The install is easy. Get the axle end in place and get the bolt started, then move the steering wheel until the frame end lines up and goes in. I put a Moog bar on my rig too, and when it goes out I'll be replacing it with the Solid Steel bracket and newer style bar (I wish it was available before I put out the cash for the Moog). Dodge should never have used a ball joint style end on these things. [:@]

 

Moog should have no problem at all replacing that bar. I've had very good luck with them in the past. Installing the new bar took 5 minutes. It was simple. My biggest problem was that the seat of the ball-joint was frozen. And I should have never-siezed the stud when I put it back together, but forgot to.

As an engineer, I'm not sure I like that Solid Steel bracket. I'll have to go down to the local dealer and check out the new trucks to see exactly how they're layed out. The reason that they used the ball joint style on our trucks is that as the front suspension moves up and down, the axle moves forward and backward a little bit. This is due to the geometry of the control arms. The ball joint is used to accomodate this front-to-back motion. With this bracket that front-to-back movement will have to be taken up by the bushing, and will be inputing a much larger twisting motion on the framerail thru that bracket. For every day driving on the road the only issue I'd have is work fatigue on the bolts and brackets. But if you're articulating the suspension heavily, I can see some pretty serious binding occurring.

Like I said, I'll have to look at the new trucks to see how the geometry is in them. Haven't really had a chance to yet.

 

went to local dealer and checked them out on the new ram.looks like the ball joint has been deleted.im no mechanic so i really dont know how to explain.seems like the hole where the ball joint went is now horizontal and has bushings on either side with a pin that is mounted inbetween two flanges on frame.

on a seperate note....i had them locate a noise when they had it in for inner seal replacement(free,woo hoo)cause i had it there once and they siad it wasnt leaking))and they said it was the stabilizer bar link pins.my question is...is the bar under pressure?once i release the pins,will it wanna fall?id rather do this myself cause advance auto has them for half the price as the dealer and 100+ in labor.
thanx again.

 

Right, and that's how Dodge should have designed the trac bar for the 94-2001 Rams (of course, I'd also prefer to just have a leaf sprung front end and forget about the trac bar totally. ).

You can replace the end links yourself no problem. The bar won't fall when the links are taken out as it's attached to the frame too. They can sometimes be a bit of a pain to get in, but with some muscle they'll pop in. I'd suggest going with a set of end links with poly bushings (I'm a huge fan of poly. ).

 

thanx Ramtuff,ill take that in consideration upon purchase of my new investments.
; P

 

I replaced the track bar on my 98 ram about 4 months ago, had it aligned and everything seemed ok. Now the frame end is moving and allowing the whole axle to move about an inch or two. Is there any to fix this or do I need a new bar? What would make it ware out so fast?

Thanks for the help

 

1995 Ram 2500 with 5.9 automatic 4x4 with 3.55 gears I think. This was an old work truck I bought and tried pulling my boat today which weighs around 7,000 pounds. While accelerating with o/d off the RPMS seem to jump about a couple hundred RPMS just before it shifts. The transmission was rebuilt a year ago. But that was before I bought it.
I only went 2 miles with the boat. I used low range pulling up the steep boat ramp so I wouldnt strain it too bad. This is the first automatic I have owned in 10 years.
Could it need a band adjustment?

 

the second gen trac bars are def a terrible design. I put on a new one since I kept getting death wobble everytime I hit a little bump. I actually laid under my truck and had my daughter quickly turn the wheel back and forth. You could see the frame/body move side to side as the wheels stayed in place.

I put on a new trac bar from Autozone. I forgot to install the zerk and grease it. It went out in like 3 weeks. Luckily it has a lifetime warranty so I changed it out free. It's crazy how you have to re center the steering wheel every time you change this darn thing.

I'm gonna make a custom bar when I get time, this thing is ridiculous. I'll bet a new design with heims would make the truck hold it's lane better.

 

Yes, it would, but, you would feel every little bump in the road thru the steering wheel too.... that's why there is a rubber bushing on one end. Dampens the shock from hitting bumps. (and pebbles in the road...)

If you didn't care about that, yes, heims would make an excellent bar.

 

does the truck have to on a lift or the ground. Because i can not get the ball joint end to line up with the frame part on the driver side of the truck.