Steering help

[LV2XLR8]

Your suggestions on where to start looking would be hugely appreciated as always.

I had the deuce in the bush, steering got hard to turn like its fighting me, almost plowing through a corner, then loud clunking on what sounds to be my front left and then all at once the steering wheel whips the other way. I nearly went off the road and had my arm ripped off by the wheel. The linkage all looks good to me, moves freely. I'm guessing steering box issues?

As always I thank you all for your help and any suggestions as well as where to buy parts reasonably.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Do you have air assist? If not and you were off road, sounds normal to me.

 

[glcaines]

Ditto. If you hit something with a wheel, even something small, it will cause the wheel to spin exactly as you described. That's why you never get your fingers or hands inside the spokes. You can break an arm, etc. I learned my lesson years ago with a dislocated thumb. Also, if you have the front axle engaged, often the steering wheel will turn from side to side as you drive over rough ground and sometimes on even ground and sometimes that will cause the wheel to spin to one side or the other.

 

[harleyrkc]

What did you hit? This all sounds normal to me, but I've learned to slow down and anticipate some of those occasions.

 

[LV2XLR8]

Do you have air assist? If not and you were off road, sounds normal to me.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The problem is not like steering feedback, I've felt that before. This problem is on regular paved roads now. Doesn't want to turn, then dives in, the wheel binds and I hear the clunking, then it self corrects and spins madly the other way.

Thanks

 

[KsM715]

Check your front axles at the knuckles. (u-joint, cv joint) Something in that left front may be binding.

 

[m16ty]

This doesn't sound like a steering box issue to me. There's nothing that I can think of in the box that would cause the steering wheel to jerk out of your hand. Did you bend your tie rod and got your toe-in off? Could also be a u-joint as Jeff said.

Jack it up and make sure everything moves freely.

 

[DUECE-COUPE]

could be the bearing in the top or bottom of the knuckle falling a part and causing the cast and camber to change radically.
i would also check the wheel bearing to make sure they are not coming apart.

 

[LV2XLR8]

Thank you all! You've again saved me a great deal of effort by sending me in the right direction.

 

[glcaines]

I would raise both front wheels off the ground and make sure everything turns freely. As others have said, it isn't likely it is a steering box issue with your symptoms.

 

[LV2XLR8]

Well she's still broken.
I took the wheels off, both sets of wheel bearings are mint. I pulled both axle shafts out and checked u-joints also and they're mint as well. Steering knuckle bushings are also good.

I can't drive her this way so I'm still digging.
My next questions are...
Can something break in the front diff causing one axle to be driven even when it should be disengaged? If so, could it do what I'm experiencing?
OR, should I be leaning back twards the steering box?

Please help?!?!?!
Your assistance is appreciated again in advance.
Thank you.

 

[Heavysteven]

Are the bolts holding the gear box tight? There is four of them in front of drivers side tire.

You can jack up the front axle and feel the steering box by moving the wheels left and right.

 

[gringeltaube]

Well she's still broken.
I took the wheels off........

OK and before that, did you jack up the complete front axle and turn the wheels in both directions as suggested??
If not, then at least slide either side axle shaft back in and you should be able to turn it by hand in both directions with only little, steady resistance; with the propeller shaft standing still. Then do the same on the other side and report back your findings....
Actually that way you are testing the parts shown below... (from the books) (I'm asuming your TC is NOT a sprag unit!)

G.

 

[Heavysteven]

Here a picture from when I adjusted my steering box.

 

[LV2XLR8]

OK and before that, did you jack up the complete front axle and turn the wheels in both directions as suggested??
If not, then at least slide either side axle shaft back in and you should be able to turn it by hand in both directions with only little, steady resistance; with the propeller shaft standing still. Then do the same on the other side and report back your findings....
Actually that way you are testing the parts shown below... (from the books) (I'm asuming your TC is NOT a sprag unit!)

G.

Steering box bolts are tight.

Yes, I still have the truck in the air, turning the wheel feels normal both ways and there is very little play in anything. It's all tight. When I first turned the drivers side wheel it seemed to turn for a quarter rotation of play before engaging but I was not able to get it to show any other play again after that?!?!

 

[gringeltaube]

....... When I first turned the drivers side wheel it seemed to turn for a quarter rotation of play before engaging ....................?!

Engaging what??? If you could turn one wheel 90º before the other one AND/OR the prop.shaft started rotating something is wrong!
If you didn't find anything bad outside, regarding brakes, bearings, U-joints then the problem must be INSIDE the diff.
See if you can find anything other than a little steel dust or minor shavings sticking to the drain-plug magnet.

G.

 

[LV2XLR8]

By "engaging" I mean that there was play allowing the one axle shaft to turn a partial rotation before it started turning normally and I have not been able to make it do it again.
Could something have gotten stuck when I had the front end engaged and then finally released when I was checking for play?
Thank you all again for your help.

 

[plym49]

This might be obvious, but nowhere have I seen that the front axle is not engaged through all of this. Make sure it is disengaged.

A simple way to rule out any driveshaft-related causality would be to pull the front drive shaft and then see if anything changes.

 

[Heath_h49008]

Front differential... I'll wager you have a spider gear or pin that is in chunks. As you turn the corner, it is locking up the axle, binding, and releasing, as the damaged gear turns. When you're going straight, you don't feel a thing, right? Nothing on breaking? Test the brake in 1st and in reverse, of course... But I'm laying a bet of 1 shiny nickle that it's the spiders.

 

[LV2XLR8]

Front differential... I'll wager you have a spider gear or pin that is in chunks. As you turn the corner, it is locking up the axle, binding, and releasing, as the damaged gear turns. When you're going straight, you don't feel a thing, right? Nothing on breaking? Test the brake in 1st and in reverse, of course... But I'm laying a bet of 1 shiny nickle that it's the spiders.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm making the drive tonight (200 miles) back to the truck to try to get her home so I can fix things properly.

My question... If it's the spider, what do I have to do to make it safe to drive back? Remove forward driveshaft? Remove axle shafts? Obviously the less I have to do out in the bush the better but I will do whatever is necessary.
Thanks again.