Hi everyone. Got some issues with our RAM with front end stuff and have read so many articles and watched so many youtube videos on death wobble fixes my head and eyes ache. First I will say this truck I bought had a 2.5" suspension lift and a 3" body lift. Tie rods are solid and ball joints are solid. There is some play in trac bar and there play in the outer bearing or cup of the steering column shaft on engine side of fire wall. My questions are like track bar, and the dodge ram steering box stabilizer, etc.. these upgrades are they worth it? Trac bar has some up adjustable styles?? Any brands, styles, or experiences shared would be greatly appreaciated. There's also to much wonder and play in steering for my liking.

Thanks,

Bob

 

I've done it all and we basically have the same setup so here's my advice:

1. Get an aftermarket track bar that adjusts to re-center the axle, this does work. Mine is Thuren but he no longer makes them and his service sucks.
2. Get a Redhead steering gear yesterday. Almost all the play you will ever have is in the crappy stock box. DO NOT get parts store boxes.
3. Steering box brace I used for several years (Spohn). Didn't do anything and may have contributed to early failure of my first Redhead. Not sure.
4. Alignment must be at absolute zero. Use the Jeep method with strings and tape measures. Get that toe to zero!
5. T steering is a good upgrade if it fits 97 as it helps keep a nice solid feel over bumps
6. Get a new oem steering stabilizer (shock)

All I'm running is the T setup and a Redhead and it steers very straight and tight. I can go over the largest bumps with very little bump steer. I've never had death wobble. Running 3" lift.

 

Anybody have any suggestions or good experiences with certain brands of the items Ramman18 shared above. I looked at solid steel Gen3 trac bar conversion any others out there with good results?

 

I use the Solid Steel adjustable track bar and conversion bracket on my truck. These parts work extremely well and will certainly outlast the truck, since the only wearing parts are the replaceable poly bushings in each end of the track bar. I also use a Borgeson steering box and a steering stabilizer. I feel that the steering stabilizer helps to cut down on overall wear of the steering box, as the stabilizer bolts under the sway bar mounts and has a bearing that ties into the steering box's output shaft. I also use Spohn boxed control arms with poly bushings that help the truck's drive-ability.

 

A gen 3 track bar conversion is a definite must. Whoever decided it was a good idea to put a ball stud on a track bar, should not be allowed to pass on genetic material. I also consider a steering gearbox sector shaft brace a must. After installing those, and if your alignment, ball joints, tie rod ends, drag link, unit bearings, steering gearbox, and tires are good, you should be good to go.

Note: When I installed the BD Diesel track bar conversion on my truck, it made a huge difference. No more bump steer, death wobble, or wander. The kit came with Energy urethane bushings, which are much better than OEM rubber type. I did notice a tiny bit of play. It wasn't much, but I noticed it. So I parked the truck, and video'd both ends of the track bar, while turning the steering wheel from stop to stop. The upper bushing appeared to be deflecting about 3/8". That's not much for a 3/4 ton with a heavy cummins engine, but I wanted a little better. So I machined a bushing set, for the upper end only, out of Delrin. And since Delrin doesn't break down in the presence of hydrocarbons, I installed a grease zerk in the track bar, and I machined the bushing halves with bevels so the grease could infiltrate every bit of surface area. After reinstalling the track bar, I video'd again. This time I saw less than 1/8" deflection. The test drive showed the new bushing was worth the effort. I've got about 1500 miles on it as of today. Now we'll see how long it lasts.