Front End Wander

[wrenchmaster]

My truck is all over the road. Tried tighten steering box adjustment but didn't help.

I was thinking about replacing all frowned parts including steering box.

What parts should I use, without having any fabrication.

 

Thanks

Charlie

 

[Dieselfuture]

Don't get me started on front end on these pos's lol and good luck with quality parts these days. I've been sticking to original Spicer and Mopar stuff on that. I just did a T bar style steering and like that, I have an adjustable track bar that's a must I think, but my gearbox might be going out. I had some clunking in steering wheel and thought tierods would do it as they were getting lose but it didn't help clunking, I even changed lower bearing on steering column to a rock solid bushing thinking clunk was there, then I adjusted my gearbox and clunk got better so I think it's in the box. But after the few things I did change my steering is tight now, just some clunking in the wheel wnen going over small bumps. Maybe it's a linkage between column and gear box, but I think it's the box, because after adjustment it's better.

[Marcus2000monster]

10 hours ago, wrenchmaster said:

My truck is all over the road. Tried tighten steering box adjustment but didn't help.

I was thinking about replacing all frowned parts including steering box.

What parts should I use, without having any fabrication.

 

Thanks

Charlie

 

The 2010 t style steering upgrade I have heard is pretty good. Blue top steering gears is a vendor here and has many good reviews. Personally I haven’t used either one becuase I have never done front end work. Here’s a link.

http://www.bluetopsteering.com/apps/webstore/products/show/7304079

Looks like they’re out of stock but you can send yours in for them to rebuild.

[AKjeff]

Charlie, how long have you owned this truck?  Is the wander recent, or has it done it for a while?

I bought a well used '01 two months ago and installed ball joints, tie rod, drag link and track bar.  I use all top shelf NAPA components except the track bar, I'll upgrade that to the 3rd gen style when it goes again.

 

Once I got the toe adjusted right using my neighbors gauge I took up on the steering box and it still wandered.

 

The final piece of the puzzle was tires.  The 33's that were on it were shot from being driven too long with a bad front end.

I found a set of used stock size tires on Craigslist that looked good and have some life left in them.  This truck now drives almost as good as my first '01 did when it was new.

[Mopar1973Man]

Some people have all the bad luck. 

 

Currently 349k miles.

 

Ball joints at 185k still running that second set. AcDelco from RockAuto.

Tie rod ends changed at 340k miles for the first time. Using NAPA parts.

Steering gear box at 335k miles. Blue Top Gear Box installed. My box was still tight just leaking and rusted badly. I damaged the input cap trying to rebuild the gear box.

Still running OEM power steering pump.

Brakes where done back at 180k miles. Still going on OEM rotors.

NAPA track bar not to long ago. (Bad mistake bought a Autozone bar because I needed it now!)

 

Steering is tight like the day I bought the truck brand new in 2002. The whole trick is not to install oversized tires and wheels. The only sized tires I've ever ran was 265/75 R16, 235/85 R16 and now going to switch 245/75 R16 (increase my final ratio to 3.69).

Edited July 17, 2018 by Mopar1973Man

[dripley]

Mine was not tight the day I bought it. It has wandered from day one. Kind of grew to accept it. Even after I rebuilt it was back to new but still liked to wander. Getting close to that day again.

[wrenchmaster]

11 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Some people have all the bad luck. 

 

Currently 349k miles.

 

Ball joints at 185k still running that second set. AcDelco from RockAuto.

Tie rod ends changed at 340k miles for the first time. Using NAPA parts.

Steering gear box at 335k miles. Blue Top Gear Box installed. My box was still tight just leaking and rusted badly. I damaged the input cap trying to rebuild the gear box.

Still running OEM power steering pump.

Brakes where done back at 180k miles. Still going on OEM rotors.

NAPA track bar not to long ago. (Bad mistake bought a Autozone bar because I needed it now!)

 

Steering is tight like the day I bought the truck brand new in 2002. The whole trick is not to install oversized tires and wheels. The only sized tires I've ever ran was 265/75 R16, 235/85 R16 and now going to switch 245/75 R16 (increase my final ratio to 3.69).

what ratio is your rear end?

 

What ratio is your rear axle?

 

[Mopar1973Man]

3.55 rear axle.The inch smaller tire is going to nearly get me to 3.73.