Horrible steering issues (1 Viewer)

[southerndisco]

Hey y’all I just bought a 94, has a few bad issues but most notably the steering. The steering is terrible, the worst of any car I’ve been in. I know it’s obviously not going to steer great it’s got a 4-6 inch lift and 37 treps with to my knowledge no castor correction. I’ve read all around and seller said that he believes and was told it was the rack. The noticeable steering problems are: pulling all over when throttle and when let off gas, super heavy steering when from a stop and gummy steering after, LOTS of play at regular driving speeds, steering getting thrown all round when hitting a bump, and just generally bad steering. I want this truck to be daily drivable and a good offroad rig, and this steering makes both very hard. Again I’ve read around but I’ve yet to see someone who is having all the steering problems at the same time.

 

[southerndisco]

Hey y’all I just bought a 94, has a few bad issues but most notably the steering. The steering is terrible, the worst of any car I’ve been in. I know it’s obviously not going to steer great it’s got a 4-6 inch lift and 37 treps with to my knowledge no castor correction. I’ve read all around and seller said that he believes and was told it was the rack. The noticeable steering problems are: pulling all over when throttle and when let off gas, super heavy steering when from a stop and gummy steering after, LOTS of play at regular driving speeds, steering getting thrown all round when hitting a bump, and just generally bad steering. I want this truck to be daily drivable and a good offroad rig, and this steering makes both very hard. Again I’ve read around but I’ve yet to see someone who is having all the steering problems at the same time.

Correction, has castor plates

 

[OrangeCrusher]

Congratulations, hope it will bring you a lot of joy!

Maybe start with an inventory of what the status of the various steering components as well as the suspension is?

1. Wear
   1. Steering - tie rod ends, tight or have play?
   2. Suspension - are the various bushings intact? Some cracks? Completely gone?
   3. Axle / knuckle - Any obvious play in knuckle or wheel bearings?
2. Modifications - What has been modified?
   1. Castor plates
   2. panhard bar mounts
   3. Whole range of additional options here - maybe worth taking a few photos and sharing here. E.g. it took me a while to realize after I bought mine that the front suspension had been quite significantly modified with a "radius arm flip", and now a lot things weren't exactly were they otherwise expected to be.
3. Everything tight? Worth touching all the steering and suspension parts and see if anything is obviously loose etc
   1. Alignment - not obviously off? I.e. are the wheels pointing in the same direction? Is the steering wheel straight when the wheels are pointing straight ahead?
4. Any other big issues worth mentioning? E.g. drive train? Tires? Collision / frame damages? Brakes - pads missing? Calipers tight?

My rig had issues with most of the points above when I bought it - obviously I didn't know that at the time. It took a while to get through most of it, and now just the fact that it drives straight independently of whether there is a bump in the road, I hit the brakes or accelerate, gives me a big smile in the face

 

[reklund5]

Well I can assure you it's not the rack ....

Start with the basics. Check for loose/worn components. Wheel bearings, tie rod ends, trunion bearings, etc.

Check the frame around the steering box and brace bar for cracking and flexing.

Check the bushings in the radius arms. Caster plates probably aren't enough for 6" lift and 37's. Get an actual measurement on the caster so you know for sure.

Check the steering box for slop- it may be time for an overhaul.

Report back and we will go from there

 

[Batameez]

Judging by the seller's beliefs, there's a lot of things on this truck that he didn't realize needed fixing.

 

[renago]

4-6 inch lift and 37 tires !
Is not a settings for a daily drive truck .
Go back as much as possible to standard and start from there .

 

[southerndisco]

Well I can assure you it's not the rack ....

Start with the basics. Check for loose/worn components. Wheel bearings, tie rod ends, trunion bearings, etc.

Check the frame around the steering box and brace bar for cracking and flexing.

Check the bushings in the radius arms. Caster plates probably aren't enough for 6" lift and 37's. Get an actual measurement on the caster so you know for sure.

Check the steering box for slop- it may be time for an overhaul.

Report back and we will go from there

Will, the trucks in Florida for a few days so I’m just trying to get a plan on how to start on it