2020 freight liner cascadia steering issues

Hey guys just a quick question I’m slip seating in this truck while my 2021 with electrical problems is being fixed in a shop bunch of ABS issues and traction control problems also transmission drops into neutral after 3rd gear and will not go out of it. The truck I’m in now caused me to get into a accident because the truck didn’t turn correctly coming out of a curved fuel island. Pulled out from the fuel island turned steering wheel to the right wheels remained straight hit yellow cement pol because its a weird fuel island where you have to take a wide right to get out to avoid pumps with trailer but not too far because of barrel sized concrete pols on the left. Well as you can see in picture that is my steering wheel with the wheels straight. That’s as far as I turned the wheel before I realized my steers were not turning and I hit the pole thankfully slowing down with breaks and not damaging anything other than cracking fiber glass hood and headlight on driver side. I do very thorough PTI. The pitman arm tie rods castle nuts and everything that morning seemed perfectly fine there. I took to TA they say gear box, can’t replace that there now at frieghtliner dealership and they are saying alignment, but are not too confident in that statement. They said for sure wasn’t the gear box. What would cause the steering to go like that. It’s apparently being considered a preventable even though I did my PTI and turned my truck in a manor that if I did have functional steering at the time I would of cleared pole and trl would of made it out of fuel island. Thankfully this happened getting fuel and not going through Chicago area on 80. With only minor damage to the truck. Don’t know how to fight them saying preventable I have no issue about taking accountability but the equipment failed out of nowhere without visible signs of failure. Heck frieght liners taking 2 days to find out why it’s like this. Are there any vets out there that have had this happen too or that know what the problem may be so I can get freight-liner to check it. Also steering wheel picture is the same as the steer line picture wheels straight. Could alinement coming apart mid drive really make the truck steering wheel that crooked? The trucks steering line looks pretty normal to me. Nothings bent nothing seems exacerbated or out of place. Nothing was loose. One nut is castle missing fodder pin but that pick was took after TA was checking torque of nut. Every nut was in torque spec.. Not sure what the deal is here.

 

So if you couldn’t steer it how would you trust driving it to TA then to a dealer?

 

I didn’t It got time 50 something odd miles

 

Since I got it towed read above and your the only person who has replied what mechanical failure do you think would cause the steering wheel to do that?

 

I read the post that’s not the issue. I had reservations in how steering didn’t work yet you took it to TA, you didn’t mention towing it there.

I dealt with a lot a criminals back in the day and this looked like establishing a trail to try and cover up a fubar.

only way I can think of this happening if everything is correctly attached is steering box.
The output shaft some how slipping.

block off the wheels and see if you can turn the wheel.

if it really didn’t turn and they can’t find the issue then I wouldn’t drive it even if they offered $2 mile.

 

Definitely not driving until they fix the issue. Definitely worrying that two different mechanics are saying two different things and after over 8hrs between both shops a answer is not definitive. The steering shaft goes from the top of the steering gearbox to the steering wheel correct? If so how do you check play? At TA I shook the rod that comes out the top of gear box and there was a little slop and play on the up and down direction. Should there be any at all? Do these trucks have a knuckle joint like 4 wheelers? the thing can be turned. Pulled out of shop at TA and the steering wheel just develops more slop and and gets more crooked. Only way to drive it without crashing is to continue to compensate for the loss and look out the window where to check where your steers are pointing…. Definitely really Sketchy. Nothing but problems on freight liners from 20 and 21. Build quality isn’t there.

 

Unless the slip yoke on steering shaft went bad but that would be evident if you grab steering shaft above slip yoke and rocked the shaft by hand. They are collapsible shafts in an accident.
Wondering if a shear pin in shaft between
Wheel and firewall or if steering joint for tilt wheel has failed and has excessive slop. Shut truck off and rock the wheel and see if you hear clunking and still have excessive play?.
If not, then it’s something in box when engine running and hydraulic assist

 

Steering issue prompts recall of over 100,000 Freightliner Cascadias.

 

I don't think the dealership would miss a disconnected drag link. TA maybe.

 

Ok guys get this, two issues caused this to happen. Both are spline related. The bolt was not torqued to the correct spec on the steering shaft that joins into the input spline on the power steering gearbox. The second issue is the steering wheel spline. It has a master key way. From factory they did not line up the master key way when installed the steering wheel on the steering shaft. They pretty much piped on the steering wheel and the yoke nut that torques it down was impacted down actually bending the finer splines with the max key way. 100k miles down the line that cause steering shaft spine at the steering wheel connecting point to grind down and Waller out and pretty much stripped itself into oblivion l. Unfortunately there is absolutely no way to inspect if your unit is affected. It would require removing the wheel and yoke nut. Sliding the steering wheel slightly up and checking if the master key way and baby splines are aligned properly. Just putting it out there for people that could be affected. You never know. 2020 shakeliners man. The quality control is scary between the 2020-2021 units.