So I'm glad the mechanic had gotten the warranty because this time around I only had to pay $30 for an upgraded one including free labor but this is getting frustrating, it's driving a lot better now that I got the upgraded one. The last time I had to get it replaced which was 6 months ago the front end just went crazy and the steering wheel was like upside down, but I almost crashed because the track bar fell apart and I had to get it towed. Would a good suggestion be a Steering gear box front stabilizer brace? In my opinion the truck isn't very high up. It's high up but not crazy high up. Think a 3 inch lift. Almost as if it feels it's getting worse again but it's driving good still.

 

A Moog bar will work fine. There's no way the bar "came apart" unless it disconnected as it's one solid hunk of steel. Now, cheapos have weak balljoints which will get sloppy in a matter of turns, or the bushing at the axle wears out, which can cause death wobble but not what you described.

You can get by with a stock bar and 3" lift but it's recommended to have an extended adjustable bar to properly center the axle. I have a Thuren bar but they are no longer made. And he sucks for customer service anyway. There are conversion brackets available to make it like the 3rd gen (no balljoint) design. And expensive adjustable bars are out there for huge lifts.

Another option is Luke's link. It rebuilds the balljoint stronger to withstand the movement. Or just spring for the OEM bar which is Dana/Spicer and the best stock style. Moog seems pretty good also as they use a larger balljoint.

The steering stabilizer is a band-aid for the steering gear, not the track bar. You're in the wrong sport for that one. I had one for a few years and it did nothing. I removed it when I installed my second Redhead gear and never missed it.

The best things to do for steering is a good track bar, 98 T steering, Redhead gear, and toe set to zero. That's it. I've had that setup for years and no issues.

 

Yeah it got disconnected pretty much, that's what I meant in a way. Well I guess I'll wait and see how this one turns out. Damn things are expensive. I think that's the one they put on there. A Moog bar, I looked it up. Looks exactly like it, bad tie rod ends couldn't have anything to do with the issue would they? Would you suggest the Brace for sway?

 

I had an adjustable one on previously b4 the one that just gave out but it disconnected somehow. This one that was just replaced was just sliding back forth on the verge of disconnecting

 

Yes, tie rods can be worn causing dead steering or oversteering. It is caused by the rods moving before they turn the wheels.

No, brace won't help sway. Like I said, they are simply a band-aid for the steering gear by adding another bearing to the output shaft. If the gear needs it, it's already shot.

Are you sure we're talking track bars here? The Moog is like 100 bucks. And when they wear out, you'll get maybe an eighth inch of play in the joint and lots of rumble when hitting bumps.
Here's a stocker vs Moog track bar:


And here's a stocker vs my thuren:


Here's a link to an example of 3rd gen conversion:
https://cppdiesel.com/cpp-adjustable...UaAnFaEALw_wcB

Again, a worn track/panhard bar will not allow the steering to turn around or become disconnected in some way. If your steering is that bad, there's issues elsewhere. It will cause wander as it allows the axle to move slightly causing you to constantly correct the tracking. It will feel like a dead spot in the wheel and be very loose over bumps. Get under the truck and bench press the frame looking for any vertical movement of the balljoint at the frame. The ball joint should not have any movement. It is only there to allow the passenger side axle to droop during suspension articulation. The axle end you can test by having someone turn the wheel an inch back and forth. Any play there will be lateral. Tighten that bolt to infinity torque. It may be time for a full front end rebuild (ball joints, tie rods, track bar, and steering gear).

 

I would be interested to see a pic of the steering linkage. The T style steering is notorious for introducing a dead spot in the steering.

 

I use a Solid Steel adjustable track bar on my '96 Ram 2500 4x4 truck along with a 3rd gen conversion bracket and have been very happy with it. For more information, you can see the setup here - http://www.solidsteel.biz/trackbars.htm

 

I'm gonna send you guys a picture, there's so many damn bars underneath the front end. I get mixed up which one is which.

 

The one in the back is the one that got stripped last time, the one all the way on the bottom is the one that got disconnected this time. Now I'm worried about the other one it looks awful. I can't even get the damn picture to post. I think they replaced the one on the bottom, I guess it controls the track bar

 

Here it is, I got it