Steering bushing??

[Bayougirl]

Ignorant Bayougirl here. I am attaching photos of what I think is the bushing (or what’s left of it) for steering before I call a mechanic. Is this what I think it is?

[che57vy]

That looks like your drag link supposed to move around but no up and down or excessive movement when you rock the steering wheel.It is supposed to have a rubber boot yours has deteriorated. If end is tight you only need a new boot to keep dirt out I can not tell from picture but it looks like the socket the ball rides in has also broken, I can not tell if that is rubber or metal that is broken but it should be addressed ASAP

[Bayougirl]

Originally Posted by che57vy

That looks like your drag link supposed to move around but no up and down or excessive movement when you rock the steering wheel.It is supposed to have a rubber boot yours has deteriorated. If end is tight you only need a new boot to keep dirt out I can not tell from picture but it looks like the socket the ball rides in has also broken, I can not tell if that is rubber or metal that is broken but it should be addressed ASAP

Thank you so very much

[Bayougirl]

I tried loading another picture but I can’t see it

[Bayougirl]

Originally Posted by Bayougirl

I tried loading another picture but I can’t see it

This second picture is connected to the part that is shown with the damage

[Mahatnmacoat]

Chevy57 is right, it's the bushing in the drag link. Get it fixed ASAP. It's a long way to complete failure but you shouldn't drive it anymore than you have to. The parts should be under fifty bucks and the labor less than an hour. PART OF THE FIX IS A FRONT IN ALIGNMENT. If you're not auto literate just take it to a front end specialist like Minus. You might call or take it to a couple or three shops to see how much agreement you find between them.

[SloPoke]

Agree with all the assesments so far...

Without scraping the excess grease away and inspecting this with my own eyes - it needs an in-person examination.

BUT, feel the need to say that when the drag link end is worn and needing replacement, so are many other suspension components and the entire front suspension should be inspected. Should not be any more than the Drag-Link inspection.

[Mahatnmacoat]

Here's what's aggravating about know it all's. Occasionally their right. Ha!
SloPoke is right. I spoke only to the drag link issue and SloPoke is absolutely right. What I intended to say when I suggested several inspections and comparing recommendations was exactly that. A front end inspection and a list of what needs to be replaced. What I didn't communicate is that there is a lot of distance between safe to drive and comfortable to drive. Someone was driving your MH with a very loose front end for a very long time. And you can drive it for a while longer with a loose front end but it's going to be very tireing. Again, SloPoke is right. One worn out component loosens up the ride and the steering a little bit. Then some other component wears out a little sooner, now it's a little looser and so on. It's called cascading problems. Depending on your budget and comfort level you can restore the vehicle to it's off the assembly line performance. As to safety, wrestling with a truck in a parking lot is one thing. Driving a truck with a loose front end at sixty miles is very different. Your margin for error is very, very small.

[herewego]

Take it to a mechanic you trust the boot may be bad due to over filling and has blown out the boot, sure need to have it checked ,if the trusted mechanic says the boot is just bad they can be purchased . it also appears to have been well greased

Mahatnmacoat additional comments about my post are not needed Thanks and God bless

[Bayougirl]

To all that provided help to me I want to say thank you. The shop replaced the tie rods and steering box/drag link bar. I had two cracks in the metal along with the boots on both sides destroyed. They showed me prior to replacing. The rig drives like a dream now. The shop was Martin GMC Heavy trucks.
Again thank y’all and God Bless.