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Death WoBBBBLLLLEEEEE - Power Steering?

k5freak44

1/2 ton status
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Jun 1, 2004
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Texas
Alright guys, its back and im angry. Its embarrasing wobbleing my way around and i need to fix it.

Could it be my power steering pump?

My fluid is bad i know that - it smells bad and looks burnt. Should i flush it?

What is a good setting to set my alignment to with 36in bias tires?

What is the easyest way to measure alignment in my garage?

I have been trying to use string and other things with tape, but i dont know how accurate i am.

Thanks for the help, i hope this is my last DW thread.

-Jonathan
 
check your ball joints and tie rods is the wobble at speed . my steering box bolts were loose and frame cracked . I tightened them and the wobble got better , still a little vibration at highway speeds but noticeably better check your steering stabilizer and wheel balance too . hope this helps
 
lol this isint the first time i have posted my DW woes on CK5

Heres the list of things i have checked/done

Tierod ends - new
Draglink - new
Balljoints- new
Bearings - good

Things Im Doing now-

Welded Cracks - Cracks weldedd
Boltin Brace - Will be bolted In Tomarro
Tighten Box Bolts -THey will be tight
Setting Alignment - thot i got it done myeslef, not sure, so im taking it in to be done
Balancing tires- waiting on innovative balancing balls in mail

My Stabilizer Is Probably Destroyed Due to the wobble but the last time i replaced it it didnt do much.

Burnt Power Steering Fluid - Culprate?

And it wobbles BAD - Worse Now then EVER!! at 20-45 mph

Thanks - jonathan
 
check the rims...

Did you check the rims??--a little bent spot can cause a lot of wobble at speed..I had a MAG wheel that was real bent,and I thought they would crack before bending!..didn't notice it until I tried balancing the wheel on a balancer machine,and it nearly shook itself off!.. :crazy:
 
It wobbles worse when i rotate the tires. :mad: I wish it was the rims, because ill be going 8 lug up front soon.
 
Have the alignment shop check the caster angle. If there isn't enough caster on one of these rigs then the death wobble will really kick in. It's sorta like that one wobbly wheel on a shopping cart. :wink1:
 
Spring bushings front and rear, if they are toasted, can cause a death wobble. Worth a check. Also check axle fastners (ubolts)
Also check your collaspable steering shaft, the tinyist bit of play there can cause massive play in what you feel at the wheel. How to check is in an old-post..here...

Problem:Worn Tie-Rod ends
How to Check: Raise front of truck, grab a front tire on the fore-aft axis, wiggle and watch for tie-rod slop

Problem: Ball Joint Wear
How to Check: Raise front of truck. grab a front tire on the up-down axis, wiggle and watch for ball joint slop. Lower truck, watch for any movement in ball joint slop as weight is transferred onto wheels from jack.

Problem: Loose Front Wheel Bearings
How to Check: Same as for the ball joints, but the tire wiggles too much and you don't see the play in your ball joints, your wheel bearing require adjustment for replacment.

Problem: Drag Link Wear
How to Check: Raise front of truck. Have a helper turn the steering wheel back&forth while you hold on to the front drivers tire, watch for slop in the drag link. Also grabbing the drag link with your hand and wiggle can show the wear sometimes too.

Problem: Loose Collapsable Steering shaft
How to Check: Get two pairs of vice grips, clamp one pair on lower section, one pair on upper section, grab both pairs and attempt to wiggle in opposite directions. If ANY play is detected, replace the shaft. This is the most overlooked piece of the steering system and usally is the second most common cause of loose steering on these trucks.

Problem: Loose Rag joint
How to Check: This isn't as common. Raise front of truck. Have a helper turn the steering wheel back and forth while you watch the rag joint. Look for play.

Problem: Cracked Frame
How to Check: With truck on ground, have a helper turn the steering wheel (Truck can be running for power assist) and look for frame wiggle in the area of the steering box. Also, with engine off, simply inspect the frame around the steering box. Cracks usally show up on the top of the frame rail and just infront of the forward bolt holes (hidden, unless you can weasel of look at the inside/back side of the frame rail, which usally requires a mirror)

Problem: Spring fasterns/bushings/mounts
What to do: Tighten your spring and axle fasteners, they may be loose. Check for bad spring bushings front & rear. Check the sway bar bushings as well. If you've put lift blocks on our front axle, remove them, they are dangerous and illegal in most states and a very likly cause of loose steering.

Myth about steering box adjustment:
There is a common myth that adjusting the allen bolt on the top of your steering box will tighten steering. This is just a myth. What is will do is place more preload internally on the sector shaft and cause you to have to put more effort into turning the wheel (More torque required to turn). It will not remove any "play" from the system. If you have sloppy steering or the truck is wandering and tough to control, adjusting this WILL NOT help you at all. Additionaly, if you adjust it improperly, and place too much pre-load on the sector, it will break, leaving you without steering, and in a potentially very bad situation. People like to belive this myth because it is easy and free. But it won't help with sloppy steering. So avoid it. Adjusting this properly requires removing the box and putting it on a "tool" or machine that will tell you exactly where the pre-load should be. It is adjusted at the factory and requires no furthur adjustment.
 
i agree, have a GOOD alignment shop check the caster angle, on a ball joint axle with all new components, that about all there is left is caster that would cause death wobble. good luck

ryan
 
Not that it will solve your DW (though it looks like you've already received plenty of ideas!) but a simple tranny cooler on the PS line will be a big help.

Crossover steering and big tires will add a LOT more heat into the PS pump and fluid. Even a cheapie aluminum finned cooler will help drop those temps for you... only takes a few minutes to do. IIRC, splice in on the "return" side since there's less pressure in the lines???? (Can't remember if this is true or myth?)

Well....the PS cooler is good advice, even if some of the other details are fuzzy. :D
 
If the caster is out, there's not much to do to correct it. Most shops won't do it and will just tell you it cannot be corrected, replace your axle.
There are a couple of options though, if you bought Moog ball joints, you should have received two sleeves (you did replace the sleeve when you did the ball joints right?), one normal sleeve and one oblong. You can use the oblong sleeve, if one knows what they are doing, but I've yet to see it used successfully. The other option is tapered shim on the spring plate, but not such a hot idea on the front.
 
Im pretty sure my 91 has a cooler.

Thanks for all the help guys, i have alot of work to go do now.

Jonathan
 
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