the big tires before the alignment and notice the same condition? I wonder if they did not get it right.

Wetspirit

MnTom

Something else to think of..............Dodge has such large paramaters that even though the front end has been aligned to spec's they still wander. Try looking here and see if the numbers are close: http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/specs/00_steer_specs.html . I had an alignment done at one place and it wandered real bad.Turned out that there was no toe in at all. I added a slight amount of toe in and it drove 1000% better.
Tom

bishgeo

Talked to a guy today at a well established front end shop who also owns a dulley diesel.He looked a my truck and said he didn'y think an allignment would help.He said the large tread blocks on my tires were most likley the cause.Because it was not bad at all with the 265 atx's but real wobbly on the 285 timberlines.Maybe this is what happens when you go from an E rated tire to an D rated.?

Raspy

bishgeo,

If you aren't loaded and the tires are pumped up hard I can't see how D vs E could make it wander. They are bigger and will probably have a small affect for that reason. What a drag. As I mentioned in my earlier post, did you check the steering box play? Mine is getting loose and I'm just waiting for better weather to get under there and adjust it. Bigger tires always come with a little negative. Did you get new wheels too? Maybe with more offset?

Wetspirit

wv smoker

My company truck (01 2500 gasser), did the same thing at about 70k miles w/285's and a new track bar helped a lot. It still had a little wander so the garage guys aligned the front and replaced the steering stabilizer......drove better than new..... Has 110k on it now, about due for another one.....

bishgeo

Same wheels,ordered a new damper from the local 4x4 guys.The guy at the front end shop said he could tighten up the steering box but that would just make it harder to steer.It may just be the tire.My bro in law put the same tire on his truck and said his feels a little loose too.Is the track bar the same as a sway bar,I just can,t see things wore out at 76K.

wv smoker

I said in the earlier post they replaced the track bar at 70k, but I forgot about the one at 35k, must be a high wear part on these trucks. They bought several Dodges in 01 and I know a lot of them have had the t-bar replaced several times since new. We use these trucks very hard in our work(building and repairing power lines) and don't cut them any slack, we use them and try not to abuse them. So you probably couldn't compare with a personal vehicle. I had a 99 dually last year that the t-bar was bad on also. The t-bar is a bar that connects the front axle to the frame and has joints on the ends like tie rods, doesn't take much wear to let the whole assembly shift side to side and cause the truck to wander....don't know if that is your problem, but that is usually the first thing a shop will check. .....

infidel

It depends on the type of driving you do how long the trackbar will last. Pot holed roads are the worst, I've seen bars shot in 25k.
I know a lot of guys with large tires will add a second stabilizer, doesn't cost much and might help in your case.
Another thing to do while you're underneath with someone else turning the steering wheel slightly back and forth besides checking the trackbar (you should see no visable movement on the driver's side end) is to look at the steering box sector shaft where the pitman arm attaches. It should stay in one place and not move side to side. Sometimes the entire frame will flex, if so a DSS may be in your future. Read about it here http://www.solidsteel.biz/product_dss.htm

bishgeo

I found a lot of other post's on trac bars.I will check mine out,you would think the front end shop would have checked them.If it's bad I might as well get a new one from napa with a lifetime garantee.Some of the other aftermarket mods look great but I just don't have the 3 or 4 hundred after spending 700 on tires.I drive 100 miles a day to work I just need it to handle better.

infidel

I use Napa trackbars. No question at all when I take one in for a trade in.
Make them write lifetime warranty on the reciept to cover yourself if you need to go to a Napa in another town.
Napa number for all 12 valve bars is 272-4229, I'm almost certain the 24s have the same one.