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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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10/16/2007
00:50:03
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 Subject: bump steering
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2002 3.9 2wd 78,000 miles
i have replaced a lot of front end components on my truck in the last few months. unfortuneately things wear out and have to be replaced. I've replaced power steering pump, lines, outer tie rod ends, calipers, rotors, shocks.
was having a lot of tight steering but the new tie rod ends seem to have helped that. i had it aligned as well. drives great, nice and straight and no pulling. problem is whenever i hit a bump the steering jerks to the side of the bump and if i'm traveling fast feels like it could be quite dangerous! It's really bad when i go down my parents driveway which is gravel and has gulleys and ditches in it. Man, the steering wheel is all over the place!
upper ball joints were replaced like 40,000 miles ago under warranty and lower ball joints are still factory. Can't seem to get any play out of them and no problems when they did front end alignment. i am questioning the bushings though. the upper A-arm seems to move rather easily when i use a pry bar but i'm not really sure how easily they should move. the bushings look like average bushings look on a vehicle with 78,000 miles.
from what i've read, this bump steering is a tow condition which results from variable tow when the suspension moves. I'm also questioning my rack and pinion. could a bad rack cause variable tow? i'm not an expert but the inside of a rack doesn't have two seperate moving racks but rather one solid rod and just assume that it couldn't have an effect on tow. the rack doesn't leak anywhere.
and lastly, i wonder if my tires have anything to do with it. they are still factory tires. i put snows on every year from november till about april so it really saved the tread on the factory's but i'm starting to see dry rot on the sidewalls and wonder if the steel belts in the tires are weak and causing a lot of flex. i'm sure that mounting and demounting tires for 5 years in a row has more than likely caused the tires to get weak. i have 4/32 tread left but i'm getting new tires in the spring.
so if anyone can help out with this issue i'd love to hear your opinions. thanks for the help.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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10/16/2007
08:50:03
| RE: bump steering
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Message:
i hate to say it but i'd have the alignment checked. if it didn't do it before then it must be something with the alignment. if i'm not mistaken, too much positive camber will cause bumpsteer.
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Curly
Dodge Dakota
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10/16/2007
21:22:33
| RE: bump steering
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i'm with daddio
however i'm also curious
whats the tire pressure?
too much air pressure would cause the same thing
read the tire side wall and for the hell of it
get a gauge on them
good bro has an 2000 durango
had new tires put on
and this thing was dancing all over the road
every dam bump
when we checked the air pressure it was over
50 lbs! tire clearly marked 44 max psi
and these tires bought and put on
at the local WalMart
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
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10/16/2007
22:58:19
| RE: bump steering
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tires at 32-33psi, max load for the tires is 44psi but i never run them that high. i just had it aligned 4 days ago after putting tie rod ends on. about 2-3 months ago i noticed steering was becoming very tight this is when all my fun started. took it to pep boys twice and they said it was aligned. i was still having problems so i took it to a frame shop. they aligned it and said pep boys didn't do a darn thing as far as alignment. they straightened it all out and everything in spec but still tight in steering. they guy told me it was probly the rack starting to go. so in the last month i replaced all those things listed in my first post and it did help but have to wonder if the problem isn't still in the rack OR the tires being as old as they are. they've been mounted and dismounted every year for snows. the bump steering feels like it's both wheels that jerk and not just one so maybe it is the rack. i don't know anymore!
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/19/2007
02:03:58
| RE: bump steering
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I stand corrected! I've been re-educated as far as tire pressures. alignment guy that did my truck says he usually subtracts 5 lbs. from the max tire pressure, considering the way the tire is wearing of course. he told me 32psi was not enough for those tire on there. so i jacke the psi up to about 38lbs per his suggestion. sure enough it made a big difference!! still have a tiny bit of bump steer but i'm convinced that the age of my tires has a little bit to do with it.
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ccman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/24/2007
00:14:24
| RE: bump steering
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Message:
tire pressure seemed a bit floaty at 38psi so i lowered to 36psi. i've still got some pretty bad bump steering going on. only thing i haven't replaced are the inner tie rods and ball joints & bushings. they all seem to be ok though! would worn tires cause this. worn as in age and condition of the steel belts in them. still have 4/32 tread. i still have a little tightness in stearing when sitting still and some slight groaning from power steering pump and that's new and all air bled out.
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