1996 DODGE RAM Suspensionfront Problems

UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS WHEN TRAVELING AROUND 50 TO 60 MPH AND HITTING A BUMP, FRONT END WILL VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. CONSUMER MUST STOP VEHICLE IN ORDER TO GET VIBRATION TO GO AWAY. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE TWICE: DURING FIRST INCIDENT DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRACK BAR, AND AT SECOND INCIDENT, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK THE STEERING DAMPER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND CONSUMER HOPES THAT THIS SOLVES THE PROBLEM. *SLC

DRIVING AT 15 MPH OR MORE FRONT END WILL SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. *AK

I HAVE HAD THIS DODGE INTO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES EXPLAINING THAT THE PICKUP PULLS TO THE RIGHT OR PULLS TO THE LEFT. THEY SAID ON EACH TIME THEY HAVE INSTALLED SPACERS TO CORRECT IT BUT IT IS STILL NOT CORRECTED. I AM IN NEED OF GETTING THIS RESOLVED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH FRONT END VIBRATES OR SHAKES, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FEEL LIKE A WAVE IN WHICH THE OCCUPANT MAY LOSE CONTROL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CONSUMER HAS TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE, FRONT SUSPENSION WILL SHIMMY VIOLENTLY. SHIMMYING CONTINUES UNTIL VEHICLE IS PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SPEED IS REDUCED. SHOCKS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, AND DID NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO CAUSE. SOME BUMPS AND POTHOLES CAUSE, SOME DO NOT. SOMETIMES, SHIMMY STARTS MILDLY AND PROGRESSIVELY GETS WORSE. ALTHOUGH OCCURRED AT 65, ALSO OCCURS AT SLOWER HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IF YOU KNOW OF A FIX THAT IS AVAILABLE (E.G., DEALER RETROFIT), PLEASE E-MAIL ME! ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, CHANCES ARE IT EVENTUALLY WILL! *AK

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE HAS VIBRATION. FEELS LIKE TIRE SLIGHTLY OUT OF BALANCE, BUT TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED REPEATEDLY, WHEELS HAVE BEEN CHECKED FOR TRUE, AND TIRES HAVE BEEN CHECKED FOR OUT OF ROUND. DEALER STATED THAT STOCK GOODYEAR TIRES "ARE KNOWN FOR HAVING A ROUGH RIDE" BUT ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY ARE "WEAR ITEMS". DEALER SUGGESTED REPLACING WHEELS AND TIRES, BOTH OF WHICH WERE DONE, BUT NOT AT DEALER; PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED AND COST NEARLY $2000. VIBRATION IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CAN BE SEEN VIBRATING. THIS IS MORE OF A NUISANCE THAN A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT CAN MAKE FOR AN UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE. DEALER'S COMMENT HAS BEEN THAT "THAT'S THE WAY A TRUCK RIDES," AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO TO RESOLVE IT. *AK

THE FRONT TRACKING BAR THAT HOLDS THE FRONT AXLE IN PLACE IS VERY LOOSE AND IS ABOUT TO BREAK WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

FRONT END MISALIGNMENT. IN ADDITION, REAR AXLE SEALS/AXLE BEARINGS/STEERING DRAG:LINK/FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS/ROTORS AND PADS/REAR BRAKE SHOES AND DRUMS AND REAR BRAKE CYLINDERS AND BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER FAILED/REPLACED.

STEERING IN THE VEHICLE GETS EXTREMELY SLOPPY WHEN DRIVING AND MAKES IT HARD TO STEER. THE STEERING COLUMN HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS. *AK

ALIGNMENT: PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND WEARING THE TIRES OUT. THE ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN REPAIRED EIGHT TIME SINCE MAY OF 1996. *AK

FRONT END MISALIGNED, CAUSING TIRE WEAR.

WHEN TRAVELING ON ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS OR AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, VEHICLE BOUNCES AND SEEMS TO BOTTOM OUT ON THE FRAME. BOTH FRONT SHOCKS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED BUT UNSTABLE CONDITIONS STILL EXIST.

THE CAR PULLS TO RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING PROBLEM. ALSO, VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT UPON BRAKING/FRONT END MISALIGNMENT PULLED VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. *AK

SUSPENSION PROBLEM, CAUSING VIBRATION.

FRONT END MISALIGNED.

VEHICLE VIBRATES WHILE IN MOTION. DEALER TRIED TO READJUST IT BUT THAT DID NOT WORK. *AK

WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHAKES, COMING FROM THE TRACKBAR. *AK

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE PULLS SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT.

VEHICLE VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY AT ALL SPEEDS.

DUE TO NO FRONT SUSPENSION, THE VEHICLE FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING OFTEN. *AK

PARTS IN THE FRONT END HAS TO BE REPLACED, INCLUDING STEERING KNUCKLES, VEHICLE ONLY HAS 1.8 K MILES. *AK

TRAVELING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS OR MAKING A PANIC STOP VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. *AK

TRAVELING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS OR MAKING A PANIC STOP VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. *AK