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Steering not returning to center

Damn_cajun

Damn_cajun

Registered Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2019
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Location
Imperial Beach
76 K5, TH350, NP203.

So I've been chasing steering issues since I bought this K5 a year ago. I've replace all the steering components. Why wont this truck return to center?! Is this just something everyone puts up with? Or am I just overlooking something. What's the main culprit of the steering not returning to center? I've replaced the steering box and pump 3 times thinking I just keep getting bad ones....

What I've replaced:
Rag joint delete, Borgeson u-joint steering shaft
Red Top steering box
Pitman arm
Steering pump
Crossover steering
Ball joints
Dual stabilizers
2 alignments

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Damn_cajun said:
76 K5, TH350, NP203.

So I've been chasing steering issues since I bought this K5 a year ago. I've replace all the steering components. Why wont this truck return to center?! Is this just something everyone puts up with? Or am I just overlooking something. What's the main culprit of the steering not returning to center? I've replaced the steering box and pump 3 times thinking I just keep getting bad ones....

What I've replaced:
Rag joint delete, Borgeson u-joint steering shaft
Red Top steering box
Pitman arm
Steering pump
Crossover steering
Ball joints
Dual stabilizers
2 alignments

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View attachment 324152
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Did you get an alignment done?
What is your caster angle?
The other thing that will do that is too much preload on the sector shaft in the steering box.
Did you tighten it?
 
Caster is what makes it return to center. Make sure your alignment folks are checking this, sometimes techs just “set the toe and go” on straight axles because they’re afraid of camber & caster since those aren’t easily adjusted.

If that’s not the issue then I’d disassemble all of the steering and move / feel each part individually looking for something that’s too tight or stuck.
 
Might be two steering stabilizer shocks is just too much "drag" for the caster to pull the wheels back to straight ahead ?..
 
nvrenuf said:
Caster is what makes it return to center. Make sure your alignment folks are checking this, sometimes techs just “set the toe and go” on straight axles because they’re afraid of camber & caster since those aren’t easily adjusted.

If that’s not the issue then I’d disassemble all of the steering and move / feel each part individually looking for something that’s too tight or stuck.
Click to expand...
Nobody will attempt to adjust my castor! Took it to an off roading shop and they didnt do it. Took it to another shop that was recommended on a forum and they guy even had a squarebody but ended up not doing it. I bet that is the issue since I replaced the ball joints and it never got adjust back probably. Thanks!
 
Yeah, I was a manager at a tire store for a few years and was blown away when I first started and found out techs were bypassing anything more than setting the toe on leaf sprung trucks / Jeeps. They either played dumb or flat out said they didn't want any part of installing caster shims on the springs or even spindle shims and/or ball joint eccentrics for camber. I was not popular. LOL
 
Probably they didn't want to deal with the u-bolts,they would likely have to be replaced...most alignment shops around here are the same way,they only do toe-in and camber on most vehicles,ones with shims at the upper a-frames...they balk at doing anything more than toe-in on 4x4 trucks with solid axles..
They also refuse to touch any vehicle they claim "needs a tie rod end or ball joints",if they detect ANY play at all,they'll tell you either let us replace all the bad parts--or have it done,and bring it back and we'll align it..

Good luck finding a "good" alignment shop..
I do my own toe-in at home,and only take my vehicles somewhere if they still aren't feeling right as far as alignment..most of them are ripoffs..

My friend once took a customers chevy pickup (around a 2000 model) to another shop to get an inspection sticker--the same place that failed it for "loose pitman arm,idler arm,and ball joints"..
He replaced all those items,and the guy jacks it up and shakes the front wheel and says "It needs new ball joints!"...
My friend pulled out the sales slips for the new parts and says "I JUST INSTALLED ALL THESE PARTS!..."THE STICKERS ARE STILL ON THEM!---LOOK UNDER THE TRUCK!"..

