I agree

I’m a believer that the dampers are helping to hide the problem
Remove them both before you troubleshoot. Maybe then the problem will become easier to pinpoint


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

absolute best way i have found to look for play (solo) is with a cheap flexible tripod and my smart phone (go pro can work also)

no jacking up the truck just focus on the individual tie rod ends and ball joints as you turn the wheels back and forth

i pull my stabilizers every so often and check them for consistant movment in and out

your steering gear could well be the issue

 

Wow. Super fast responses guys!

I've long thought about one of those tripods... it may shoot to the top of the list.

It sounds like aside from smartphone check, I should remove the steering stabilizers and move the steering gear up a few spots on the truck list? I've cranked the gear a half a turn and it helped a little, but I still have 10:30-1:30 sawing in the wheel that is definitely in the box. I also keep blowing the lid off the reservoir but I think that's a different issue.

Sigh... I really want a redhead, but I don't want to pay for a redhead

 

adjusting the gear on the truck is not the proper procedure but that being said i took 3 full turns of the allen adjuster on my box when i first bought my truck 7 years ago

it had a horrible amount of play and the dealer said it was normal lol


just do not bind up the sector if you do the DIY adjustments

 

What is the proper procedure then? I just did what the internet told me but after a half a turn I got scared and decided it probably just needed replaced. Seems like more of a band-aid anyway

 

When was the last time the alignment was checked. Also on those years you really need a second person to shake the wheel while you look a the track bar bushings. You will NOT be able to get the movement by just jacking up the front end. You will need the vehicle on the ground and use the power steering to see the movement in the bushings. If the axle is moving side to side under the frame there is your bump steer. Most the time with a jerk style drivability issue on the 99-04 trucks its the track bar. Dodges are very bad for this also and develop death wobble like the Fords do in the 05+ platforms. The 99-04 leaf sprung fronts usually just jerk left or right and that's it.

Also this year alone so far we have installed over 25 Red Head boxes. ALL felt like brand new trucks when driving down the road after. Do it right and do it once. FWIW

 

Dang you guys are in a helpful mood today. I hadn't heard of the blue top before but I may look into them as well. $30 cheaper I guess.

I have not checked the track bar bushings but it sounds like that may be step one now. A whole moog track bar is $69 on ebay so that may be the move instead of messing with pressing. I'm more concerned about the 406lb torque spec. Idk how I'm ever going to get that kind of leverage underneath the truck to break them loose.

 

I know it seems like a lot of tourque but harbour freight has a decent big as.s breaker and a pipe may help


my 1/2 impact ( HF Hurricane) will get them on and off

 

Is there enough room to get a breaker and pipe under there? I've got a 1/2" makita impact on my birthday list...

 

I used heat!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Welp, new track bar surprisingly came in the mail today so maybe I'll yank off the stabilizers and try to tackle this job tonight. Wish me luck!

 

alright then the picture is at a bad angle lol
let us know if you had to fight the bolt at all

 

So I wrestled the goofy dual stabilizer off the truck last night but decided to hold off on the track bar until a test drive.

I drove it today and the bump steer has gotten significantly better? It also steers much easier. I’m super confused. Really my only complaint was that the steering box is loose but that’s an old one.

Is this logical or an I crazy?

 

YES

If the internals of the stabilizers are bad they will fight the steering and create resistance that will give push back on the steering. Usually see this ALOT on the tire shops that jack the factory 99-04 truck up and the jack will crush the stabilizer just a little and create a memory steer issue, bump steer, or hard turning. I still would be verifying the track bar is good. It is a huge culprit of the bump steer on those models.

 

I haven't had the joy of running this truck with stock wheels and tires as of yet. When I bought it, it had cheap steel 16" wheels on 1/2" spacers with non E-Rated wal-mart mud terrains on it. Not only were they loud, but I had the same bump steer issues as well as wandering and I was always sawing at the wheel.

I bought the platinum wheels and stuck them directly on the hubs way inside of the wheel wells and drove it that way for a few days. It quieted the ride significantly and I no longer thought I had a wheel bearing issue, but the proper tires are STIFF. I think that the stiffness has made my bump steer a little worse as it seems like the truck bounces off the ground when I hit a pothole or railroad track.

I then got proper 2" hubcentric spacers and cleaned the hub/rotors extremely well with a wire wheel and brake cleaner. They're mounted to the hubs with acorn nuts, and the 2013 Platinum wheels are mounted with the proper washer style nuts. The truck gained stability widening it 4" but still had the terrible bump steer until I pulled the stabilizer. About 50 miles now after pulling the stabilizer I can tell it is definitely still there, but much more manageable. I've attached photos I just took.

I'm trying to do everything right and safe. It'll be a little bit until I can get the track bar installed though- I have to pick up a skid steer and dump trailer this weekend. We'll get to see how the old girl does with 14k lbs!

 

....I then got proper 2" hubcentric spacers and cleaned the hub/rotors extremely well with a wire wheel and brake cleaner. They're mounted to the hubs with acorn nuts, and the 2013 Platinum wheels are mounted with the proper washer style nuts. The truck gained stability widening it 4" but still had the terrible bump steer until I pulled the stabilizer. About 50 miles now after pulling the stabilizer I can tell it is definitely still there, but much more manageable. I've attached photos I just took.

I'm trying to do everything right and safe. It'll be a little bit until I can get the track bar installed though- I have to pick up a skid steer and dump trailer this weekend. We'll get to see how the old girl does with 14k lbs!

Good looking pick up man... I can imagine that your roll stability got a ton better with the width, that's one of the reasons we go full width on rock crawlers (aside from the axle strength). However, your bump steer is still gonna be bad because of the spacers. Your steering was designed to accommodate a certain loading, and a certain bump loading with the stock width, so when you widen it with spacers or negative offset back spacing, you increase that loading. Think of it like putting a cheater pipe on a wrench, and the "bolt" is the hinge that your ball joints make.

My suggestion since you've already replaced your track bar is to buy a new stabilizer and see if it improves. Many people say that they mask the problem, and to some effect they're right, but there's a reason they exist. They take the bump loading and relieve the stresses off the other steering components.