just finished a 1600 mile, straight through shakedown run. sitting out here in iowa again, and had a few issues. up near ocala, the left front caliper locked up, tight. got a new one, and made a roadside repair. (this is why we carry our full toolbox with us. )

drove up through atlanta, and went to ackworth, looking for shoozy. after waiting at glade road for a while, i decided i didn't know who i was looking for. up in the mountains, near the tennessee border, the trans started slipping. bad. everytime i turned to the left, the trans slipped, and felt like it was hitting neutral.

stopped in ringgold ga, and found no fluid on the dipstick. saw no leaks, and went out back. the back of the truck was covered, in fresh wet tranny juice. [Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean]!!! asked where a parts store was, and found stapp auto parts. told them the deal, they put it on their lift, and said tailshaft seal was gone. they happened to have 1 on the shelf, and hooked me up. hour later, back on the road.

made it to waterloo, in about 23 hours of driving. truck ran great. front end was tight, and no squeaks, or rattles. steering rack was tight starting, and after 1600 miles, it was no better. the rack is just as tight on the road, as it is stopped. also experiencing some serious oversteer. have to actually fight the wheel to get it back onto the track i was trying to make.

alignment is right. wheel is straight. no pull to either side. a tiny amount of "slop" or freeplay in the wheel when rolling. the wheel turns about a half inch, either way, before the slack is out. not bad, really. this rack is actually harder to steer, than my old hemi superbee, with a manual box. two fisted, full body exertion, when riding in a parking lot, is required. (will make some great looking forearms, i guess)

at lower speeds, experiencing a slight amount of bumpsteer. maybe between 25-35 mph. steering is always a two handed deal, unless the road is smooth and straight. then, i can steer with a single finger.

so, two questions. has anyone found a way to adjust the tension on a rack and pinion mopar performance rack, to lighten up the torque needed to turn it? second, any thoughts on the oversteer? i hit a line in a curve, going 80 mph, and the truck wants to go off the road, into the curve. it takes a serious effort, to point it where i want it to be.

*iowa motel pic for the non-believers.