First of all, is the truck modified or is it stock?
Don't assume that the problem is your steering gear. (although your description points in that direction)
How old are the tires? Are they radials or bias ply tires? What about the shock absorbers?
Check the entire linkage (pitman arm, idler arm, king pins, tie rods, drag, link, etc. Grease them all and check for slop with the front end off the ground.
Have somebody turn the wheel to full stop in one direction while you're under the truck. Working from the outside in, watch each component where it connects to the previous component to see if there is a delay in movement when the wheel is turned toward the other direction - sort of like train cars as the engine gets rolling.
My steering was wonky when I first got the truck ('50 3100). After installing new rims and tires along with new shock absorbers, the steering issue became a non-issue. I can safely drive the truck at 60mph on the interstate without any weird tracking or weaving.
Don't just start throwing expensive parts at the truck without verifying that they actually need to be replaced.
There are adjustments that sometimes can be made to the steering gear which might help if that's indeed the source of the problem.
Last edited by Otto Skorzeny; 02/07/2023 2:53 PM.
