Ok, I've had my truck for 7 years now and I've noticed in the last year the steering has gotten really bad. I'm now having trouble keeping the truck in it's lane and any trailer load over 7,000lbs is a white knuckle ride at 50mph. The center of the steering is very vaige. I have a lukes link and it's set as tight as I can get it with a 1/2" ratchet. I just readjusted the sector shaft and set it a bit tighter than what it should be. The sector shaft adjustment helped (not as much as it did 7 years ago), but I think it helped narrow the problem further. Now it feels like the tires are turning on their own. The truck will start to head in one direction, either left or right, without any input from the steering. Road conditions don't seem to have an effect, but speed does. The issue becomes noticable over 45mph. I also noticed that although the box is tight, there is still some play in it. The play seems to be before the gear box. I don't mean the steering shaft, but with the box set tight I can feel when the pitman arm turns and the pay is before that point. I don't notice this at rest with the engine running, just when moving. Unless somebody has ideas otherwise, I'm thinking my steering box is worn out. Thoughts? Anybody replace the gear box with good results? How about upgrading the gear box? There are quite a few straight axle trucks out there today, a F550 comes to mind first. Anybody ever try such a swap?
Crappy Dodge steering - any suggestions?
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JGK
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- Jun 1, 2007
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Replace the steering gear and put a DSS on it to keep the sector shaft steady.
I recently put a rebuilt 3-turn box on mine from Steer and Gear (www.steerandgear.com - talk to Tom). I like it. Price was right. Most of the steering box aftermarket suppliers we used to depend on have gotten out of the 2nd gen Dodge box business (e.g. PSC). Tom said the original boxes were machined incorrectly for the bearing for the sector shaft (I believe that's the one the pitman arm goes on). They are out of round. So Steer and Gear machines a matching bushing that goes in to compensate for the out of round hole. I don't know how well it will hold up but it's working so far.
There are other suppliers of rebuilt boxes. Some require you to send yours in to be rebuilt. S & G sends you a rebuilt and wants yours as a core. That's why I went with them.
Just a thought,
-Jay
I recently put a rebuilt 3-turn box on mine from Steer and Gear (www.steerandgear.com - talk to Tom). I like it. Price was right. Most of the steering box aftermarket suppliers we used to depend on have gotten out of the 2nd gen Dodge box business (e.g. PSC). Tom said the original boxes were machined incorrectly for the bearing for the sector shaft (I believe that's the one the pitman arm goes on). They are out of round. So Steer and Gear machines a matching bushing that goes in to compensate for the out of round hole. I don't know how well it will hold up but it's working so far.
There are other suppliers of rebuilt boxes. Some require you to send yours in to be rebuilt. S & G sends you a rebuilt and wants yours as a core. That's why I went with them.
Just a thought,
-Jay
KILLER 'B'
Pro Wrench Turner
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JGK;753292 I recently put a rebuilt 3-turn box on mine from Steer and Gear ([URL="http://www.steerandgear.com" said:
what is the factory box lock to lock, i never even checked to be honest
That's what I was wondering too. Based on some on-line research, I was also considering this box: http://www.agrperformance.com/products_parts.php?cat=101&product=117&make=Dodge&model=102 But again, I don't know how many turns it is.
No joy. My track bar is good (adjustable with the Luke's Link kit) and I have a new stabilizer. Replaced it last year when my old one blew a seal.
KILLER 'B'
Pro Wrench Turner
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install NEW MOOG 98-00 tire rods. install skyjacker dual steering stabilizer. new steering box, install new Borgeson steering shaft. install all new MOOG ball joints. you will never have another problem again!!!!!!
Well I pulled the trigger with AGR. They had a bunch of good modifications they were making to the steering box. Here is a list of things that they were modding:
Add 3 3/4" needle bearings in replacement of a bushing, a 1/2" needle bearing and no bearing. (the third bearing at the pitman arm should eliminate the need for a external bearing support)
Re-port the inside of the gearbox
Replace the piston guide balls with slightly oversized stainless steel ballls
Replace the valve with their own design and a custom machined torsion bar
Propriatary design 4 bolt cover and thicker billet end cap
The valve will be sleeved
Add 16:1/13:1 variable ratio.
