Steering Stabilizer Question

[RedRam1]

Well, thanks to the "other-half", I am faced with the first non-bombing or routine-maintenance wrenching session on my Ram. The wife was riding through the pasture the other day, and drove off into a hole that she didn't know was there. She thought she had torn the entire front end out from under the truck, but from all appearances all that she did was bend the crap out of the steering stabilizer. She limped over to the neighbor's and got him to remove the damaged stabilizer. She then went to Advanced Auto Parts and ordered a new stabilizer, the book at Advanced Auto showed a stabilizer for '94 - '98 trucks, but nothing for '98 and up. The parts guy said he was 99% sure it would fit, he's probably right... I can't imagine that there were any changes to this part since the debut of the 2nd gen. trucks. Enough rambling, here are my questions:



1. Is there any difference in the steering stabilizer on '98 and up trucks?



2. What about the Advanced Auto Parts part? I have bought shocks, struts, etc from them and it seems like those parts were Monroe's... I remember they were a name brand anyway. Does anyone have experience with an Advanced Auto stabiaizer?



3. The wife paid $60 for this part, they had to order it, and it's due in today. Assuming the Advanced Auto part is OK, is there something a lot better for around the same $$?



I'll end with an interesting observation: The wife had planned to replace this part "on the sly" without my ever knowing about it!! Well, I caught her when I was washing the truck and noticed something was missing, however this was not before I had driven around 150 miles, a drive that included some off roading, interstate driving, and everything in between. I never noticed a thing, I even drove around a few miles after I noticed the missing part to see if I could tell a diference, and couldn't tell a thing. My truck has always steered very well, I've driven a bunch of trucks, and am familiar with the wander/excessive play problems. Mine drives so well that I'm paranoid about doing anything to the front end for fear of screwing something up.



Someone let me know if I'm making a mistake with the auto parts stabilizer. Thanks and sorry for the long-winded post.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Yes they are different. Before I replaced my OEM stabilizer with a Skyjacker, it looked like a screen door closer, very skinny. I thought they were all this size until I looked under a friends '98 and it was as large as my Skyjacker. I asked if he had replaced it and the answer was no, it was the original. If I remember right, I paid around $35 for the Skyjacker so $60 seems kind of steep for one from an auto parts shop.

 

[mediccummin]

dual stableizer

For about $85 you can go with the dual stableizer from Skyjacker I just installed this and oh what a difference. And as far as I know there is a difference on the 98 and later. Good luck. Dwayne

 

[RedRam1]

Thanks Dieselnerd & Mediccummin, you are corect, there is a diference in the pre '98 stabilizers. I stopped by Advanced Auto and checked out their '94 - '98 stabilizer last night, it was a "no-name" part, without the tapered pin on one end. It looked just like a standard shock absorber, both ends were the same; it came with an assortment of spacers, washers, etc. and a straight shank bolt for the track bar end.



I'll check out the Skyjacker, and just for grins price the factory part. Unless the OEM part is a lot less expensive than I anticipate, I will probably go with the skyjacker... not sure whether to go single or dual though, I've got stock wheels and tires with no lift. I'll try to find skyjacker on the web & do some reading.



Where is the best place to buy the skyjackers? I'm not worried about ordering & having to wait a while since the truck still drives OK without the stabilizer.

 

[Dieselnerd]

Here is where I got my shocks and stabilizer: http://www.ntwonline.com/ntw0799/pages/shocks.html

 

[RedRam1]

Thanks, Dieselnerd. I checked out the skyjackers at NTW online, I also looked at Rancho's on the 4wheelparts website, the stabilizer prices are within a few bucks of each other for the single shock models ($39 vs $43). It looks like I'm definately going aftermarket, I called Dodge and the OEM part is $104!! The only reservations I have about a non-stock part is that my truck only has 13K miles. From everything I've read here on the TDR, it sounds there's a high probability that I will need to replace some front suspension/steering components before my warranty expires. I would hate for the dealership to try to blame any worn out front end parts on a non-OEM stabilizer.



I was thinking about ordering some Rancho 9000's along with my stabilizer... may as well go for the gusto since I'm going ot be under the truck anyway!

 

[RedRam1]

Here's the latest on my quest for a new steering stabilizer: According to 4wheelparts, Rancho does not make a stabilizer for '98 and up trucks. The guy I talked to at 4wheelparts said he had another stabilizer (I forget the brand) for around 30 bucks... sure beats 100+ from the dealer & it's probably a better part. This stabilizer is supposed to be a direct repalcement for the OEM part. There is a 4wheelparts outlet nearby, I'm going to stop in on the way home today and check it out.

