i think something broke

[MaGiKaLsHoTs]

so last night i went wheeling with my 2001 ranger, its stock with stock tires on it, so it goes fine through lots of stuff

gets through to the end when there are like giant ditches goin across the trail... so make it through a few of um with only my reese hitch smashing then the last on my exhaust rips off, so got that figured out

got onto the road again and i start noticing a shimmy in my steering wheel... at first i thought of it as maybe just some mud in the tires, so i got under my truck and looked, theres no mud in the tires,

so i get almost home and i noticed theres a HUGE slop in my steering wheel, so i pulled over, and nothing is wrong with my tie rods, their tight

so this morning i go out and look under it and the cross brace on the 98+ front ends is smashed in right under the steering box, its not BAD but its just a lil bend up


does anyone think that might have somthing to do with the slop in my steering wheel?

oh btw the HUGE slop it comes and goes.. like ill be driving fine then the next thing i know SLOP... im thinkin i messed up the steering box

 

[mwood1985]

reach down the steering shaft and feel where it goes into the power steering rack. there is a ujoint there that tore up on my 2001 when i hit a washout on a dirt road too hard. mine did the same thing except yours is but my tierods were shot too if its got some play get it fixed before you drive it and id do the tierods too