OK guys just an update, I haven't yet taken it out on the road but it does feel better and sounds quieter in the parking lot going over the speed bumps. butr anyways here is what I found, all on the drivers side (which makes sense because I have a PS leak and everything is covered in PS fluid gunk, passenger side is all clean,dry and tight) anyways the 2 radius arm bolts at the axle each took a full turn or two on the wrench to tighten up (I could see the bushings were worn) I also saw some power steering fluid ooze out as it tightened up, also the top link bolt on the sway bar (not the link to the axle bolt but the link to the sway bar bolt) used about 1 full turn tighter. the steering felt a little better but won't know for sure until I actually drive it. Anyways these are all things going on my list of repairs next month, I am guessing the PS leak has killed all the bushings on the drivers side and the combination of all of them is causing me all my problems.

 

I have that problem too. No telling how long mine had a PS leak that the PO didn't fix. I finally got the leak stopped a few months ago but all my bushings are shot on the drivers side. I have one set of bushings from AB but I need a different one to get the bushings for the steering components. Hope you have solved the mystery of the steering issue you have been having. Good luck with it. Let us know the final verdict.

 

This is interesting. I have a similar clunk that I posted about a while back that happens only when the roads are wet. The suggestion was to replace the radius arm bushings, which I haven't gotten around to yet. Your issue seems to validate that my problem is likely the same, especially given the fact that I had a PS leak when I first bought the car; I stopped it, but damage has already been done.

When you tightened your radius arm at the axle, did you have to crank hard on them or soak them before the moved?

 

I think he said they were already soaked, In pwere steering fluid, which actually should be the transmission fluid on a 97 DI shouldn't it.

Have you resolved the PS leak yet?

 

yes and no, yes they were soaked in power steering fluid, no they were not tight, however they are a nut on a bolt so I could turn them together for hours while still being pretty snug, after putting a wrench on the nut I got maybe a full turn out of it before it felt right to me, I could have probably torqued it down a bit more but I didn't want to bend and ruin the bracket that the arm sits inside. The PS leak is on my list of repairs as well, it will require a thread chaser as the line is cross threaded.

the clunk is worse when I drive through a puddle but I don't really think about that because I live in a desert and the only puddles I ever drive through are from sprinklers which is maybe one puddle a month. Anyways tightening up the bolts (IMO) helped for a little bit but after a few turns and a few speed bumps I think it just loosened them back up or just killed the bushings a little worse. I am just babying the truck and it seems to be doing ok for now. hopefully it will hold off until I am ready to get my list of repairs done.

 

Them bolts are torqued to 140ft/lbs, if using a regular wrench or ratchet, I wouldn't worry about over doing it. The bushing has a metal sleeve(or should have)that spans the inside of that bracket to keep it from deforming.