Post by
SteveTheTech »
https://forums.nicoclub.com/stevethetech-u103802.html
Sun May 09, 2010 10:10 am
Welcome Beth,
It sounds like you have three separate issues here that may or may not play into each other.
The Steering looseness can be isolated easier than any of your other problems.
First start by shacking the wheel with the engine off. If there is still considerable play than you should inspect the joints and steering shaft. After that I would safely jack up the truck and check for looseness as something is indeed loose and its just a matter of narrowing it down.
The shift issue would be a little more difficult to narrow down. First thing I would do is ensure that all the gear ratios are changing at the correct times. This includes TCC (Torque Converter Clutch (Overdrive)) operation at highway cruise. If you are missing a gear there is most likely an electrical reason as mechanical failure is far more unlikely.
The rattle could really be coming from anywhere. Commonly vehicles of this age tend to have an exhaust system that contains a fair amount of rusted components. If the vibration is more prevalent during high idle or acceleration I would suspect exhaust shields, if it is more at idle I would look at belt tensioners or something that rotates and or transmits vibrations.