I doubt it, the pinging comes specifically from the steering box area
and sometimes it's loud enough to feel it through the driver's side
floorpan.
The boots on the CV's aren't torn, and I'm not getting any clicking
while turning at speed like a normal CV joint that's failing. It's a
very distinct, high pitched CLANK noise almost like the frame rail is
being hit by a ball peen hammer. This happens only at low speeds when
the load on the box is high, and only when turning the steering wheel.
It will also happen if I'm sitting at a dead stop and crank the wheel
left to right from lock to lock, usually repeatedly every half turn or
so. It's also "loose" in the steering wheel from on center to the left
*only*, and tight to the right. When driving on roads with a pronounced
crown to them, I'll have to drive with the steering wheel about 1/8th of
a turn left before I get out of the dead zone to compensate.
Note that the pitman arm, idler arm, and all 4 tierods were replaced
with moog components less than 3k ago. Initially I thought it was a bad
pitman arm. I was wrong, but it was in bad shape anyhow.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: DML: Steering Box Replacement
From: John Dunlap <jsdunlap@roadkill.org>
Date: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:41 am
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
Are you sure it's not your CVS joints ?
On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 10:33 PM, <mailinglists@moparhowto.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Folks,
>
> I need to replace the steering box in my '95 Dak 4x4 in the near future
> due to a fun noise that's somewhere between a "clack" and a "ping" at
> low speeds while turning the wheel (parking lots).
>
> My question is, should I replace the power steering pump and lines at
> the same time? I usually do this on rack and pinion steering as when a
> rack goes bad it usually loads up the fluid with metal particles. I've
> not taken a sample to look at my Dakota's fluid yet, but I'm assuming if
> it's cleam and the pump works well I'm fine to just replace the box?
>
> Thanks,
> M.B.
>
>
>
--"The reason dogs have so many friends is that they wag their tails instead of their tongues"
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