2015 Ram 1500 Steering issues!

[Wyatt Blakeley]

Hows it going everyone. Recently over the past few weeks my steering has become awful. I just want to start by saying I'm on a 6" lift and 35" tires. The first 1/8th of turning the steering wheel in either direction results in almost taking my whole body weight to turn the wheel then as I continue to turn it becomes lose and then tight once again as I'm steering. I've been researching and I believe it to be the intermediate steering shaft. I don't believe it can be the steering rack because there are those points in the steering where it feels fine. If there was something wrong with the steering rack I feel like steering would be tight the whole way through a turn not at certain points. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Brandon-w]

Likely an intermediate shaft seized up.

 

[nick heilman]

My co worker has a 2014 and it developed the same thing. It ended up being the joint on the intermediate shaft rusted. He got it fixed and its been great since

 

[Brandon-w]

https://partsavatar.ca/2015-dodge-d...MI9Pa4ytP86AIVjSCtBh1AEQ2lEAQYASABEgJzSPD_BwE

 

[JayLeonard]

I am going to recommend replacing with an OEM shaft, not aftermarket.
I'm a little based in that I worked as a design engineer at the company in CT that makes those shafts (although I didn't design this one). There are a lot of safety requirements on this part that aftermarket manufacturers don't necessarily follow.
Yes it will work, but the intermediate shaft is a safety item.
Lifting the truck puts a lot more load on the u-joints of that shaft because it changes the dynamics. And corrosion doesn't help.
However your decide good luck with the project and make sure to Loctite the clamping bolts if they don't have a patch.