Steering slop, am I nuts?

[skylark]

Our 2000 dually has always had steering slop but it had bad ball joints and a bad pitman arm when we bought it. The pitman was replaced in the first 125 miles and we replaced all 4 ball joints a ways down the road. The slop was always better but it was never right. I had a strange "hammering" feeling in the steering wheel that went away when I gave the steering box a bit more preload and the slop was MUCH better so I knew that a steering box was in order. I ordered up a quality box from a highly regarded supplier and while swapping the box I found a bad rag joint. I replaced them both and I expected it to steer like a new truck because everything it tight. I was quite surprised to find slop! It is only about 1/2" but it is maddening. I have 3 other 400's here (89,90,93) with over 600,000 mile combined on them and they don't have the slop that my 103K 2000 has. Am I nuts to expect zero slop? The truck does need an alignment but that won't effect the slop. I didn't want to do an alignment until after I was done with the front end.

 

[Keepinitoldskool]

Our 2000 dually has always had steering slop but it had bad ball joints and a bad pitman arm when we bought it. The pitman was replaced in the first 125 miles and we replaced all 4 ball joints a ways down the road. The slop was always better but it was never right. I had a strange "hammering" feeling in the steering wheel that went away when I gave the steering box a bit more preload and the slop was MUCH better so I knew that a steering box was in order. I ordered up a quality box from a highly regarded supplier and while swapping the box I found a bad rag joint. I replaced them both and I expected it to steer like a new truck because everything it tight. I was quite surprised to find slop! It is only about 1/2" but it is maddening. I have 3 other 400's here (89,90,93) with over 600,000 mile combined on them and they don't have the slop that my 103K 2000 has. Am I nuts to expect zero slop? The truck does need an alignment but that won't effect the slop. I didn't want to do an alignment until after I was done with the front end.

The only upgrade steering box I would spend money on is a redhead unit. I have tried others and they still had slop. Tried a redhead unit and it was as tight as a Porsche.

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[454cid]

A Redhead box?

I got a Mexican rebuilt AC-Delco from Amazon, when I paid to have mine replaced....... I needed a pitmarm arm and on a 4x4 the box normally comes out, by the book, so I replaced the box, too.

 

[Cadon69]

Our 2000 dually has always had steering slop but it had bad ball joints and a bad pitman arm when we bought it. The pitman was replaced in the first 125 miles and we replaced all 4 ball joints a ways down the road. The slop was always better but it was never right. I had a strange "hammering" feeling in the steering wheel that went away when I gave the steering box a bit more preload and the slop was MUCH better so I knew that a steering box was in order. I ordered up a quality box from a highly regarded supplier and while swapping the box I found a bad rag joint. I replaced them both and I expected it to steer like a new truck because everything it tight. I was quite surprised to find slop! It is only about 1/2" but it is maddening. I have 3 other 400's here (89,90,93) with over 600,000 mile combined on them and they don't have the slop that my 103K 2000 has. Am I nuts to expect zero slop? The truck does need an alignment but that won't effect the slop. I didn't want to do an alignment until after I was done with the front end.

You would think all that would make it nice and tight. I only bring this up because I am seeing this weird issue in my 95 c1500. I have noticed that I have some slop that appears to be coming from the ujoint just behind the dash on the steering column. Before I found I even did the jeep shaft replacement thinking it was the rag joint. I have no idea if the ujoint I am talking about can be replaced. I can get a picture if needed to show the one I am talking about. It's driving me nuts when I drive especially on the freeway at high speeds, it makes staying in the lane a little scary when there are other vehicles around.

 

[skylark]

The only upgrade steering box I would spend money on is a redhead unit. I have tried others and they still had slop. Tried a redhead unit and it was as tight as a Porsche.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

I wasn't going to say quite yet but it is a redhead. All of the slop is in the box. I can watch the steering shaft vs the ptiman and see that all slop is in the box.

 

[Birchyboy]

It's possible that you have a bad steering wheel position sensor. A bad sensor can make the steering system overboosted and create a sudden jerk when driving around a corner. Mine did it at about 45mph and it scared the out of me. It's a $40 part from Amazon and takes about 20 minutes to change.

 

[Keepinitoldskool]

I wasn't going to say quite yet but it is a redhead. All of the slop is in the box. I can watch the steering shaft vs the ptiman and see that all slop is in the box.

Really I am surprised to hear this. I would call them up. They will send a replacement right away.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[sewlow]

It's possible that you have a bad steering wheel position sensor. A bad sensor can make the steering system overboosted and create a sudden jerk when driving around a corner. Mine did it at about 45mph and it scared the out of me. It's a $40 part from Amazon and takes about 20 minutes to change.

After replacing the one in my '98 2X, I just disconnected that POS. One wire down close to the floor on the base of the column.
Drives fine. No probs. Worked so well, I did to my '97 the day I got it, & put the $40.00 in my pocket!

 

[sewlow]

"...am I nuts?"
Rhetorical 'Q', or were you really looking for an answer to that?
Although it does help when married to a redhead!

 

[96Z71ECSB]

After replacing the one in my '98 2X, I just disconnected that POS. One wire down close to the floor on the base of the column.
Drives fine. No probs. Worked so well, I did to my '97 the day I got it, & put the $40.00 in my pocket!

I wonder if my '96 has that. I guess I'll have to take a looksee.
I'm with sewlow concerning that POS. I'll just disconnect mine, if it has one.