Steering upgrade recommendations

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

fastSdime

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Posts
86
Reaction score
11
Location
Westmoreland, KS
Ram Year
1999 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum 360
Which year are you using the 98.5 or the 08 steering? You do know that there is a difference in the tre tapper right. You might also look into the recall that is going on with that steering setup.

I have the 98.5. I went thru everything that they had on DodgeTalk for what I did. I replaced the cheap ebay setup that I bought first. With parts that I can pick up at my local parts store that has a lifetime warranty. Its been on my truck for 2 years now and I love it. The ebay stuff just had cheap TRE and didn't last. The differents of the TRE is at the pitman arm. And the one that was for my truck and the one that I ordered for the 2500 HD setup have the same part #. I have a 99 1500 with D44 up front so I don't know about how it is with his but it was all bolt on in my truck.

This on the Dana44?

Yes this is on my dana 44
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
I have the 98.5. I went thru everything that they had on DodgeTalk for what I did. I replaced the cheap ebay setup that I bought first. With parts that I can pick up at my local parts store that has a lifetime warranty. Its been on my truck for 2 years now and I love it. The ebay stuff just had cheap TRE and didn't last. The differents of the TRE is at the pitman arm. And the one that was for my truck and the one that I ordered for the 2500 HD setup have the same part #. I have a 99 1500 with D44 up front so I don't know about how it is with his but it was all bolt on in my truck.



Yes this is on my dana 44
I've never done much looking into the setup, so how do you specify what steering linkages you get?
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
^^^ Parts list for your year truck.

Drag link: DS1459
- Long tie rod (passenger side: DS1456
- Left tie rod end (driver side): ES3496
- Drag link upper end (at pitman arm): ES3497 (ES3527 for '00-'02)
- Small adjusting sleeve (drag link): ES2012S
- Large adjusting sleeve (long tie rod): ES3498S
 
Last edited:

fastSdime

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Posts
86
Reaction score
11
Location
Westmoreland, KS
Ram Year
1999 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum 360
I love the steering on my truck. Bump steer is almost gone. And since I use this truck as my POV for the fire dept when needed its nice when going thru feilds that you can keep better control of the truck compared to the Y steering. Merc has all the right part #s and I just went in to a local parts store and found parts that had a lifetime warranty this time.
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
Once again, Merc, the go to man for part numbers! :D

Fast, you say your bump steer is just about gone, what stablizer are you running? Mine is stock and i get bump steer pretty bad on the street sometimes. lol
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
I still use the Y steering and thats with my 7" lift I do have a drop pitman arm but thats it. I have zero bump steer. They must be close to parallel as possible (drag-link and trck-bar). I do have plans to use part of the T system but only the cross bar, I will be making my own drag-link.
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
All of my stuff is stock alignment. I only get it when I hit a REALLY bad bump at speed, that's why I was thinking it was my 15+ year old stabilizer.
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
The stabilizer will not cover up bump steer or correct it, I don't run one at all. Waste of cash as far as I am concerned.
 
OP
OP
Z

zpaulis1

Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Posts
89
Reaction score
11
Ram Year
1996
Engine
5.9L 360
Merc, you say the steering stabalizer doesn't do much. Right after I put in my 5" suspension and 3" body with the 37" boggers on my 1/2 ton axles I was getting pretty bad death wobble after about 35/40 mph.. I just ordered an extreme duty track bar from DOR and as u know I will be installing the 3/4 ton axles.. Do u think a dual stabalizer setup would benefit me?? Also took my sway bar off after the lift because I didn't think it was beneficial
 

fastSdime

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Posts
86
Reaction score
11
Location
Westmoreland, KS
Ram Year
1999 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum 360
Once again, Merc, the go to man for part numbers! :D

Fast, you say your bump steer is just about gone, what stablizer are you running? Mine is stock and i get bump steer pretty bad on the street sometimes. lol

I don't have a stablizer on my truck. Due to the crossbars are MUCH thicker then the stock 1500 and the bracket didn't fit. So thats just sitting on a shelf in my garage.
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
I don't have a stablizer on my truck. Due to the crossbars are MUCH thicker then the stock 1500 and the bracket didn't fit. So thats just sitting on a shelf in my garage.

