It's rock solid under load. The stabilizer ensures that the steering box output shaft won't flex. With regards to Custom Diesel's Web site message, best bet is to contact them on their toll-free phone number to check stock on the item(s) you want to order. I spoke with the owner directly after hours for tech support and he explained to me the difference between a factory Dodge truck steering box and the Borgeson unit, which required the different steering stablizer bar. They had it in stock and shipped it right out to me. Great folks to work with.

 

I agree that the stock box sector shaft design sux!!

Fortunately, I'm not encountering the slop you're experiencing....yet. I expect so down the road.

The steering brace design in your first link acts as stiffener to the frame and front cross member. It's just bolted on gusset versus being welded on. It adds more rigidity to that entire front end. The brace will then take the sector shaft along for the ride which is now driven by BOTH frame rails.

_Without_ the brace, the gear box goes along for the ride on just the driver side frame rail. You can see this clearly if you ever flex out the front end. Watch your bumper-to-headlight clearance line change. This was part of the design to let the gear box effectively "ride" or "float" with the frame so that you can still have steering capability. Now add the brace and you introduce 3-point bending. The sector shaft will load from BOTH frame rails in addition to that coming from the draglink.

The sector shaft, from what I can tell, really only has 1 bearing located near the output to the pitman arm. The other end is supported by the gear teeth. Adding the additional bearing on the outside to the sector shaft...is GOOD, but not in the application of the steering brace of the first link. My only caveat where I'd consider using it is:

1) Daily STREET driving, mostly stock vehicle setup
2) Prolong gear box replacement; decrease urgency as it minimizes slop

Bigger tires, lift, hard driving, etc. this is not a good option per the loading I described.

My buddy's flex monster had the brace on, running 38s, and 5" lift at the time. It got bent and can you picture what happened?

After he did the new suspension and lift...the brace was removed and no issues (that I know of) in 6+ months.


For the DOR version I do support it's application only b/c it is not tied across to the other frame rail. It's going along for the ride like it should. I'd like to see how it performs over time, however, it's newly released and not sure who's running one. This (in my mind) would keep a NEW box safe and mitigate the slop.


The slop in these boxes can come from a few sources, just to name a few:

1. Rough roads
2. Hard driving
3. Low fluid...air!!
4. General wear of the internals...look at the age of these original ones now!
5. Unintended loading (shock loading from curbs, jumping, excessive droop that binds the drag link TRE that will induce a bending moment into the sector shaft)


You haven't shared how you use your truck and I hope you will. I'm not meaning to come off as knocking you on your thoughts for this mitigation. My first post remains in understanding how the slop occurs, then consider it's relevance to Owner driving style/use.

If it were me starting to experience this problem and money was an issue, then I'd most likely go directly to a Redhead Steering Gear Box. I have seen nothing but positive reviews of them in the context of their usage. Even guys running 40s and other hardcore rigs heavier that Cummins went to Redhead.

I'm sharing my experience from the way I use my rig, how I see my hardcore buddy's Dodge is used, and Static Loading Mechanics (my edumahkashun). My intention is to help your decision and I think there are MORE of us 2nd Gens that are/or will be encountering this problem as time goes on.....

 

Oooo. Good Explanation there Wh1t3. You bring up some valid points. (cross-stressing the steering box.) Hadn't considered that as thoroughly as I should have.

The DOR brace looks like the better design.....

 

Thanks for your input. As I stated I am aware of all the points you have brought up. You mention you're buddy had run the brace for some time before it got bent (I assume from hitting an object) which led to the steering box's demise. No real surprise there. I'm more interested in how it was working prior to that incident seeing that he probably flexed it out a lot.

As for how I use my truck, its primarly a DD with some light-medium trail duty on the side. I would not even consider the Hell Bent brace if I was into rock crawling. The fact that I don't flex the truck to its limits often (if ever) makes this brace a viable option for me. Money isn't an issue in regards to replacing the steering box as a whole, however I have a hard time justifying the cost-benefit relationship as nothing else is wrong with it.

As it does with you, the DOR box seems to make more sense from what engineering knowledge I have. I just wish there were more testimonials on the real world performance of either brace.

 

I disagree with just buying the cheapest one you can find.
If you buy an well engineering one they will come with a bearing that "floats" in the bearing housing allowing a misalignment of up to 5 degrees ( which is a lot). This should eliminate any issues if the bracket does actually flex. Although again with the way these mount to the frame if they used proper materials I would bet that the mounting slots would slip before the bracket actually bent. They is all based on assumption as I have not actually seen their engineering work.

 

Also, the point of these is to stabilize the shaft that has a lateral stress put on it whenever you turn due to the mentioned Y style steering design.

 

Dodge off road (I think) makes one that does not tie across the frame rails, to avoid just such an occurrence.

 

All of these braces, even the cheapest, incorperate a self-aligning bearing that as you said allows misalignment, so any flex of the bracket is a non-issue. I ended up buying the http://www.dodgeramsteeringstabilizer.com/ brace as it is 1/4" plate and works with my sway drop brackets, it is a nice piece.

 

I hadn't seen that one before. Really like it!

 

I see that one on my local Craigslist all the time, which prompted me to search the subject, leading me to this thread.

I'm probably going to order one for several reasons. My box is healthy but I suffer from the flex and wandering steering. It's affordable. My Ram is rarely off road, and when it is, it's a mild trail to a camping location or a field for wood or car parts.

It seems very well designed and based on my situation, a perfect fit to assist the steering and lessen the wandering.