2001 Dodge Roadtrek 190 Versitle Front end wobble

[WatervilleBob]

Greetings All,
After a very long search I finally found a 2001 Roadtrek. Very well maintained but it drives like a 22 year old Dodge 3500........ road wander wobble. I plan on keeping this RV and am looking for anyone who has cured the wobble with after market steering box arm add on's and a steering stabilizer. I am not looking for "the cheap fix". Ball joints, etc. were just done @ 77,000 miles or so. Tires have less than 10,000 miles on them and front end was aligned. Thoughts specific to this Roadtrek by a Roadtrek Owner? Many Thanks

 

[Kevin D Pem]

You might look into this. I have no idea about your roadtrek but you said dodge.

Steering Box Stabilizer Bar Dodge Cummins 2500/3500 2wd 1994-2002|1500 1994-2001 - 1032002

BD's Steering Box Stabilizer (SBS) eliminates steering wander and wobble caused by excessive shaft play in the steering box of late-model Dodge trucks.

ca.bddiesel.com

 

[WatervilleBob]

Much appreciated!

 

[jjrbus]

I am not a mechanic and have no experience with a Dodge RT. My go to with any vintage vehicle even low milage one is to replace the upper and lower control arm bushings. They may not be shot to the point of clunking but are old and worn and no longer capable of doing their job which is keeping the front end stable. I find it is never a mistake to replace 30 year old rubber.

My opinion and worth what you are paying for it.

5 Symptoms Of A Bad Control Arm Bushing & Replacement Cost

 

[WatervilleBob]

Are these the same as upper and lower ball joints? Ball joints were just done a few thousand miles ago. When I drove this RV at 50~~65 it was all over the road like driving a power boat. I have a 2015 25 ft. class C that I put in stiff anti sway bar, steering stabilizer for a much "tighter" steering and ride. I just want to buy the "right stuff".I have seen mention of a aftermarket stabilizer arm for the steering box as well?

Thanks for your taking the time to reply. I thought this forum would be more responsive than what has occurred. Oh well.

 

[jjrbus]

Are these the same as upper and lower ball joints? Ball joints were just done a few thousand miles ago. When I drove this RV at 50~~65 it was all over the road like driving a power boat. I have a 2015 25 ft. class C that I put in stiff anti sway bar, steering stabilizer for a much "tighter" steering and ride. I just want to buy the "right stuff".I have seen mention of a aftermarket stabilizer arm for the steering box as well?

Thanks for your taking the time to reply. I thought this forum would be more responsive than what has occurred. Oh well.

All forums I belong to have taken a big hit from covid, even worse with the lack of knowledge from RT owners.

Keep in mind came from the factory without any steering enhancements, no brand X tires or XYX shocks. Something has worn, damaged front end or heavy rust on frame. Start with an alignment, expressing your concerns to tech. Google control arm bushings.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Are these the same as upper and lower ball joints? Ball joints were just done a few thousand miles ago. When I drove this RV at 50~~65 it was all over the road like driving a power boat. I have a 2015 25 ft. class C that I put in stiff anti sway bar, steering stabilizer for a much "tighter" steering and ride. I just want to buy the "right stuff".I have seen mention of a aftermarket stabilizer arm for the steering box as well?

Thanks for your taking the time to reply. I thought this forum would be more responsive than what has occurred. Oh well.

The item I linked to fixes a known issue with that dodge, that is where I would start if you had the front end work done by a professional.

 

[CanadaDan]

The steering box on my 1997 Dodge 3500 (240,000 miles) has a hex-socket "set screw" in the center of the nut that secures the steering arm to the box. Using great care and a maximum of 1/8" of a turn of the set screw for each trial after loosening - then re-tightening - this nut, the slack (which results from wear on the worm gears) was greatly reduced.
On my rig, the nut was difficult to access (but do-able and torque-able from below). I had to carefully align and drill a hole in the metal shield behind the grille in order to access the hex set screw with a long hex key through this hole. There's no other accessories on my rig's steering or suspension.
Although the rig still doesn't handle like a sports car, the steering improvement was amazing; the secret is to find the setting that gets rid of the slack but does NOT cause any binding throughout the steering range.

Good luck

CanadaDan

 

[jjrbus]

[There is a technical service bulliten and I cannot get it to post here. It for 98 and up Dodge vans.

 

[Galoo]

Alignment settings from the factory are good starting points. Consider making adjustment to the alignment, specifically the caster angle since that is done with the ball joints you just had changed. I had to go to 5.4 degrees on my RT to fix the wobble. The hardest part was trying to convince the alignment tech to go to the limits of factory recommended settings. It's your vehicle and the tech should do what you ask. Good luck. Joe