Then the guy gives him a dirty look,and goes about checking all the other items required to get an inspection sticker and passes it..
He has never gone back there again..and he had been doing work for the other shop too,fixing things they didn't want to tackle themselves..
 
So I took it to yet another shop. This guys seems he wasnt trying to RIP me of . I showed him the printout of my last alignment. He told me the caster wasnt off too much and didnt think he would be able to solve my issue. Advised me to make sure my ball joints were not too tight. Jack it up, disconnect the tierod and make sure I have free movement. So that's where I'll start for now. Here's a picture of my alignment from earlier this year.

Screenshot_20200102-093847.jpg
 
A free check would be to look at the print outs from the alignments. All newer alignment machines flag out of speck numbers.

If they do not provide them, the shop does not want to deal with the straight axle.

If those show withing speck, pull the dampers and try it. If it returns, add one back on.
 
Last edited:
Found the passenger side ball joints were tight and pretty hard to move the spindle by hand. Lossened them up and removed the dual stabilizer shocks. Deffinitly helped. The steering wheel will no longer stick into a turn but does not completely return to center. Maybe returns to about the 11 and 1 positions after a turn. A lot better than before but can I get perfect results?
 
Damn_cajun said:
Can anyone recommend a shop in San Diego that wont Mess around and do the job right?
Click to expand...

A while back there was a shop in Romona, had an older gentleman, wore bib overalls, if that shop is still in business he will do it right.
My brother had an issue with a 4x4 ranger several shops several times couldn't get it right. The shop in Romona 1 visit was all that was needed. I'll ask my brother if he remembers the name, and get back.
 
Damn_cajun said:
Found the passenger side ball joints were tight and pretty hard to move the spindle by hand. Lossened them up and removed the dual stabilizer shocks. Deffinitly helped. The steering wheel will no longer stick into a turn but does not completely return to center. Maybe returns to about the 11 and 1 positions after a turn. A lot better than before but can I get perfect results?
Click to expand...

I was going to mention the ball joints. I do not have a lot of experience with 10-bolts, but try lubing the ball joints if you can a 10-bolt, or if you already have not done that. You may need to replace the ball joints. I had a similar problem with my Dana-60 which have king pins instead of ball joints. It turned out that I had to many pre-load washers on top of my king pin springs, which caused my truck not to want to return to center.
 
Yes the knuckles need to turn freely or no amount of caster will help.
Toe out also will hinder return to center, but you should see feathering on your tires fairly quick with toe out.
Big tires are more forgiving on toe adjustment. You could do toe adjustment with a tape measure and some string.
So it sounds like it has been aligned, did you get or see the caster measurements?
 
The bottom ball joint does not have an adjustment. It should be tightened to torque specks. The upper has the castle sleeve for adjusting the preload on the joint. If it is too tight, it will bind.
 
ktmoutfront said:
The bottom ball joint does not have an adjustment. It should be tightened to torque specks. The upper has the castle sleeve for adjusting the preload on the joint. If it is too tight, it will bind.
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Yeah it was binding. It's a lot better now. Just want that other 15% better to make it 100%
 
Wes Harden said:
Yes the knuckles need to turn freely or no amount of caster will help.
Toe out also will hinder return to center, but you should see feathering on your tires fairly quick with toe out.
Big tires are more forgiving on toe adjustment. You could do toe adjustment with a tape measure and some string.
So it sounds like it has been aligned, did you get or see the caster measurements?
Click to expand...
The printout is posted above.
 
imiceman44 said:
Did you get an alignment done?
What is your caster angle?
The other thing that will do that is too much preload on the sector shaft in the steering box.
Did you tighten it?
Click to expand...
I've put 3 boxes on this truck. The latest box is a Redhead box. I've adjust other boxes and really only noticed the steering got "harder" and didn't really help anything. So with this more expensive Redhead box, they say they are adjusted to proper spec for your application and not recommend adjusting the preload. What do you think?
 
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