No stablizer and no bumpsteer?



As for not running one at all, I swear all trucks are different. Like Merc, I've heard of guys not having run one since day one, and other guys having to run them. I'm starting to wonder if I'm one of the guys in the latter category.
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
Merc, you say the steering stabalizer doesn't do much. Right after I put in my 5" suspension and 3" body with the 37" boggers on my 1/2 ton axles I was getting pretty bad death wobble after about 35/40 mph.. I just ordered an extreme duty track bar from DOR and as u know I will be installing the 3/4 ton axles.. Do u think a dual stabalizer setup would benefit me?? Also took my sway bar off after the lift because I didn't think it was beneficial

No I do not think they will help at all. If you're a mud bogger with like 40+ tires and making big hp then thats a different story. If you want them get them for looks. Do some reading on steering geometry, its somewhat basic stuff but very important. A good well set up steering system will work wonders, tight everything a good alignment and the 60 will do wonders. I am sending you a pm regards to steering.

No stabilizer and no bump-steer?



As for not running one at all, I swear all trucks are different. Like Merc, I've heard of guys not having run one since day one, and other guys having to run them. I'm starting to wonder if I'm one of the guys in the latter category.

All the big 4wd trucks I have owned over the year's I have never used a steering shock, and this one is not the biggest by far..........yet. Biggest tire I have ran was old 44" Ground Hawgs back in the 80's.
 
Last edited:

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
No I do not think they will help at all. If you're a mud bogger with like 40+ tires and making big hp then thats a different story. If you want them get them for looks. Do some reading on steering geometry, its somewhat basic stuff but very important. A good well set up steering system will work wonders, tight everything a good alignment and the 60 will do wonders. I am sending you a pm regards to steering.



All the big 4wd trucks I have owned over the year's I have never used a steering shock, and this one is not the biggest by far..........yet. Biggest tire I have ran was old 44" Ground Hawgs back in the 80's.

Didn't also have different steering setups? I know the 1st gen Dodges didn't usually need stabilizers on them.

It doesn't explain why, with my stock height truck, I get bumpsteer.
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
^^^ Yeah much worse than these lol, these trucks steer like a dream compared to older 4wd trucks with big tires. For you to get rid of your bump steer you will have to change things in your panhard bar set up or track bar as we call it.

Edit: Bump steer in this trucks was almost built in at the factory.
 

dodge dude94

Millennial Boomer
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Posts
27,745
Reaction score
6,429
Location
East Texas
Ram Year
1998 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum
^^^ Yeah much worse than these lol, these trucks steer like a dream compared to older 4wd trucks with big tires. For you to get rid of your bump steer you will have to change things in your panhard bar set up or track bar as we call it.

Edit: Bump steer in this trucks was almost built in at the factory.

So how would I fix that?
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
I would move the track bar end at the diff end and move it up, there might be a bracket out there for your truck or you would have to have one made and welded on.
 

fastSdime

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Posts
86
Reaction score
11
Location
Westmoreland, KS
Ram Year
1999 Ram 1500
Engine
5.9 Magnum 360
I think a lot of your bumpsteer is the y steering that you have. I had it bad before hand also. Then I went to the t steering and no problem. Because your steering goes from draglink from the pitman arm to pass side knuckle then your driverside TRE to your draglink. So when your tires move up and down it moves everthing. Where mine is TRE to TRE going knuckle to knuckle and then the drag link goes from the TRE about 6"s from the knuckle to the pitman arm. So when your wheels move its not moving everything. I love my setup. My trackbar and my draglink are at the exact same angle also like Merc said.
 

Merc225hp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
3,132
Location
NA
Ram Year
truck
Engine
gas
About the best setup for steering would be a high mount cross-over. But that needs a knuckle that has two arms on the pass side one upper and one lower. Top for the drag-link lower for the cross bar. In a perfect setup both the track bar and the steering should be parallel to level ground.
 
Back
Top