truck jerks to the left or right..cant figure out
 

So this is happening alot lately. Truck literally JERKS to the righ or left and then makes it extremely hard to turn like something is stopping it from turning.

Cant go over 60MPH the truck vibrates like crazy, the shifter vibrates like no other from left to right.

My main concern is the jerking. If i am driving on the freeway..it tugs to the right then after a few seconds tugs to the left. Almost hit a car on my left yesterday

So my hubs are locked and i have new tires on there, so i don't think it is the tires.

what else could it be...Wheel bearings, drive shaft, CV's

Now my CV boots are torn and i do believe there were some mud in there.

just trying to let you guys know everything..

let me know your ideas

Thanks

check you lug nuts
jack the front end up and try rocking the tires and see if there's any play in the bearings.
unlock the hubs if you can and see if the problem continues.

I'd look over the whole front end, idler arm, pitman arm, relay rod, tie rods, ball joints, etc... Have you had the relay rod recall done? Why are you driving on the road with the hubs locked?

X's 2 :think:

was told it don't matter if i drive with it locked..so when i need 4x4 i just drop it into gear. Didn't know there was a recall. i will check on that.
i drove with the hubs free and get the same results.

let me check all the things mentioned and keep you guys updated.

Leave them unlocked for street driving.

Worn or sticking steering stabilizer? My buddy's f150 did the same thing found out his was seizing up.

IIRC, the little slip in my visor (the OEM one that comes with the truck brand new from the factory) says it's safe (for the parts, not safe as in your health) to keep them locked up to around 45-50mph... I think... I made have read that somewhere else... it's what I go by anyway, because if mine are locked and I get around evem 45mph, I get a vibration, but my CVs are going too... (it's on my to-do list)



personally, what would I do?

get an assistant, you stand outside the truck looking at the steering components (might help you to take the skid-plade down) and have your assistant sit in the truck and turn the wheel left and right about a quarter turn at a time. look for any loose joints. if that yeilds no results, jack the truck up and see if you can wiggle the wheels by hand at all (not turn left and right, but up and down movement, or even a little side-to-side) this is just a quick wheel bearing assessment; you'll know if their bad, trust me.



if all is good, it could also be the steering-stabilizer, steering box itself, the shaft from the wheel to the steering gear-box... it could really be a number of things...

now i dont have PW steering, just to throw that in.
I will check those things

That's the characteristic signature of worn ball joints. There are quite a few to check. Relay arm, pitman arm, arms. It only takes one. However if one is bad its time for all of them.

Get yourseelf a copy of a FSM and fully inspect the front steering components!!!!! After you start doing the inspection start asking questions, we'll be glad to help:)

Don't drive around with the hubs locked. Saw a pic of a t-case that grenaded on marlin forumn from a kid doing so. He'd done it for years, save the wear.

Goodluck

It sounds like your power staring pump maybe be going out id follow your searing stem down make sure nothings getting caught on it then id check cv axels lug nuts wheel bearings calipers sometimes one will stick and if you tap your breaks one will stay closed while the other lets go and will cause you to jerk one direction, pretty much X2 on what everyone else is saying and dont drive around with your hubs locked lock them before you go wheeling and unlock them after i drove around with mine locked one day cause i forgot to unlock em and i blew out both cv axels. just do some guess and check! good luck