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sport02
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2007
23:39:56
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 Subject: steering rack
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Message:
2002 3.9 2wd
75,000 miles
I have something wrong in the front end of my truck. my steering is tight and when i make a sharp turn in a parking lot the front wheels skip on the asphalt. It's been on the alignment rack 3 times and no problems found. Dealer checked ball joints and tie rod ends and no problems found. I have new shocks all the way around and tire pressure is good. No noises from power steering pump, not leaking any steering fluid. It's extremely scary driving in the rain because it feels like i'm going to lose control. i'm pretty sure it's not hydroplaning either. My tire tread is about 5/32 on the inner and about 4/32 on the outer. It almost feels as if the tow changes on me while i'm driving but the tires don't squeal. I can feel little tugs on my steering wheel and almost like it wants to turn and i haven't even turned the steering wheel. It will drive straight on highway when i take my hands off the wheel. It also pulls VERY hard to try and straighten itself back out when i'm in a slight turn like on or off ramps. The dealer said its normal and a properly aligned vehicle will want to straighten out. the tech drove it with me and he said it was ok, i was so pissed of i just kept my mouth shut! It bump steers too and i have new shocks on.
couple months back my calipers were sticking and they eventually locked up on me while i was driving. I had to drive it for about 45 minutes with this load on the front. it ruined the rotors and brakes of course. Had to replace both calipers, brakes, rotors. I checked them and both wheels spin free and are not hanging up. i'm wondering if it also did something to my steering rack. I mentioned this to the dealer when they checked it and it didn't seem to faze them as something being wrong with the rack. If the rack was bad, could the tie rods actually move in or out inside the rack while driving. This would be the best way to describe the sensation when i drive in the rain. when it's not raining, it's just tight in the steering all the time. I know something is wrong here and after driving home tonight in a downpour this truck really scares me. I'm going to need tires by spring and though maybe it's just the tires doing this but i've had other cars with lower tread than this and never had problems like this. Also i tried to tell the dealer most of the problems come when the truck is moving and not sitting still on the alignment rack but you can't tell them anything because they think we're stupid.
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dakota49
Dodge Dakota
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8/21/2007
17:21:59
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
Sport02, I'll take a shot at it, from what you say, it sort of sounds to me like the rack isn't getting enough oil pressure from the steering pump. Its true that when you make a turn the wheels are suppose to retun to the straight ahead position on their own. Provided its alined properly. About the only thing I can think of would check the steering fluid and see if it looks dark. You could change the fluid and that MIGHT help. With only 75000 miles, I wouldn't think the rack would be bad already. I had a rambler and tried to have it alined and they told me the rack was bad, it had about 80000
miles on it.
Sorry sport02, but that's all I can come up with at this time, I'll think about some more and if I find out anything else I'll let you know.
Good Luck,
Dakota49
88 3.9 4X4 5 speed
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sport02
Dodge Dakota
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8/22/2007
01:30:05
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
Before i went ahead and spent any money i jacked the truck up tonight and looked around. No visible leaks anywhere, dry as a bone! I went ahead and bled the steering after some reading i was doing online. I left the truck off and opened the power steering. the fluid is still pretty transparent. I turned the wheel slowly from side to side about 15 times. When i checked the fluid again i noticed there was quite a bit of fluid all over the place now. I wasn't turning it fast at all to make it come out. As i thought about it the only conclusion i came to was there must have been a HUGE air pocked in there somewhere and it exploded out the top of the steering pump. It also looked like some fluid was leaking out from the fitting of the pump to the in line of the rack. It never leaked before ever. why would it push out when turning the wheels with the engine off? Maybe it was just from the explosion from the air pocket, don't know! I did manage to tighten the fitting some, to my surprise it was about 1/8 of a turn. this may have been letting air in. I cleaned everything up and bled some more and nothing flowed over this time. I could hear squishing in the rack and i kept turning the wheels till i didn't hear it anymore. I topped it off and then started the truck and did it some more while running with the cap off. No leaks, hurray! It made quite a noticeable difference too in driving, i feel like i have control again! I hope this was the problem. Wow, i had a Rambler too, it was a 1968 american. Good car, ran it to the ground. thanks for the help
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dakota49
Dodge Dakota
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8/22/2007
08:16:35
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
It's good to hear its doing better.Mt Rambler was a 78 Pacer lots of people made fun of it, but it got pretty good gas mileage, and my wife liked it.
Dakota49
88 3.9 4X4 5 speed
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sport02
Dodge Dakota
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8/23/2007
00:03:15
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
yeah it doesn't feel as sloppy in the front end anymore but i still think something else is wrong. It's still all over the place when i hit bumps and the wheels are still jumping when turning into parking spaces and jerks and pulls in the front end. I really think something screwy in the alignment. Originally, Pep boys started out with the truck and my complaints about the steering. they put it on the rack twice niether time fixing the problem. But after the second time now they tell me my caster is slightly out of spec and they can't fix it i'll have to consult the dealer. But the first time they aligned it they said nothing about the caster. I think they messed something up and can't get it back into spec because when i went to pick my truck up they refunded my money. I didn't even ask for a refund yet. So i took it to the dealer and they checked the whole front end out and found nothing. They checked the tracking of the truck and said it was good so they didn't do anykind of alignment. But i didn't think tracking would show any kind of caster or camber issues. the truck drives straight but i really think it's something else. and recently i just put new KYB shocks on but it didn't make the problem worse or better. Guess i'm gonna have to just get an alignment done at the dealer and explain all this to them again. Sometimes I really think they don't listen at ALL!!!!I'm done with pep boys. Nothing but highschool grads working there and truthfully not too sure about the dealer anymore either, besides there $85 an hour labor charge!!
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shadetree
Dodge Dakota
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8/23/2007
07:38:38
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
You might check the the wheel bearing assembly. They dont necessarily have to make noise when they go bad. Also check you control arm bushing they could have been damage when the calipers froze from the extra stress put on them. This can mess with the alignment.
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sport02
Dodge Dakota
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8/24/2007
22:56:45
| RE: steering rack
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Message:
forgot to mention, when the dealer checked it out all they said as far as the alignment was that they check the tracking of the vehicle and it was ok so they didn't even do a front end alignment. But would tracking show any camber or caster issues? I really think pep boys got something out of whack and now i want specs to ease or confirm my theories.
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