bpounds: I think that is why I was able to correct the problem by coming to a complete stop and cycling the steering system. After I did that it was fine, for a while. It just makes me wonder how long before the drivers side UV joint is going to do it? It doesn't make too much sense to me, I could see if I used the truck for commerical use. Like snow plowing, or pulled a large trailer all the time with a lot of weight on it, but I don't. One more tool for my toolbox! Nice talking to you guys, thanks for the advice and keep on trucking!

 

That's a possibility, I would think.

 

djbrown4, I thought I responded to you, hopefully you will get an email this way and can look at the replies that were made.

 

If they are on auto they won't spin the joints unless there is a hub malfunt or the wheel hubs are adding friction to the axle due to another malfunct. I would spin the joints by hand or big screwdrive to see how they feel.

 

The PS box can't create a steering problem that is corrected by stopping in gravel and steering lock to lock 1 time also. I have to do that once in a while. I thought maybe it was the joints but turned out to be the box which I corrected with a new PS pump.

 

I wish I saw the post earlier,sorry. I went through the same thing looking for clues. It wasn't until a friend remembered hearing about the same problem and it's solution. I can tell you that we did the other side too. It was almost as bad.

 

EXv10 Did you mean to say that the PS pump 'can' create create a steering problem that is corrected by stopping in gravel and steering lock to lock 1 time also. I thought that it was going to be the steering box, which is a $645.00 dealer only part (after the $200.00 core charge). It wouldn't have made much difference in the price I had to pay, but who knows how many other parts would have had to malfunction before the steering box would have failed. I think my hubs are fine, if there was something wrong with them the dealer would have added that to the parts that needed to be replaced. Everyone knows how the dealer likes to add things to the bill, even when sometimes they are not necessary. I had my wifes '04 Explorer into the shop because the rear rotors wouldn't come off and needed to be turned. They finally got the the rotors loose the Emergency brake material seperated from the shoe material. I asked the service adviser to give me a price to put new E-brake shoes on. He came back to me and said $1,400.00, I responded with a few choice words of course. He explained that to replace the E-brake shoes you have to pull the rear axles, and they would have to be replaced. Along with bearings, clips that hold the rear axles in the housing, dust shields, and a few other brake parts. The adviser informed me that the designers were the ones to thank, and they just usually disconnect the E-brake (which is what I had them do). I still haven't had the time to change them yet, but I think I can do it without having to pull the axle. The brake parts are only about $70.00 maybe $80.00 from the dealer.

 

VTXrider1800: I was just wishing you had responded earlier. I posted and then waited a few weeks before taking it to the dealer, if I hadn't been heading south for a 1000 mile (round trip) ride I would have waited longer before going to the dealer. I did look at the other side and it is fine. I will be inspecting both sides at least once a year. I did try to pump some grease in the drivers side but it must be full, I couldn't get any grease to pump in. By the way the UV joints are the only grease fittings on the whole darn truck that I could find!

 

I hate dealerships and that is why I usually buy parts from wrecking yards and do it myself if I can. I have yelled at them before also. The PS box was acting up in mine (read my steering wheel jerks back and forth post) but I don't know if your problem is the same. I corrected it by changing the pump which put out enough pressure to overcome the PS box problem which is latently still there. There is a spool valve in there that gives it a boost to help it turn. Once in a while it still acts up and the wheel moves back and forth on it's own so I have to stop and move the wheel back and forth a bit for the problem to go away. The temporary cure is the only connection between my problem and yours. One more thing; Front U-jionts rarely go bad due to a couple reasons which is another story.