Over the last few days I have noticed my steering seemed strange. The last 2 night I have heard a popping noise from the front suspension when taking off with the wheels turned. Now my steering wheel is off center a little and the steering seems non-responsive. I do have a lifted truck and I did have to go in after the lift (last summer) because my wheel was a bit off-center. I need to get down to Les Schwab but am trying to guess what it might be. Can ANYONE provide some insight?

 

I would guess you have somthing badly worn and is about to fall off the truck...
jack her off the grd. get under there wit a pry bar (pickle fork?) and go thrue every tie rod and ball joint and pitman arm and ect. untill you find the culpret (loose steering box?)
The trouble with raised vehicles if done not quite right they can generate more forces on componets then they were ever disighned to do.
t.m.o. exit stage left evvven

 

Thanx.......gonna go down in a few and see what I can find. Appreciate the input.

 

Take a real careful look at the track bar, it fails where it mounts to the frame on the driver's side. The end will look like a cheap tie rod end.

If it gets too loose, you will wander all over the road and have very indistinct steering.

It it is loose at all, replace it. NAPA sells a lifetime guaranteed version for way less than Dodge, but the hands down best replacment for rough service is from www.dtprofab.com.

The other thing to check is the pitman shaft gear tension bolt. It is on top of the steering box, has a lock nut and an adjusting bolt. Take it down to just touching firmly, then back it off a frog hair. You want just under 1/32" of clearance.

 

I went down and looked and where the power steering connects to the suspension, there is a kind l shaped bracket that is about 5 inches long. At one end there is a bushing that is split. It looks like this could be the culprit. I don't know the tech. terms for these parts but it is where the steering is applied to the suspension.


Sound familiar?

 

Is it the arm on the bottom of the steering box???...or mabe you can post a picture??

 

Exactly......I called Les Schwab and they said to come by....it is still under warranty. It is the bushing at the lower end of that arm. Sound expensive if LS won't fix it?

 

It's not a biggy the arm is probly 65.00 and probly 3/4 hr to fix it, I'd say you would be out of there for a 199.00 bucks ...now tell me if I was close

 

Just got back from LS......a major bolt on my lift sheared off....
they did not reccommend driving home but cant replace the lift until Mon. :'(
Looks like a day off.....103.75 for the Jeeep I rented and no CTD for my girlfriend in town from Seattle.........oh well, the Jeep is 4x4.....2004.......and there's plenty of snow and mud holes for us to explore!

Thanks for the help! ;D

Tom