 

[NVR FNSH]

The infamous front wheel shimmy TSB installs a second stabilizer and guess what - it's a Rancho PN. I wouldn't worry too much about the warranty on this.



Brian

 

[WOWZY]

I have always liked the end-to-end dual stabilizers. 4WheelPart said that I can't put an end-to end dual stabilizer on my '99 Ram.



Can't was the wrong word to use.



I used a kit for a K30 Chevy w/Dana60 and it will work as long as you have at least a leveling kit in the front. Have had 0 problems in the 2. 5 years that they've been on my truck.



#ad

 

[Justbeamn]

I have an oem for you!

I put a Rancho on mine and it works great. The one I took out was the second one with 20k on it. If you want it I'll send it to you for free. Someone might as well use it. Send me an email if you want it and an address. Mine came off a 3500 but it shouldn't matter????



Devon

 

[RedRam1]

Thanks, everyone, for all the advise, and Justbeamn, I really appreciate the offer of your OEM stabilizer... trouble is, it won't do me any good! Here is the latest stabilizer update: I went by 4WheelParts yesterday evening and picked up their Explorer Pro Comp stabilizer that was supposed to be good for '94 - '00 trucks. It was just under 30 bucks, and was a good looking part, it was ~25% larger in diameter than the stock part, looked like a standard shock, with an eye on both ends. There were two different stud kits included to build up the track bar attachment, one straight shank, and one tapered, I assume the straight shank is for the earlier trucks, and the tapered one for the later models. My factory stabilizer has a tapered end, but it's almost twice as long, and larger in diameter than the tapered stud that came with the Explorer part. It appears that there was a change to the stabilizer as well as to the track bar on '01 trucks, I'll have to crawl under an earlier model and look, but, judging by how the aftermarket tapered stud fit in my trackbar, it looks like the trackbar must have been beefed up considerably. When I stuck the aftermarket stud in my trackbar, the threaded end just barely protruded out the other side, the pin was still loose in the hole when it bottomed out as well.



It is beginning to look like I am the first guy in the TDR who has tried to find a OEM replacement stabilizer for a '01 truck. Dave Fritz or any of the other "guru's" out there, feel free to chime in and enlighten us on the front suspension/steering differences on the 2001 and up trucks. I'm going to try NAPA today, if that fails, I guess I will cough up the $100 + at the dealer.



PS: That's an awsome looking setup, WOWZY, I'll bet it is very functional as well. My truck is not lifted, and I would be worried about the dealer giving on any future warranty claims if I had anything that radical, but I printed out your photo/message. I'm puting this on my expanding to-do list once i truly become my own warranty station!

 

[bbowe]

I feel your pain

My '00 has the same problem. I also beat up my stock stabilizer and went to replace it with a Trailmaster 4-way a year and a half ago. The bag of mounting stuff contained the same set of parts that don't fit. I was able to use the stock mounting bolt on the trackbar end, but couldn't find anybody that made the correct taper for the other end. Trailmaster makes an angle bracket that works, but it attaches with two U-bolts instead of a tapered stud. I installed the U-bolts on each side of the mounting location for the tapered stud and it has worked fine ever since. This was supposed to be temporary until they made the correct stud, but I called up Trailmaster about a month ago and they still don't have it. I'm anxiously awaiting to see if you find a kit with the correct stud because I'm sure it will work with many other stabilizers too. Trailmaster is the only place I have called.

 

[RedRam1]

Well, I checked with NAPA, and thier book does not list a stabilizer for '01 trucks. It looks like an aftermarket unit with a U-bolt attached stud on the trackbar, or the factory part for 100 bucks are my only options. One could fabricate a tapered stud, or make a tapered bushing with a straight shank hole in the center, sized to mate with the straight stud that comes with all aftermarket parts.

Back before marriage, kids, etc. , when life was simple, I would have opted for a fab-it-yourself solution, but now things have gotten more complicated, I will probably just cave in and drop the cash at the dealer this afternoon. Anyone with any last minute advise, please post, I'll double check the boards before I head for the dealer.

 

[RedRam1]

Went to the dealer and dropped 100 bucks for a new OEM stabilizer yesterday evening. The parts man's computer said that the stabilizers/trackbars requiring the large tapered stud started in 2000. Some of the aftermarket parts catalogs list a '98 - '00 part, I looked at several of these, and they do not come with the big tapered stud, just a straight shank and the small tapered stud... this is confusing unless this was a mid-year change for '00. bbowe's post verifies that at least some '00 trucks use the big stud.