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

Originally Posted by RamVanMan

Hey Brian maui - best bet is to read as much of this long thread as you can, start at the beginning and you'll get the picture as the discussion develops. Quite a few clarifications & qualifications to help you discern if you're hearing suspension noises or if it REALLY is your steering column, which our kit solves.

So you don't spend a penny or hour you don't have to, fixing what's not broke.

smokin mirror...glad to know you think it's a good value !

We try to keep simple things simple. I just balked when Dodge asked me to shell out $ 900 for a new column when only one part was slightly worn !


David B.

www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

CHECK YOUR PM

CHECK YOUR PM


CHECK YOUR PM


CHECK YOUR PM


um,...


CHECK YOUR PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have got it, too. But now ok.

Hi, I have a '95 short box 4x4. Front end is all totally rebuilt, replaced the spring and stock bushing with the new bushing fix from RockSolidRamTruckSteering. Gotta say that bushing works great. My problem is I now have play and clunk right at the bottom of the column itself. I can grab it and wiggle the whole column a little. Is there a bearing or bushing in there to replace? Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated...
Thanks...
Brian...

old subject, but, yes we have the same problem, 1999 3500 cummins
any help still available?

hey whats up RamVanMan, I ordered your bushing kit about a year ago, and when I installed it, it didn't place itself in the steering column all the way(like the picture showed), not that big of a deal, at first. So, a couple weeks later I told my buddy(who was about to trade his truck in, cause of the same problem), i ordered a kit for him. His went on fine, no problems. Now the other day, i'm doing routine maintinence(oil,coolant air,etc..), i noticed that my new bushing is about 3/4"out from where it should be(now, mind you your bushing never seated correctly on my truck in the first place,didn't want to be a pain, cause it did what it said it would do). but now i/m starting to think, maybe(am i'm not trying to score a freebee here)you might've sent me one for a std?? Mine is a auto(like I said not pointing fingers, but it never seated right and now is falling out) . Also, you seem to know alot about these ram front ends,.. If you dont mind me asking, Why does my steering box fight me whenever i try to keep it straight? Did both upper ball joints, idler, pitman, your kit, even tightened the steering box just about as far as i could. any suggestions? I just want to drive down the highway with out looking like i'm drunk, or fighting the steering the whole way to keep it striaght? thx man, appreciate everything you can help me out with.

On this subject I've had the upper A arm bolts come loose in these trucks makes it feel like the steering column, when you're parking, etc.

Originally Posted by streetram

hey whats up RamVanMan, I ordered your bushing kit about a year ago, and when I installed it, it didn't place itself in the steering column all the way(like the picture showed), not that big of a deal, at first. So, a couple weeks later I told my buddy(who was about to trade his truck in, cause of the same problem), i ordered a kit for him. His went on fine, no problems. Now the other day, i'm doing routine maintinence(oil,coolant air,etc..), i noticed that my new bushing is about 3/4"out from where it should be(now, mind you your bushing never seated correctly on my truck in the first place,didn't want to be a pain, cause it did what it said it would do). but now i/m starting to think, maybe(am i'm not trying to score a freebee here)you might've sent me one for a std?? Mine is a auto(like I said not pointing fingers, but it never seated right and now is falling out) . Also, you seem to know alot about these ram front ends,.. If you dont mind me asking, Why does my steering box fight me whenever i try to keep it straight? Did both upper ball joints, idler, pitman, your kit, even tightened the steering box just about as far as i could. any suggestions? I just want to drive down the highway with out looking like i'm drunk, or fighting the steering the whole way to keep it striaght? thx man, appreciate everything you can help me out with.

Sorry to have been not logging on for a while. I'm back now.

Did your original bushing kit contain a metal washer / retainer ? It should have - maybe it's on your workbench or tool box.

If not, I can sure send you one, asap, no charge. Just PM me your address & it's on the way. It will prevent any 'backing out' of the bushing.

In your case, try lightly tapping the bushing up BEFORE installing the washer. Light tapping, not hard pounding. (the auto columns shift mechanism, the rotating collar into which our bushing fits, can become dislodged internally if pounded on hard.....).

By the way, the auto bushings are a bit tapered, to account for slight variations in the oem column clearances. Ergo, it may not seat 'all the way to the lip'. It should seat at least 2/3 of the way in, perhaps more.

As to your steerng box woes, could it be that you over tightened the adjustment ?

