loose steering and vibration in steering wheel.

Steering gear (Box).....I had to replace mine because I was consistently "Chasing" the steering, Very stressful over a 10 hour day- I had an inch and a half play in the shaft- And 3 inches of free travel in the steering wheel.... Just wore me out-

Reman TRW box $349 .......Did Tie Rod ends and Springs and Pins also- Nice n Tight like new now

 

Don't take this wrong but the best source of information is your brother and he needs to drive the truck and see what it could be.

The vibration could even be the drives or even the drive shaft, but we can not tell because a vibration is too subjective to diagnose.

If you have sloppy steering and you think putting new tires on it would fix it, then you need to learn more. Sloppy steering won't be fixed with tires and shocks.

NO I don't think an alignment will fix this issue, it will help with the other issue of tire wear if you have that but overall get your brother to drive it and let your brother figure it out.

 

Pay it without gryping and never go back. Just what I would do.

 

I know this sucks, but like Goodysnap said, you should pay the bill. They did spend time looking at it and should be paid. I would never recommend a cheaper small shop for any sort of tricky diagnostic work. They are great for cheap repairs like a brake job or replacing a 5th wheel, but I would never take my vehicle to Joe's Garage for diagnostic work. You just saw how quickly it can go sideways. You can certainly argue with them, but I think it is best to make it a life lesson learnt and move on. This is why it is so important to find a good shop and develop a relationship with them.

 

Check very carefully where the pitman arm connects to the shaft. Even the slightest looseness will cause a shimmey or death wobble. Rotate the steering shaft back and forth by hand and watch that the shaft isn’t turning inside the pitman arm.

 

Driving a truck all day chasing it back and forth sucks!! I agree it will kick your arse!!