2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission steering dampner replacement

[TRoe]

This is why I mentioned logging roads... Ruts, holes, protruding rocks, downed trees, etc...

 

[Boondocker]

The "T" style steering significantly reduces bump steer, which goes a long way towards making a steering damper redundant. Though I couldn't tell the difference driving with or without a damper, I prefer to have one for the same reasons I learned to drive with my thumbs outside of the steering wheel.



With the "T" style steering on a late 2nd Gen, these parts make it happen.



Mopar bracket#52039179AB (98-99 HD 3500 pickup)

& oem or aftermarket damper of your choice



Please see post #11 for credits and post #12 for a photo.

 

[Bob4x4]

What does bump steer have to do with a damper?

Bump steer is steering induced during wheel travel due to improper steering

geometry.

 

[Boondocker]

I had this post in mind when using the term "bump steer".



partial

That up and down motion of the suspension with the factory design actually allows the steering damper to INPUT to your steering wheel and increases your steering wheel counter-input in turn. The harder you hit a dip or vertical bump, the harder the damper damps, just like the shock absorber it is. It is only supposed to damp lateral, or side-to-side movement. And even though you are trying to steer straight, it will want to drive your steering wheel one way or the other a little bit. That constant 'little bit" quickly adds up to counter-steering fatigue for the driver, which utterly defeats the purpose of the damper...

Now with the T-style steering, the effect of the steering wheel trying to turn when hitting a bump or pothole with one wheel, while traveling straight, is much less than with the 2002 OEM steering arrangement. A sudden turn of the steering wheel is what a steering damper should resist. It doesn't seem very necessary anymore to combat typical bumps in the road. But I like having one just the same for those times when the tire meets an immovable object and turns the steering wheel for you.



There appear to be more than one definition of bump steer.

Bump steer - Wikipedia: Bump steer is the term for the tendency of a wheel to steer as it moves upwards into jounce.



Longacre Racing Online -- Tech Article "Bump Steer "

Bump Steer is when your wheels steer themselves without input from the steering wheel. The undesirable steering is caused by bumps in the track interacting ...



Bump Steer Explained - Quadratec

When bump-steer occurs the suspension moves in a vertical plane and the drag link is trying to be lengthened or shortened by this movement. ...

 

[Ken Bultman]

No issues with factory wheels. I do have factory 16" alloy wheels. Clearance is exactly the same as the Y steering linkage.

I have to disagree, I am running stock 16" wheels and put all moog parts T style 1999 and 1999 oem damper bracket and now have a rub problem. Tie rod also interfears with Mag-Hitec cover. I used a 4" grinder to remove matieral from the cover. Now at full lock it just bumps it. While I had the truck apart I took all wheels to tire store and put all new Michelen 285's on. If I new this was going to happen I whould have got new wheels also 17" or 18".

 

[SRath]

The mopar damper mounting design, at least on my 96, is not a good one at all. On a solid axle, the damper should mount to the axle housing at one end and the tierod at the other. That makes it independent of the suspension flexing.



The factory design (mounted to the frame at one end) forces the damper to work even when there are no side-to-side forces in play; just up & down. It is affected by bumps and therefore defeats the purpose of eliminating bump steer (can actually cause it) and causes premature wear and failure of the overworked damper. Dumb; very dumb. And clearly designed by the same injuneers that designed that entire front suspension & steering.



Switching to T-style steering has the added benefit of forcing you to use a different bracket, so use a design that mounts to the axle and tierod.

 

[SRath]

Here you go---

John, Your photo doesn't show the other end of the damper or how the replacement bracket from mopar attaches. Can you show or describe whether it mounts to the axle or to the frame?

 

[JohnRobinson]

Damper

SRath-

the photo shows the mopar bracket at the tie rod.

I don't think there is a replacment bracket for the axel end ?

The axel end has an eye also it's under and part of the lower track bar mount. It just uses a bolt to hold it. sometime from 96-98 i think they changed that mount. the camera is dead right now but i could get a picture tomorrow if it would help you.

---john---

 

[SRath]

I'm just curious if the mopar replacement T-style stabilizer bracket(s) correct the major design flaw in trucks like my '96 with the stabilizer stupidly attached to the frame which has the same effect on steering when hitting bumps that the inverted Y-style linkage had. It needs to be attached to the axle so normal suspension flex has zero effect on it.



I welded up my own axle bracket like CumminsPower98 did after converting to T-style, while being unaware that mopar even sold a clamp-on tierod bracket. But if they don't include any type of axle bracket it won't help older trucks much. Do you recall what they charged for the tierod bracket?

 

[Ken Bultman]

SRath

I think I paid like 60 bucks plus tax for the tierod bracket from the mopar dealer.