He said the 16:1 ratio is real nice going down the road and that in the parking lot the box will speed up to a 13:1 ratio. No more spinning the wheel when you pull into a parking space! Yea! They offer a straight 12:1 ratio box, but he said that the steering would be really twitchy when going down the highway. He said the stock ratio is 17:1.
I asked about a dead spot that I have when first starting my truck and he confirmed what I suspected: that my power steering pump was starting to fail. Basically I was running out of boost. AGR is also going to set me up with a high flow pump (4gpm vs 2gpm) so I won't have to worry about putting debris into my new gear box.
There is no question, that Steer and Gear was hundreds cheaper. I just don't think there were changing as much in the box as AGR was. I was really wanting a faster ratio and I really liked some of the changes they were making to help improve the pinion support. 817.626.9006 Ask for Larry.
(No, I did not get a kickback from Larry, but he cut me a really good price and I felt the need to do him a favor.)
Add 3 3/4" needle bearings in replacement of a bushing, a 1/2" needle bearing and no bearing. (the third bearing at the pitman arm should eliminate the need for a external bearing support)
Re-port the inside of the gearbox
Replace the piston guide balls with slightly oversized stainless steel ballls
Replace the valve with their own design and a custom machined torsion bar
Propriatary design 4 bolt cover and thicker billet end cap
The valve will be sleeved
Add 16:1/13:1 variable ratio.
He said the 16:1 ratio is real nice going down the road and that in the parking lot the box will speed up to a 13:1 ratio. No more spinning the wheel when you pull into a parking space! Yea! They offer a straight 12:1 ratio box, but he said that the steering would be really twitchy when going down the highway. He said the stock ratio is 17:1.
I asked about a dead spot that I have when first starting my truck and he confirmed what I suspected: that my power steering pump was starting to fail. Basically I was running out of boost. AGR is also going to set me up with a high flow pump (4gpm vs 2gpm) so I won't have to worry about putting debris into my new gear box.
There is no question, that Steer and Gear was hundreds cheaper. I just don't think there were changing as much in the box as AGR was. I was really wanting a faster ratio and I really liked some of the changes they were making to help improve the pinion support. 817.626.9006 Ask for Larry.
(No, I did not get a kickback from Larry, but he cut me a really good price and I felt the need to do him a favor.)
JGK
Been around
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2007
- Messages
- 194
It is said in many 3/4 ton trucks 4-1/4 turn boxes were installed by mistake - they were only supposed to be in the 1 ton trucks. The 3 turn (actually 3-1/3 turn) boxes respond slightly quicker of course. It is subtle. Not a big adjustment to make but it's nice to not have to roll that wheel around quite so many times to make a tight turn.
There has been a lot of griping about AGR boxes not holding up and AGR not standing behind them. A friend that does a lot of rock crawling in southern Utah would by a NAPA box before he'd ever touch another AGR. But that's just what I hear. No personal experience. The same might be said of the other suppliers by some people.
Another supplier that's been mentioned positively is Power Steering Services (www.powersteering.com).
I've had the Luke's links on the track bar and tie rod ends too since late last summer. So far they are working. I should probably check them, though. My steering is precise & predictable, however.
-Jay
PS. Just saw your post a few minutes before mine. Maybe AGR has improved. I'll keep positive thoughts for you!
There has been a lot of griping about AGR boxes not holding up and AGR not standing behind them. A friend that does a lot of rock crawling in southern Utah would by a NAPA box before he'd ever touch another AGR. But that's just what I hear. No personal experience. The same might be said of the other suppliers by some people.
Another supplier that's been mentioned positively is Power Steering Services (www.powersteering.com).
I've had the Luke's links on the track bar and tie rod ends too since late last summer. So far they are working. I should probably check them, though. My steering is precise & predictable, however.
-Jay
PS. Just saw your post a few minutes before mine. Maybe AGR has improved. I'll keep positive thoughts for you!