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Does Your Ram Have The Infamous Steering Wheel 'clunk / Rattle' ? Fix Found....

288K views 460 replies 190 participants last post by  Billl 
#1 ·
Hey 2nd Gen guys:

I was wondering how many here have had that annoying steering wheel / column 'clunk / rattle' develop in their trucks.

My '97 Ram 4x Cummins developed it and it was totally annoying - I replaced most all the front end components and it still had the steering column clunk.

I know the guys over at the Turbodiesel site have agonized over this, and suspect that the same trouble prone column is in most 2nd gen Ram Trucks - regardless of engine configuaration.

Anyhow, I just developed a fix with a machined Nylon / Delrin bushing and would be happy to share how I did it here, or offer them, once we develop it a bit further.

It totally transformed how my Ram steers - which surprised me. I was just trying to get rid of the 'clunk' - little did I know just how much the lower column bushing failure was allowing WAY excessive play, which made the steering vague & imprecise.

Now, the truck steers with rack & pinion precision - Amazing !

When you consider this can be done at a fraction of the cost of a new column from Dodge $ 700 ea, for the same (defective) design, it only makes sense.

Anyhow, I can post pics & procedure (still doing research, don't know what cost will be - pretty cheap), but it would help to get some feedback first, so to the original question:

I was wondering how many here have had that annoying steering wheel / column 'clunk / rattle' develop in their trucks ?

If so, please give: year, engine, trans, miles and any thing else you think relevant....

Thanks guys ...I'll post more once you give some feedback......take care David B. Ram Van (& truck) Man :gr_patrio
 
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#102 ·
$$$ and I still had the clunky thing going on....DB

Brown City :

If you've already checked or replaced every conceivable front end / steering linkage part, then this one is probably the last one to do:

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

It was for me, drove me nuts because I'd already checked or replaced (mine is a CTD 4by 2500 - 1997):

Ball Joints
Control Arms (upgrade to Rancho w/ urethane)
Steering Box tight
Intermediate shaft tight
Track Bar (rebuild / upgrade with Luke's Link)
Sway Bar (upgrade with Urethane)
Checked each steering knuckle - fine & tight
Upgrade Steering Box pivot with "Darin's Bracket"
New Rancho Shocks

I do all that and 'ta-da' the clunk starts really bad so noisy I don't drive the truck for a month because I'm afraid something will fall off causing a loss of control......

I've spent $$$ upgraded or checked everything, and then it does this clunkly, clunky thing over pavement joints, driveways, rough pavement, etc.

So, if this kind of describes your situation....have we got a fix for you..... :huh:


Drive Safe & Take Care,

David B.
 
#103 ·
ok, ive read most of these and really dont see what mine is doing or maybe im just reading wrong. i can move my steering wheel up and down ever so slightly, enough to where its annoying, it almost feels like where the steering shaft connects to the dash with the two bolts are that i could just tighten those and it would take care of it. i haven't looked into it but its really not "clunking" like most are saying on here i can just feel "play" in it or can move the hole column feels like from side to side or top to bottom, like maybe a 1/16" but enough to feel....driving me crazy? is this a possibility? or is it under the hood area and not under the dash????
 
#104 ·
I was wondering if my truck fell under this "clunk/rattle" problem. It doesn't make any clunks, rattles, or any other noises that I can remember noticing, but the steering is quite touchy. Sometimes my wife will ask if I'm drunk because the truck tends to weave a little because of this. I can really notice it when I let someone else drive it because they are all over the road. My wife refuses to drive my truck (no problem there!).
 
#108 ·
Well its in, I did it on the truck. The only problem I had was pressing the new bushing in, there is NO room to swing a mallet cause of the brake booster and the lines, other than that I would suggest doing it on truck unless for some strange reason you realy want to take out the steering coloum. Oh yaeh I wasn,t able to press the bushing in all the way to the shift linkage like it showed in the pictures, I was wondering if that is common the thing is in there very tight its not going to fall out or anything like that, I was just wondering if that will cause a problem? But like I said its pretty much a straight forward job that I bet anyone could do. Please let me know about my bushing issue RAMVANMAM thank you. Another thing, is there a break in procedure or a timeframe cause it seems alittle too tight , almost? I did change my idler arm too(MOOG) that could be why it seems alittle stiff. Thanks again.
 
#110 ·
Hi guys:

Streetram,
glad to hear you got it installed. It's ok if it doesn't go clear up to the lip, as it's a slightly tapered design, you just want it tight up in, then put on the retainer and you're done.

It will be slighly 'tight' to the steering feel, then in a couple hundred miles it 'seats in' - and it makes the steering feel much more solid. When you pull yourself in the truck, it will feel like the steering wheel is anchored into cement, and it won't wiggle like crazy as it probably does now. (I have a 4by4 so I use my steering wheel as a 'pull point' to get me up in the seat...)

I wouldn't pull the column, you can do in 'on truck' and so make the job much shorter 1 hour or so, instead of a whole column pull & dash disassembly job.

More details at www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

thanks David B.

RamVan (& truck !)Man
 
#111 ·
Thanks for getting back to me, I was getting worried about driving the truck around if it wasn't in the right way! I can already tell a big difference but its still alittle tight i've only put about 50 or 60 mi on it since its been done. Thanks again great product!!!!
 
#113 ·
Maybe, maybe not....

ram51 said:
I don't have it yet on my 1999 Ram 1500 SPORT 4X4 (103K) but my 98 Dakota has it will it work on that truck?
Ram 51,

I suspect not. I don't have a Dakota near me to inspect, but earlier another Dakota owner asked that & sent pics and it was an entirely different steering column design.

