Highway driving - do you make constant corrections or can you relax?

[Charlie207]

I think I figured it out!! The upper steering shaft, u joint had no play in it. But the slip joint was seized!!! Even took a 5lb sledgehammer to it and it wouldn’t budge. I replaced it and wandering is gone!!!! I think since steering rack is mounted to the frame and steering wheel to the body when there’s any body roll, unevenness on the road or any small bumps it’s supposed to extend and retract but instead of doing that it was deflecting the shaft and twisting the lower joint causing the tires to change direction slightly but steering wheel never moved. Holy crap I never would’ve guessed that!!!

Reading through this now, and I don't think the shaft being sticky or frozen would have much to do with it. It's only supposed to move & collapse so it doesn't blast through your chest when you hit an oak tree.

I bet worn out body mounts would have more on an impact on imparting unwanted forces from the frame-mounted steering box to the body-mounted steering wheel as the body vs. frame move around differently.

 

[91RS]

The steering shaft definitely moves a lot. The body and frame are not solid mounted to each other and both are flexing from road conditions.