Truck is a 99 2500 v10 cc sb auto 4x4 with a 4.5" Skyjacker soft ride life and 35" tires

Ok so I have been searching but haven't found anything really on this. So after having replaced everything steering wise except the box (which I did adjust) it has been livable. So yesterday I replaced the totally shot skyjacker soft ride shocks with Bilstein 5100s. However in the front I wanted a better ride so I converted it back to single shock absorber. The skyjacker shocks were dual for each side. But now when I drove it home I had a fairly rough but paved road I was on and it over bumps it now pulls the steering wheel around in my hand over 45-50mph. Over 65-70 its really sketchy on that road. Off road it rides and handles much better now. I took my best friend who's diesel tech by trade out so he could experience what it was doing and the best we could determine was excessive steering feedback now that the suspension could move. Do I need to have dual shocks up front or could a dual stabilizer kit help? Current stabilizer has less than 800 miles on it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

You are probably getting more bump steer since the front suspension isn't damped quite so well. Which style steering linkage do you have? The inverted Y? Or the heavy duty T steering?

 

All factory inverted Y. When I replaced all of it I did so with moog parts for a stock height truck cause the skyjacker kit just put drop brackets on everything for the steering.

 

Check alignment. Need zero toe and rotate tires. Then replace the steering gear and stabilizer shock. You'll be happy.

 

The inverted Y steering is VERY susceptible to bump-steer..... simply because of the way it is designed. The T steering is 'better' about that, but, has issues of its own. (tie rod roll giving steering a significant 'dead spot'.....) The issues are fixable..... but, not sure if it would be worth the expense.....

I would love to see a decent crossover steering system.... trouble is, with the track bar, it makes the geometry REALLY difficult. (track bar would need to be longer, and there just isn't a good way to accomplish that.)

 

My T steering has as much or more bump steer but it tracks better on hwy especially over seams and such. It made the front feel much more solid. Once I fixed the roll over joint that is.

 

I should have stated tires and front end basically got done at the same time, also did the stabilizer. Alignment done immediately after the front end was put together.They all have less than 800miles on them. I did tighten up the steering box adjustment but it took so much to do anything the box has to be about shot (3 full turns adjusted an 1/8 turn at a time). It does have an aftermarked steering brace but like everything else the PO didn't grease anything so it looks shot as well. I was reading this today, I wish I would have found this company before I put all my parts in, for not much more I could've gotten a stout crossover setup using heim joints http://store.dodgeoffroad.com/DOR-He...-Kit_p_22.html . Now I am thinking about a red head box and maybe a new brace? Thanks to hey you for introducing me to the term bump steer that helped the searching significantly. Also I don't think this makes a difference but it has a hydraulic winch driven off the power steering.

 

Ouch. 800 bucks?

Makes my wallet hurt just thinking about it.... Should price out the stock parts.... (98 and up HD steering.....)

 

If you have all new tie rods, etc. than that's not the problem. What's left? You said it: steering gear.

I did all the other parts first like you but should've done the gear first and saved my money. Get the Redhead and leave off the brace. It's strong enough without it and may even contribute to hurting it. I asked Redhead about it and they said it won't hurt their warranty and they "like it" as a product. I replaced mine with the first Redhead I got which wore out quickly and never worked right. Was it the brace? Who knows. They warrantied it and I left off the brace the 2nd time. Still tight over a year later. With my T steering, maxx links, thuren bar, skyjacker arms, and Redhead, I feel no need to do anything more.

 

FYI Dodge off-road is a rip off