Sometimes bad alignment or worn componenets will inhibit 'returnability' - thus the steering will seem to refuse to return to center. A good front end shop can insure it's right.

I'll keep an eye out for your PM.

Happy to help, David B.

Originally Posted by toomopar

old subject, but, yes we have the same problem, 1999 3500 cummins
any help still available?

Yes sir we can help. Our kit addresses the common problem of Ram Truck steering column clunking noise & excessive steering play.

To learn more, you can visit our site which gives the 'readers digest' version of how it helps, at www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com.

Or read this thread at some length for in depth feedback & reports from guys who've done it, too.

I try to help out whenever anyone has questions on the procedure. We've modified the instructions for clarity a few times when it was clear we needed to.

The 13 pages of color pics & instruction help make it simple & cover details for how to do the procedure both 'in truck & out of truck', too !

It's simple to do 'on truck'.

At Your Service,

David B.

I have a 98 Ram 1500 Auto and i just got the bushing. It slid all the way down and didn't need to be driven in with the tool at all. I still have some play b/w the shifter column that the bushing fits in and the outer most column, but the inner column is snug inside the shifter column. Is there any way to remove the play left, and is this bushing seated correctly?

Originally Posted by Ram Pwnage

I have a 98 Ram 1500 Auto and i just got the bushing. It slid all the way down and didn't need to be driven in with the tool at all. I still have some play b/w the shifter column that the bushing fits in and the outer most column, but the inner column is snug inside the shifter column. Is there any way to remove the play left, and is this bushing seated correctly?

Thanks for the report. If the inner column is snug inside the shifter column, then the fit is perfect.

As to the bit of wiggle you see between the inner column shifter tube (into which our bushing fits) and the outer column 'shell', there will always be a tiny bit of play, due to the fact that the inner tube is rotating when using your shift lever.

Just have a friend operate your shifter while you observe underhood and you'll see. The (hidden) upper end of this rotating shift tube rides on some plastic tabs - designed to breakaway in case of a collision - that themselves allow a minor bit of play, in order to allow the shifter tube to rotate within the outer tube which is fastened to the firewall.

If the movement is extreme, like you have our bushing installed & there is still major play of the inner tube to the outer tube, then it is possible that those upper tabs are broken. I doubt this is your case, unless your truck was in a fairly major front end collision, and the column was partially damaged, but it went un-noticed.

While distinctly possible, it's unlikely. We did hear of a guy who pounded super hard upon the inner tube and he broke those tabs up inside. But, he pulled the whole column & replaced those tabs with pop rivets, replaced the column and it all worked fine & dandy.

(This is why our instructions for auto tranny trucks stress, NOT to pound on the column at any time, so all will be well with the install.)

It sounds like you're good, in any case, and we thank you for getting the kit !

Take Care,

David B.
www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

Once i got it back in the truck and drove it I realized it was fine, there's not alot of play b/w the shifter and outer tube, and the inner tube is nice and snug as advertised and the steering is much better. Now i just need to get the gearbox tightened up as it still has some play in it.

I have one for sale. Email me.

I have something similar to this but I'm not sure if it's the same "clunk". When I back out of my garage first thing in the morning I hear a clunk going backward and sometimes just after backing up and I put it into drive move a few feet straighting out and it clunks. The steering is also very wobbly. I was thinking it was my balljoints but could this be the issue? It seems to be coming from the left side. 2000 1500 2wd 94,000miles.

there are a couple things that can "clunk" as i have found out repairing them one by one. First was the trackbar, fixed that with a luke's link, the other is the steering column, fixed that with this kit, if your intermediate shaft is worn it can clunk, and finally it can be your steering gear box. I think that's the final weak link as i am tightening the primary bearing preload (one the steering shaft connects to) as it was loose and banging around and the it shut the clunk up and the truck is almost driving straight, a little more and it should be good.

I was complaining about this clunk in my steering and front end 1 1/2 years ago to my old man and to the mechanics and I have replaced alot of my front end...I am so gonna make him take a looksy at this thread and check it out...He's been driving it for the last 6 mons. (gas its a b$$$c!!!) and he finally complained about it last night.......thanks for the info....mahalo!

Originally Posted by Timb75

I have something similar to this but I'm not sure if it's the same "clunk". When I back out of my garage first thing in the morning I hear a clunk going backward and sometimes just after backing up and I put it into drive move a few feet straighting out and it clunks. The steering is also very wobbly. I was thinking it was my balljoints but could this be the issue? It seems to be coming from the left side. 2000 1500 2wd 94,000miles.

