Slight bump/knock in steering when hitting bumps

Soapy00

Soapy00

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Marcus Hook, PA
It's hard to explain but when turning slightly right and hitting bumps or uneven road at higher speeds you can feel this extra bump in the steering wheel (almost like somethings loose). This is a lot more noticeable when on the highway doing highway speeds and turning slightly right. When my truck was hit in February it was repaired and the entire front-end suspension was replaced. It was hit bad on the drivers side which makes me think it's something on the drivers side suspension (especially since it seems to happen more when turning right and hitting bumps or uneven road). Anybody have a clue what it might be? I remember with my last Dodge Ram Daytona had issues with the tie rods? Could it be those?
 
Jack it up under the lower control arm. Then use a pry bar under the tire to try and move it up and down. Have someone watch the ball joints& bushings to see if you have play. Then grab the tire at 3&9 and move it in/out. Do both sides.

Always had luck with having someone rock the steering back and forth while I watch the linkage underneath. For this you want both front tires on the ground or drive on lift. If you do it on an alignment rack pin the pads. You need friction under the tire to stress the steering linkage.
 
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I'd suspect ball joint (upper and/or lower) but all, including tie rods, are easy to inspect. Do you get any popping/creaking when backing in reverse and turning the wheel? Classic sign of ball joint wear.
 
not that this may be the same but I had a sway bar that would hit the frame, sawzall trimmed the lip near the sway bar and all is good.
 
So I jacked it up and did what you said, didn't feel anything loose both side to side and up to down...shocks look good and tight, had my buddy at his shop check it out for a second opinion and he didn't find anything either...what could be causing this feeling in the steering when hitting bumps?

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There's no knock when turning the wheel back and forth, only when hitting bumps

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Some of the major tool company's make a special tool to find strange noises. It has 3-5 sensors that you attach to the part of the truck you think the noises coming from. As your road test vehicle you can listen to the sensors to hopefully pinpoint it. Call around and see if anybody in your area has one.
 
I would think it might be a weak spring on the right and you're hitting the bumb stop. It's mighty close.
 
Question? Are these truck naturally bouncy? i.e you hit a bridge connector strip at hwy speed and the truck just bounces nothing major, but enough to let you know you hit something and disrupted the chassis because it sits high? Ive never really paid it much attention and thought it was the nature of a truck.
 
I can't tell you how it rides without the 2/4 drop as that's how I bought it, but with the 2/4 drop it's super bouncy

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So the stealership couldn't find anything wrong. I wish i could pinpoint where this knock is coming from, they're saying it's hitting the bump stops from the drop kit...i'm not buying that because when i first got the truck (before it was hit), it didn't do this and it's the exact same kit (only brand new).
 
Soapy00 said:
So the stealership couldn't find anything wrong. I wish i could pinpoint where this knock is coming from, they're saying it's hitting the bump stops from the drop kit...i'm not buying that because when i first got the truck (before it was hit), it didn't do this and it's the exact same kit (only brand new).
Click to expand...

Does it have shorter bump stops installed?
 
how much clearance between the stops ? like ive said before my sway bar was hitting the lip of the frame on bumps, took me a while to find it but as i felt the sway bar with my hand i felt gouges where i couldnt see them and then i seen marks on the edge of the frame lip, a sawzall fixed it and all is good
 
I have to climb under to check, it shouldn't have shorter bump stops as it's the same kit

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If I am reading this correctly, 2 shops have looked at it and found nothing wrong. Your friend and the dealer. So it appears that everything looks good. I would think they checked all suspension parts for excess wear as in ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.
The only thing different is the truck was hit hard by your description. The frame must have been bent and straightened?
My experience with vehicles that have been hit hard and repaired is they are never quite the same after. You may just have to live with this.
 
The frame was completely fine, didn't need straightening, just had the quarter panel, bumper and hood, and front suspension replaced

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Has the truck been on a frame alignment rack? There is something not right with it, the task is to find out what.

A quarter panel means the bed was tweaked. All steering parts replaced means things were bent or broken. Replacing a 1/4 on a p/u truck is a different undertaking than a 1/4 on a car.

I'm not arguing with you, just trying to pin down your issue. Not having seen the truck, makes it difficult to diagnose.

If it was fine before it got hit, and now after repair it has an issue, I would probably go back to the body shop the did the work.
 
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