It looked like this: the steering column itself was much shorter, the intermediate shaft actually penetrated the firewall, and had a bushing in the middle, a bearing upon which it rotated. We figured the bearing in the middle was bad, and MOPAR only got around $ 200 for the whole intermediate shaft assembly which thus fixes the problem.

Whereas on the Ram truck, the column is much larger, penetrates the firewall and at it's terminal end the lower bushing / bearing assy goes bad - and MOPAR wants
$ 900 for the whole deal - which the motivation for us to have a cost effective fix for our Rams.

Mind you, this 'research' on the Dakota problem was all done by email & pics, but it may help you locate your problem - hope so !

Keep in mind too, the Ram truck fix isn't just for when the column starts clunking (only the most obvious sign...), but it also eliminates the play our trucks tend to exhibit on either side of center.

For example, if you find yourself 'sawing' on the wheel to keep the truck straight on the highway - then our kit will cut that down by about 80 % or so.

Do this, and say, a few urethane front end bushings on the sway bar, new control arm bushings, (plus a Luke's Link track bar rebuild kit if a 4x4), maybe a DSS steering box support bracket - and the Ram truck will handle so much better & go straighter, it's amazing.

With the better handling, the hardest part is trying to keep the highway speed down....

Hope this helps !

David B.
www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com
 
#114 · (Edited)
Well,

I ordered a kit for my son last year, & he finally installed it today by himself, on the truck. My son is 16 years old, and has been a mechanich since he was 8.

The OD of the bushing was tight, so he had to remove a bit with steel wool as it would not tap in. After a light sanding & some grease, it went in all the way but very tight. There was little room to swing a hammer, so he made an extension to put behind the pvc out of more pvc, and then he had the room to tap.
The road test was a pleasure. Immediatly, we noticed a difference that the steering was tighter, & has less play.
He is a happy camper & did it all by himself. The tall one is Roger.

Truck is 2001 1500 auto Sport 4x4 5.2L 295/75/16" tires
 
#120 ·
Roger:

Great to hear how it worked well for you. Thank you for taking the time to post and let us know how the install went

Your Ram looks super - what a great father / son project ! (My son helps me make & package them up for shipping...)

My kids saw the cool picture of you both & your Ram and asked "where do they live ?", (near a lake was all I could reply.....your scene kind of looks like a lake in Texas near where we're moving....)

Ram 51, Roger is totally correct, the columns are the same in any Ram 1994 to 2001.5, 2wd or 4wd, lifted or stock height. Installation is straighforward.

If you find yourself 'sawing' on the steering wheel to stay straight - this will eliminate it by about 80 % or so...pretty good 'bang for the buck...

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

Thanks Roger & son...appreciate the feedback...have fun (& be careful) in that Ram truck !

God bless,

David B
 
#121 · (Edited)
David,

We live in Milton, Florida just outside of Pensacola. The river behind the Truck is Blackwater River.
I was born in Dallas, Tx. Roger Jr. & I want to go to Texas to find good hunting trip that we can do on a regular basis. I lived in Harlingen, Texas as a kid, and in Whitewright, Tx when i was just 2-3 years old.
Roger Jr. rebuilt his 4 wheeler himself. he fixes all the lawnmowers for the senior citizens in our neighborhood. he would rather have tools for his birthday &
Christmas than toys. He & I also dabble in gunsmithing. He has repaired several old rifles for some old timers in our neighborhood. We try to go to the range together a couple times a month to shoot. He is a fine young man. He is considering helping others do their Dodge steering fix around here.
he he is shooting our AR-15.
 
#123 ·
back to you....Ramming Speed

Ramming Speed said:
Where can I get one of these bushings? 00 Ram 1500 4x4 Quad Cab
Ramming Speed:

I like your forum name - last time I heard that term used was, I think, in the renowned film 'Ben Hur' - on the Roman slave ships.....

Anyhow, details on ordering the Ram truck steering column rebuild kit are at:

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

Hope this helps !

David B.
 
#124 ·
hey--been checking out your fix but not sure i need it---i have bad play in my 97 dodge sst,i first replaced the gearbox and the pitman arm and it was tight,but the steeringwheel was a little crooked.I drove it for months like this and then when i got new tires i had them give me a alignment to straighten out the steeringwheel,then i started noticing that i was having to play the wheel back and forth to keep it straight--kinda like it was real loose?--i can grab the steering shaft under the hood and turn it back and forth a good bit,it will turn back and forth on the top of the steering gear box (which is only a few months old and seemed to be fine before the alignment)--there is no play at the bottom were the piman arm and all is.so i wonder if they loosened the pressure with the adjustment on top of the steering gear to align it? any help of suggestions would be appeciated--thanks
 
#125 · (Edited)
Random thoughts....thanks David

Well, let's put it this way - our Ram trucks steer, when new, quite poorly. (Go drive a Toyota if in doubt...) Then they get worse with age & miles.

We musn't leave any stone unturned - do check every item in your entire steering & front suspension system, as it sounds you are in the process of doing. Obviously, in any 'system' - the whole will only be as strong as it's 'weakest link'.

Once you start & find weak areas, you'll probably eventually do most / all of the 'normal fixes'.

All the 2nd gen Rams have the weak lower column bushing, with the 4x4 / Diesels, manifesting the problem earliest due to the weight & stress on the front end.

But, we've seen pleny of guys with 2 wd and the gas engines have the same problem, it usually just takes a bit longer.

2wd units are simplest to perfect - less weight & 'monkey motion' up front - no heavy axle, no track bar, no long control arms, etc.

It's like we Ram truck fans have to be diligent 'Columbos' (remember that 70's detective series ?) to ferret out the suspension & steering solutions......have fun,

DB
 
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