steering wheel always moving?

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steering wheel keeps moving. Anyone dealt with this? What was the fix?

Alignments are a waste.
I've replaced most if not all of the front suspension. But despite that, it moves. Like it has a mind of it's own. Sometimes after sitting cold overnight, sometimes on impact while driving.

Sometimes it's straight, other times a bit left, or a bit right, or VERY right.
Am wondering if something came loose that I need to go in and look/double check tightness,
or if stuff is tweaked, not sitting in a correct laden position
or if even the lift is causing it.
I'd HOPE nothing is loose because I tend to tighten things the first time, BUT it is a truck that takes impact and has undersized hardware from the factory.

I know everyone mentions the rubber donut in the steering. I looked at it, and yes, it looks a bit worn. But not to the amount I think it would cause THAT much movement.

For example, today on the way home, in my area there is some construction. Cracks in the road. Yes I slowed down a bit, but not to a crawl. A "hit" the truck should ordinarily take; I could feel and hear something clunk during the "hit" which made the steering wheel change right again.
If anything, I've tried to stiffen and strengthen front components, not the opposite. For example poly steering rack bushings.
So far, in any of the many times I've been wrenching on the truck checking things while in there trying to get to the bottom of this, I don't find anything loose or appearing out of the ordinary.

I hear the steering column is a garbage design, with a bunch of weak flex points in it meant to collapse in the event you decide to drive into a brick wall at 50mph, so that you still die in other ways but not in the way Ayrton Senna did.

Long story short, the steering wheel has a mind of it's own. Before I tear apart literally everything to investigate, anyone have any ideas?
So far, the depth of my looking at the steering column has only been at the top footwell (donut) and spline shaft connection point at the rack, with appears to have possibly one stripped tooth but the rest intact.

At minimum, I will try to replace any shit aftermarket parts I have (LCA, bearings) with better OE quality to rule that out of the equation. Such as if the LCA's have a ball joint malfunction.
But again, in anything I look at, check tightness on, wiggle, etc - so far everything looks fine.
Maybe I just haven't found it yet.

Whichever U-joints I looked at so far in the column didn't look really worn out, but then again at this year + miles it's expected to have wear.
I've noticed with this truck, things are not as easy to see by eye, and may even need precise measuring tools to detect.
As opposed to an old Benz, if there's play in a wheel bearing or ball joint, it's VERY easy to check.
Unlike when my LCA BJ's went bad (replaced) a year ago, sure they'd clunk over bumps, but you couldn't feel it by hand trying to diagnose it vs. guess

I remember once upon a time, there was a time where the steering wheel was straight. Held alignment. Didn't move. Stayed that way every day.
Coincidentally, this was before I joined TW and began doing "upgrades"

maybe my Chinese LCA bushings are made of playdoh and went bad in 1k mi



however...I've heard this "phenomenon" is common, even on stock/OEM components

 

When you say moving meaning it clocks to a different location but tracks straight? If so, that’s a symptom of your suspension hardware being too loose or not quality. Do you have oem lower hardware? The MOOG bolts are known to be shit. Also I’d recommend aftermarket LCA tabs, and Worst case once you get a good alignment tack weld the cams to the backing plates.

 

get the truck jacked up by the frame. tires off the ground. try and move the tire up/down, left/right and see what the steering wheel does (engine running and not running)

also look for power steering fluid leak

 

OP, the factory spec. for movement of the steering wheel is a max. of 30mm measured along the outside of the SW so you could easily have it coming to rest in different positions. Measure with wheels on ground, steering straight ahead.

For my trucks, I have found that much slop to be annoying and will not permit to get that high.

Remember that the tolerances are additive in every part along the path of the steering components. If this were mine I would check the play in the rack at the rack guide adjustment, both inner and outer tie rod ends, the upper steering intermediate shaft, the alignment cam adjusters, and for splits in the rubber webbing of the LCA bushings.

The alignment cam adjusters are a well known problem if they have come loose and the fences (tabs) along their sided have been flattened or sheared off.