This noise you hear COULD be the column weakness our kit fixes, but keep in mind there are many things in the Ram truck front end that can make similar sounds.

(For example, my Ram VAN B-2500 has a clunk in the DS right now, but I KNOW my front end needs rebuilding, control arm bushings shot after 145 k miles - no surprise !)

Try this as a test: If the sound originates in your column, then the sound will be LOUDER with your windows up, as this quiets the cab, and the steering column & wheel act as a speaker, telegraphing the noise at the Driver's position.

If the sound is quieter, more distant, with the windows up, then it's probably a suspension / front end issue, not the column.

Also, the clunk is usually 'felt, as well as heard', in the pedal area, as the pedal area is where the lower end of the column attaches to the firewall, thus very near the clunking origination point.

If you're hearing it, but it's not at all 'felt in the pedals', it's probably a suspension / front end issue, not the column.

So, the column clunk is, nearly always, both heard & felt, and almost always louder with the cab quiet.


Make sense ?


Best wishes on your troubleshooting.


David B.
www.RockSolidRamTruckSteering.com

Well most likely it's combo of things. It got real noticable about a year and a half ago when I slid off the road and hit the curb. Bent the hell out of my rim and threw my alignment off. Also knocked the tranny into neutral (not good). I've gone through an inspection since then and they said everything looked normal. The thing that always bugged me about the clunk was that it sounded so close. It sounds like it's coming from the front end but it also sounds right there in front of you. It's like failing parts in 7.1 surround sound. I don't really hear it other then when backing out. It seems to happen when I have the steer at an extreme angle. Still it has a very bold sound. I'll check my ball joints, bushings and tie rods. As well was what you said. The window up or down makes no difference. I've even noticed it over my radio before. Also. might but a bit off topic but my wheel is slightly cocked to the right. The alignment seems pretty good just the wheel isn't centered and when it returns to a straight position after a turn the wheel straighten out to the point where it should but I need to **** it like 5 degrees to the right or it'll wonder left. Any ideas?

To fix the off angle on the wheel just adjust the adjuster sleeve by the pitman arm, that adjusts both wheels left or right and will correct the off angle wheel. The clunks in my truck are felt in the wheel as well as heard and i know they're in the steering system, i'm just working on eliminating them.

I'm late to this party, but I'm wondering if this fix will help the noise I have.
Truck is a 2002 2500 4x4, 44k miles on it.
There's a racket that sounds like a retarded monkey when the truck is idling or traveling at low speed that eminates from the steering column/behind the dash area.
Sorry, but that's what it sounds like - a retarded monkey. Sort of a virbration/rubbing that almost resembles a low level "honking".

I've found I can make it stop if I grab the gear lever (it's column shift auto) and hold it down firmly in Drive (or even lift it slightly).

I've already had a happy time with the WD-40, shooting it down the column under the dash (in between the webs of the outer column shell) as well as hosing down the column where it comes thru the firewall underhood. No help.
It's nothing dangerous or affecting the steering, I know, but that damn noise is gonna drive me crazy.
My brothers' 2000 1500 has the exact same shifter sound.

Will this product help this?

I'm late to this party, but I'm wondering if this fix will help the noise I have.
Truck is a 2002 2500 4x4, 44k miles on it.
There's a racket that sounds like a retarded monkey when the truck is idling or traveling at low speed that eminates from the steering column/behind the dash area.
Sorry, but that's what it sounds like - a retarded monkey. Sort of a virbration/rubbing that almost resembles a low level "honking".

I've found I can make it stop if I grab the gear lever (it's column shift auto) and hold it down firmly in Drive (or even lift it slightly).

I've already had a happy time with the WD-40, shooting it down the column under the dash (in between the webs of the outer column shell) as well as hosing down the column where it comes thru the firewall underhood. No help.
It's nothing dangerous or affecting the steering, I know, but that damn noise is gonna drive me crazy.
My brothers' 2000 1500 has the exact same shifter sound.

Will this product help this?

I had this problem and finally found the shifter linkage needed lubrication. Get under your truck on driver's side of transmission and spray all shifter linkage joints with a spray lubricant. This drove me crazy too. If I pushed up/down on my shifter it would quit too. That's how I found the problem. If you have trouble locating it I can take a pic for you.