03-08 steering box upgrade

[Spooled05]

I got tired of replacing crappy heim that came with my thuren tracbar every year so i started searching and found EMF offroad ond got this badboy!
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It really improved what i thought was bump steer , feedback in the wheel when hitting bumps dips in road, This heim got rid of all that! It cost me 60$ and its rebuild able for 20$ when need be. My redhead box has developed a clunk so ill be looking into this steering box in the near future.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I got tired of replacing crappy heim that came with my thuren tracbar every year so i started searching and found EMF offroad ond got this badboy!

It really improved what i thought was bump steer , feedback in the wheel when hitting bumps dips in road, This heim got rid of all that! It cost me 60$ and its rebuild able for 20$ when need be. My redhead box has developed a clunk so ill be looking into this steering box in the near future.

Hey thanks... can I get the part number for the new one?

Mike

 

[Yo Hoot]

Also does anyone know if the stock power steering lines work when upgrading an 04 to the new 2012 pump and box?

 

[Regcabguy]

Thanks for the part#. I'm going on five yrs on my Thuren and nothing yet,but... nice part.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks for the part#. I'm going on five yrs on my Thuren and nothing yet,but... nice part.

Mine is 6 years and about 80,000 miles.



I didnt see a part number.

 

[AEdelheit]

Isnt there something about the 08 steering, that if installed incorrectly, will cause the rod end at the pitman arm to prematurely fail? I seem to recall a thread Don Thuren started about the problem... you might ask him.

Sucks how much $$ steering box's are. Mines gonna be due for another soon.

whey you install it all ends need to be parallel to the other end. So both tie rods should be flat, if ones angled forward and the other back they will bind and cause early failure.

 

[Regcabguy]

Mine is 6 years and about 80,000 miles.



I didnt see a part number.

I think the 70's were a little too good to me sometimes. I amended the post.

 

[Yo Hoot]

whey you install it all ends need to be parallel to the other end. So both tie rods should be flat, if ones angled forward and the other back they will bind and cause early failure.

Understood but the end that attaches to the pitman arm comes up to it on an angle and there is no way to adjust.

 

[AEdelheit]

Understood but the end that attaches to the pitman arm comes up to it on an angle and there is no way to adjust.

Sure there is, the joint at the other end of the draglink where it connects to the steering crossover needs to be parallel to the joint going into the pitman arm.

That Heim looks beefy but almost too big to fit in the axle pocket and still allow full articulation, has anyone actually checked that yet ??

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks for the tip. I'll make sure .

 

[Yo Hoot]

My front end is falling apart.
I installed the updated 08 steering linkage back in 08. The link at the pitman arm is about ready to pop off. I never used the recall so I'm working with Dodge to give me a new linkage assy. Looks like they may. Find out later today.

Steering box is shot. Sector shaft moves all over the place even with the Defiant brace. I can't imagine what it would do if I removed the brace.

Thuren trac bar heim joint is gone.

Cost is gonna be well over $1000

Just ordered the complete steering box upgrade from a dealer.
68170214AA Steering Box
68034326AB Kit- pump and pulley
68034303AB reservoir, PS pump
68100252AA Bracket, PS pump

Still have to get the ZSBNT03 from PSC Steering Warehouse and the heim joint. Waiting for Thuren to get back on the joint.

Right now my truck is outright dangerous to drive.

Update. . got all the parts today.

Pics... .

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What confuses me is there are two types of reservoirs. "Cornered" and round. They sent me the round.

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[Prairie Dog]

So it will work with a SBS?
Will I need a cat? :-laf

 

[Yo Hoot]

So it will work with a SBS?

I'm hoping it'll work with my Defiant sector shaft support. That adapter that the cat is standing next to is supposed to do it. Not sure if the depths are the same.

It screwed onto the sector shaft... . somebody likes it. .

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[Prairie Dog]

They know this stuff, must be good.

 

[seafish]

So it will work with a SBS?
Will I need a cat? :-laf

As long as the inner diameter of the bearing that came with your SBS is 1", then it should work.
PSC, who sells their own versions of an SBS that fit both the old and the new steering boxes, does say that one might have to laterally adjust the bearing mounting plate that is bolted to the SBS so that it is properly alignned with the new sector shaft on the larger box. My Defiant support brace has some adjustability built into its design, so I am hoping that I won't have to drill new holes, or elongate the old ones, when I remount the Defiant SBS.
Yo Hoot will probabaly get his done before me, so maybe he'll comment on how it all lined up.

