Evenin, DTR...

I recently replaced my ball joints (all 4) with some moog non adjustables.

I went from a mild shimmy from 50-65 mph to a slight drift. Nothing serious, just a little left to right action. The day I did my ball joints is the day the problem changed.


I was thinking about replacing my steering dampener, but don't want to go throwing parts at it.

What say ye?

Thanks.

mad.

 

Have you tried to rotate the tires? If not, I would do this first. After that I would try the damper. How many miles on the truck?

 

There have been several threads on here in past few weeks about the Moog lowers causing similar issues. Once the lowers were replaced with something other than Moog, the problems disappeared. No experience with this myself, I just remember reading through the threads.

 

Get a buddy to slowly turn the wheel back and forth while u watch the tie rod end at the pittman arm. I will bet it will be jumpin. You will probably feel it bangin if you put ur hand on the linkage. 30 or so bucks at napa. while ur under there watch the other tie rod ends for play.

 

Thanks for the replies... I hope it's not the moog lowers... those things are a pain to r and r.

That, and I just had an alignment, and they said it was 5.0.

 

Have you checked your steering gear out ? I just recently put the steering stabilizer bar on mine.Check your pitman arm shaft for play/leakage.I got mine from a steering specialty shop,they told me never to put moog on my truck.They recommended Spicer.

 

I have not.

All this negitive stuff about some Moog's after I put them in... funny...

 

I would inspect the steering box sector shaft for play. Now that you installed new ball joints a problem that may have not been noticeable before is now very noticeable. Look where the pitman arm attaches to the sector shaft. Any rust where the shaft enters the steering box? While lying under the front end, reach up and grab the steering column shaft, lightly work it back and forth, while doing that look for side to side play where the sector shaft enters the steering box. If you have play there then I would suggest that is your wandering problem, not the ball joints. Do not jack the front end up to check this.

 

Mark,

Go take a look at what Sage posted here...it should answer your question about the steering sway...Get those Moog lowers out!!

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...1&postcount=79

from this thread:
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...s-t249840.html

 

Not looking good for the ball joints...

 

From what I hear everyone saying, it's the Moogs.

And look, it didn't do it before the Moogs were in, and now it does it. Hard to argue that the Moogs aren't involved in some way, yet it seems guys will throw a boatload of money at the front end before they bite the bullet and replace the Moogs.

Look at Sage's post. He tore a Moog apart and proved they were poorly designed. All the guys who had the problem replaced the Moogs and the problem went away.

It's the Moogs....

 

After turning does the steering wheel recenter without resistance or do you have to force it to recenter?

I read the posts on the moog ball joints, good info.

 

It re centers. Just going down the road at a steady speed is when it drifts.

 

I got the same problem Moog lowers also. It didn't do this before when old ball joints were in. When changed i noticed I constantly fought the wheel and still do. I guess it is time to get different lower ball joints any suggestion?

 

I just replaced everything with Moog and my truck drives like crap now. I did uppers, lowers, all tie rods and ends. I did it just before I left for the west coast from Ohio. With the camper on it I fought it across the country and back. IT wore me out. I hate to tear it apart again but I guess I'll have to scrap the moog ball joints from what I am reading here.