hedgehopper wrote:
Vinsil wrote:
I must have one in a million truck...as well as the four coworkers that own Dodges as well.
Don't believe every blog out there. Is there a problem with some dodge trucks? Yup.
All issues have been addressed amd know fixes out there. What you have described does not sound like death wobble, and it did not affect the 2wd trucks like the 4x4's.
Yes, the blogger may have overstated his case.
No, I don't believe my truck has "death wobble."
No, 2wd trucks are not immune to suspension problems.
Yes, my 2wd truck has problems that the blogger has described.
The blogger wrote:
"Since the release of the EXTREMELY popular 1994 Dodge Ram through the current generation of Rams, there have always been woes on the integrity, and many times the safety of these trucks in regards to the front end. Typically, the 1994-2002 (called the 2nd Generation Rams) mostly had issues stemming from premature failure of the steering gear boxes, causing an extremely loose feeling that would work its way down through all of the tie rods and ball joints. Most drivers would explain this looseness as “driving Miss Daisy” in which you’re driving down the road and constantly correcting the steering because of having to over steer the truck. On top of this, most notice an extreme harshness when hitting pot holes, speed bumps, etc. that can be felt through the steering wheel. In extreme cases of these trucks, many will experience an occurrence commonly known as Death Wobble (we’ll talk about this later in the write up)."
The blogger's descriptions "driving down the road and constantly correcting the steering because of having to over steer the truck," and "an extreme harshness when hitting pot holes, speed bumps, etc. that can be felt through the steering wheel" describe the symptoms I have been experiencing.
If you look at my original post, you will see that I wrote about both of these issues, though not in exactly the same words as the blogger.
Until I have reason to believe otherwise, I am going to assume that my problems stem from premature wear in my front suspension and/or steering.
I was hoping someone would write, "My 2wd Dodge diesel experienced the same problems as you are having. Here's what I did that corrected it." But so far that has not happened.
One approach I do not intend to take is to start throwing $ at the symptoms in the form of suspension modifications that more than likely will not help because they do not address the causes of the problems.
Does anyone know of a competent, honest, and reasonably priced shop in the Denver area that will drive my truck, examine my front end, spot anything that needs attention, and propose a solution. I am not inclined to replace any faulty components with OEM parts: If the originals didn't last 20k miles, why would I expect the replacements to do any better? (Unless the replacements are a new design that corrects any deficiencies.)
Never said 2wd trucks are immune to death wobble or any other issues with suspension issues. I did say that that 2wd Dodge trucks are not part of the main problem that Dodge has suffered from over the years. Part of the problem was as I already stated (I have owned a 92, 99, 01, and now the 07.5) Dodge trucks so I've read and addressed some of the issues. The front frame is weak and not braced properly. They do sell kits to both brace the front of the frame as well as your steering box.
I don't own 2wd trucks so your on your own for any other issues in that design. I could tell you about the poor track bar bracket design, the poor tie rod/drag link interface, poor box design....and on and on. I hope you find a good independent shop in your area. I'd look for one that deals with heavy duty trucks/towing on a regular basis, not a standard tire shop or Sears type of place.
I would also baseline your truck as well. Tire pressure, tore wear, ect to get the most out of what your working with. Going from a half ton with a completely different suspension design in the front, more weight, different tires...ect...is well...different. Your new setup will never handle the same as your last one...you will be able to improve things but your driving a 1 ton dually with a pretty big load.