By the way, just picked up the truck today AGAIN from the dealer after the redid the alignment and finished installing new shocks, with the new steering box and upgraded PS pump.
The new steering feels tight, with no drift or play, and the truck handles GREAT with the Bilstein 5100s I had them put on. Still, I am going to reinstall the Defiant support.

Sorry, don't know about the cat, cuz my dog ate it. :-laf

 

[WalterJ]

Yo Hoot;

I just ordered the Borg. reman steer box 8-10-2012 for about $490 incl ship, from Geno's. I read Denzin 8-1-2012 blog, where he reports his turning radius increased. Query:

Why did you decide to go with the dealer steer. gear box for your '04?

What is the nature of this upgrade?



Sounds like you've got your '04 setup super. Good luck with new parts.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Yo Hoot;
I just ordered the Borg. reman steer box 8-10-2012 for about $490 incl ship, from Geno's. I read Denzin 8-1-2012 blog, where he reports his turning radius increased. Query:
Why did you decide to go with the dealer steer. gear box for your '04?
What is the nature of this upgrade?

Sounds like you've got your '04 setup super. Good luck with new parts.

My original steering box is totally shot at 123,000 miles. Why install the same design box when Dodge came out with a heavy duty upgrade? The new gear is a Delphi unit that has a much larger sector shaft.

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I run 35" tires and plow some in the winter. The factory box just doesn't cut it. Never did. i could not steer the truck with the plow on and had trouble turning the wheel with no plow because of the tires.

How is this that I buy a 2500 HD diesel truck and as soon as I do anything with it like tires and plowing and I start having front end issues, people say it's my fault. I should only keep it stock and forget using a plow or putting slightly larger tires on it cause if you do the front end will fall apart. Guess what... they are right!

So far it's had aftermarket ball joints, bearing hubs, aftermarket track bar, steering linkage, all u-joints. Rear driveshaft completely rebuilt, aftermarket dual steering stabilizer, aftermarket sway bar links, aftermarket sector shaft brace.

Now it's getting steering linkage again, a new steering box, pitman arm, steering pump and a new heim joint to replace the worn out Thuren track bar end.

I just think about all the aftermarket companies claiming their products will make my front end last longer. If that's true I can't imagine what the stock parts would have looked like by now or how many times they would have been replaced.

Ball joints $1000 (est) I paid to have the Carli uppers and reg lowers installed
Bearing hubs ($650)
Track Bar ($300)
Linkage ($280)
U-Joints ($130)
Driveshaft ($280)
(Dual Steering stabilizer ($650)
Sway Bar Links ($80)
Shaft Brace ($200)

Total $3570

Almost everything above I and a friend did the labor on. Imagine how much more it would have been.

After all that and 123,000 miles the front end feels like it's ready to fall apart due to the bad steering box and linkage and bad trac bar heim joint.
Wanders all over the road.


Now another 1200-1500

The million dollar front end/driveline.

 

[Spooled05]

Dont feel bad i got more than that in mine but am slowly getting all the stuff to make it right! Im gonna do this new steering box and and the only thing left is the steering linkage, im on my second 08+ upgrade and its geeting loose, im currently looking for other options!

 

[Yo Hoot]

I just got off the phone with the service manager. He said the recall (steering linkage) I had was only to inspect if the steering damper bracket was causing an issue. In my case I don't have the stock steering damper installed so the recall is null.
He said he will see what he can do about getting me the linkage anyway. Chrysler does good will assistance on occasion when they get the horror stories. I was honest with them on this from the start.

Other options? I don't think there are unless someone custom designs a linkage set for us that will last more than 50,000 miles.

Reminds me of the 60's Chevy Impala. Front ends needed parts every 30,000 miles.

Looking for something like this. . simple and effective LOL

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[Spooled05]

Yea, im going to do a kingpin knuckle conversion and do away with the ball joint design and use the tierod ends i picked up from emf.

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