Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) steering replacement questions

[KDHannink]

All my tie rod ends and balls joints are shot and i'm wondering where the best place to get new tie rod ends and balls joints is. I'm also wondering what tools we will need to take all this stuff apart and an estimate on how long it will take. We might be replacing axle seals also but my main concern is the steering stuff. Also I'm going to be getting the third gen track bar because i'm leveling my truck too.

 

[Jong]

Check www.rockauto.com or www.quad4x4.com for your ball joints and steering parts. Before you order your steering parts check out a thread in the 2nd gen section called "My Steering Sucks". Lot of good info, wish I had read it before I redid my tie rods.

 

[SMorneau]

I just purchased everything except the pitman arm for a 1999 4x4 ram from Rockauto for $426 and they were all heavy duty Moog components with a liftetime guarantee. I am converting the inverted Y configuration on my 96 to an inverted T setup they used on the newer trucks. That price also include a steering stabilizer kit for about $60 but I may decide to do something else for a stabilizer.



The new components are much heavier duty than the stock components.



Good service from Rockauto.

 

[JHastings]

Also if you are going to replace it all and spend $400+ dollars look at Don Thurends stuff. I know that I am going to do his crossover steering when I replace all my Moog stuff. I am just holding out to save a little $. I called him a while back and he is a real nice guy and everybody raves about his stuff. It is right around that price range.

www.thurenfabrication.com





Jamie

 

[vssman]

Your going to need an impact wrench (or at least a big bar on a 1/2" drive socket set). There are a few pretty large size sockets that are needed - 1 for the axle nut, 1 for the ball joint nut. The rest should be a size that's found in a standard 1/2" drive set. I believe your 94 is similar in design to my 96 in that the ball joints are pressed into the knuckle and not the axle tube. If so save yourself some aggravation and remove the knuckle, take it to an auto machine shop with your new ball joints and have them R&R them for you. I tried to R&R them myself and ended up spending the better part of a Saturday trying to remove 1 set of ball joints. Finally I broke down and called the local machine shop. $16. 00 to press out/in each joint and 45 minutes time I was back in business. You'll need a pickle fork too. If your replacing all of the tie rods including the drag link, drop everything as an assembly. That way you can measure the assembly when you re-install the new parts helping you get the alignment very close. It'll probably take an entire Saturday to do it in the driveway.



Good luck.

 

[SMorneau]

I reviewed the Thurens mod and I decided to stay away from that type of setup. Drill out a tapered hole with a bit? The tapers are put in to make it easy to manufacture joints with no play that don't rely soley on the tightness of the fasteners. Heim joints? Too expensive and too much maintenance. If I were going to do such a mod it would involve a hole sized a little bit more precisely than you are going to get with a drill bit Any play in those connections is going to be worse than a bad track bar. Let's say the position of that bolt shifts in the hole, so much for precision alignment.



Just my opinion...

 

[JPittinger]

I used RockAuto to convert my '97 to the T setup for just over $300 and its great (all Moog parts). Use TURBODIESEL at checkout for a discount.



If I were to drill out the tapered holes I'd buy or borrow the correct size reamer, drill it a size under, and ream it out the the exact size. I'd be much tougher to wobble out a correctly sized hole.

-JJ

 

[SMorneau]

I used RockAuto to convert my '97 to the T setup for just over $300 and its great (all Moog parts). Use TURBODIESEL at checkout for a discount.



-JJ

jj, What did you do for a steering stabilizer on the conversion?

 

[JPittinger]

So far I'm not using one. There are some others on here that said it would work so I gave it a shot. So far so good and no signs of Death Wobble. I'm sensitive to it too, my '94 had it BAD.