The mechanic took me to the bay and showed me that the tie rod ends and ball joints were tight and there were no play. They said there were signs they were replaced not long ago. The truck does not track right or left at all. Just the steering that has the play. If the truck keeps tracking to the right/left, I would think the tie rods ends would be bad, right?
Keep in mind I am Deaf and I tend to rely on my sight much more than sound and I tend to notice if I am tracking left/right. Does that make sense? I’m curious what your opinions are on on this.
Thanks everyone for all your advice. I’ll keep yall updated.
Too much play makes sense and cannot be adjusted also makes sense. The recirculating balls are probably worn out and would require replacement. They come in a little bag from a dealer. They can be replaced but a rebuilt steering box won’t require the extra half hour of labor. It’s a push.
@Rusty That’s good that you saw definitive proof that the tie rods and ball joints were good. It’s good that they were replaced recently, because if they were still original, they’d be in awful shape
It sounds like overall your family friend did a good job keeping the vehicle safe, replacing worn out parts as he/she recognized them. Steering box wear happens very gradually, and someone who has been driving the vehicle for many years probably never even noticed. It’s sort of like paint fade, you don’t even realize the color has changed until something happens that causes the need to match it.
You just might own the family friend a large pizza for providing you with a safe truck in good shape. You’ve done well, and he/she is a true friend.