NHTSA Complaint #10193815 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

MY RAM 2500 4X4 DIESEL TRUCK STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY AT 60-65MPH AROUND 30K MILES ON VEHICLE, HAD TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE TO MAKE THE SHAKING STOP. I THOUGHT I HAD PROBLEMS WITH TIRES AND BALANCING, SO WENT TO TIRE SHOP AND BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND HAD FRONT END ALIGNED. BUT ABOUT A WEEK AFTER NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED IT HAPPENED AGAIN, SO I HAD DEALERSHIP EXAMINE VEHICLE, THEY CHANGED STEERING DAMPER, AND BALL JOINTS AFTER 3 WEEKS IN SHOP. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING, SO BROUGHT IT AGAIN TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY STATED I NEEDED TO HAVE THE TRUCK ALIGNED, SO I TOLD THEM TO HAVE IT ALIGNED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I NOTICED THE FRONT TIRES WERE LOOSING ITS SHAPE GOING BALD ON THE OUTSIDE, OBVIOUSLY ALIGNMENT WRONGLY PERFORMED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS ALIGNMENT WAS NOT PERFORMED AT THEIR SITE. THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO MY TECHNICIAN AND PAY FOR A REAL TECHNICIAN TO DO THE JOB CORRECTLY. HERE'S WHAT HE FOUND OUT: ALL TIE ROD ENDS AND BARS WERE DAMAGED, STEERING DAMPER WAS BAD, AND THE FRONT END WAS DISPLACED WRONGLY VIA THE ECCENTRIC ADJUSTMENTS. TO OUR SURPRISE, ALL NEW REPALCEMENT PARTS (TIE RODS, AND BARS) HAD PROBLEMS, WENT BACK TO MOPAR PARTS STORE THREE TIMES TO EXCHANGE PARTS. THIS IS WHEN WE DECIDED TO GO ALL THE WAY AND EXCHANGED ALL TIE RODS AND BARS WITH AFTERMARKET ONES WITH GREASE CUPS AND ADDED A SECOND STEERING DAMPER TO THE PRINCIPAL BAR COMING FROM THE PITMAN ARM. PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED WITH $$$ AND TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I CAN FORWRD PICTURES OF HOW THE FRONT END SUSPENSION LOOKS NOW, NOT DIFFERENT FROM ORIGINAL BUT WITH GREASE CUPS AND ADDITIONAL STEERING DAMPER (MOPAR CLAMP ON TYPE). PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO CHRYSLER AND DODGE ENGINEERS.