2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Time to do something about the track bar

[jwernert]

Well my steering is sloppy and I'm tired of it. My question is do I get a lukes link and fix the bar that I have? Do I get the adapter from Solid Steel and an 03 Track bar? Or Do I get a Moog or some other new Track bar? Thanks for the help.



Also how much of a differnce will the DSS make?

 

[JGheen]

I would look into a DT track bar as it is a completely aftermarket track bar and it is completely adjustable. I have one on my truck and love it. I also am running the DSS stabilizer and it made my steering feel so much tighter. It also will extend the life of the sector shaft on the box greatly as the entire steering geometry is not anchoring itself on the sector shaft anymore being that the stabilizer is reienforcing it and holding it tight.

Here is a pick of my DT track bar with the bracket welded on, as well as the DSS stabilizer up where the sway bar mounts used to be bolted too.

 

[duaneparks]

JGHeen, I like your steering setup. After installing the DT trackbar on mine and getting a really good feel for how the rest of the steering system works, seems like your setup would work better than stock. Do you have any issues related to not running a shock style steering stabilizer?



Thanks for any info.



Duane

 

[EarlKann]

Well, I'm still new around here (I don't even have my diesel yet!) but I thought that I would throw out another option for 2nd Gen track bar replacement.



I don't have any first hand experience with this person or product, but I have been following the buildup of the trackbar (I have a '99 2500 V10 I was considering installing it on) and it seems to be a quality product.



Here's a link to the track bar

http://thurenfabrication.com/trackbar.html



You can read about the development here (long)

http://www.pavementsucks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=47159



It was designed for lifted trucks, but he has made them for stock CTD's as well

http://www.pavementsucks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=53862



BTW, JGheen aren't you on PS.com as well??? (jkgdiesel) Yours is one of my favorite trucks, and is pretty hard to miss.



Donald

 

[DBrickel]

I put the DSS on my 95 and it helped. I recommend checking your ball joints etc. also to see if you need to get those taken care of

 

[elamb]

I took my truck to the dealer yesterday for routine maint. , the lift pump and I told them that the steering was a little sloppy. They say its the upper and lower ball joints at 40,450 miles. They quoted $1150 to change them, but since I didn't have many miles it would only cost me $100. I'm supposed to pick it up today. I guess we'll see if that fixes it.



jwernert - I would check the ball joints if you haven't already. Good luck I hope you get it fixed.



Eric

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I replaced the track bar with one from NAPA, lifetime warranty. I also found the tie rod end coming from the steering box pitman arm was worn. Everything else was OK. Have a friend wiggle the steering wheel while you check each joint for slop. Don't depend on a shop to tell you the right story when you can check for yourself.

 

[bdyal]

What is a dss stabalizer? Where can I get one? Than ks Brice

 

[Coyote556]

I just ordered my DSS and a retrofit kit to put the 2003 trackbar on my 02. Ordered from http://www.solidsteel.ca . He even gave me a little break because I ordered both at the same time. I talked with Marv. Haven't got them put in yet, but I can't wait.

 

[JSellers]

As a tangent to this thread (sorry for the slight hijack) I have just realized that there are TWO companies using the web address "solid steel". I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, because I'm not sure which one sold me the track bar bracket. I first got the DSS, and talked to both Darin and Marv. Now there is Solid Steel Industries, which uses http://www.solidsteel.biz; and there's also Windecker Machine Ltd. , who is found at http://www.solidsteel.ca. They both seem to be marketing the same parts.



I had email correspondence with Marv, and I think when I ordered the track bar bracket, it may have come through him - before I realized the partnership had split. But, I see Solid Steel Industries has distribution via some of the better known vendors on the TDR. Anyone know what's up here?



Just wondering who deserves credit for the nice pieces some of us have installed, and who might be fabricating someone else's designs.



Thanks,

John

 

[SnoKing]

Well it appears the Darin who I believe was the original designer of the DSS is with solidsteel. biz and Marv is with solidsteel. ca, this is according to the email addresses on each site. SNOKING

 

[Coyote556]

I dont want to get into the middle of anything, but I do remember that the original address a few years back, for the DSS was http://www.solidsteel.ca I bought from Marv at this address and thus far I am happy. WHo knows.

 

[Darin Tessier]

Hi guys.

Just to clarify the solidsteel question, I own and operate the original Solid Steel Industries LTD. Marv used to work for me, but since has quit, stolen my design and ideas and started up on his own.

I am the original designer and manufacturer of the "Darin's Steering Stabilizer" and "Darin's Track Bar Kit". (DSS & TBK)

Marv had pulled a couple dirty deals behind my back, hence the solidsteel name he is using.

The legitimate Solid Steel is at www.solidsteel. biz

I stand behind all the dealers that handle my products and continue to offer the no questions asked, full refund policy.

Darin

 

[SnoKing]

Hi guys.

Just to clarify the solidsteel question, I own and operate the original Solid Steel Industries LTD. Marv used to work for me, but since has quit, stolen my design and ideas and started up on his own.

I am the original designer and manufacturer of the "Darin's Steering Stabilizer" and "Darin's Track Bar Kit". (DSS & TBK)

Marv had pulled a couple dirty deals behind my back, hence the solidsteel name he is using.

The legitimate Solid Steel is at www.solidsteel. biz

I stand behind all the dealers that handle my products and continue to offer the no questions asked, full refund policy.

Darin

Darin, thanks for clarifing what happen. I bought my DSS directly from you way in the beginning and got my TBK from RIP, who is one of your dealers, so no black market braces on my RAM. Thanks SNOKING

 

[scotmartin]

Darrin:



I looked closely at both web sites, and I noticed that the picture of the steering stabilizer is identicle. (It's the same photo) You may want to save a copy of the site and its pics to prove your case in court.



Scot

 

[Eric Lee]

I thought we had to worry about the Chinese. I have been waiting for my TBK from PDR and I believe they just got restocked on that item. At almost 50,000 mi I'm wondering around like I'm drunk.



-ERic

 

[JSellers]

Hi guys.



The legitimate Solid Steel is at www.solidsteel. biz

I stand behind all the dealers that handle my products and continue to offer the no questions asked, full refund policy.

Darin

I'm happy to have discovered Solid Steel's PO Box address in my earlier correspondence when I ordered the Track Bar Kit. Maybe this was before Marv's departure - I hope - and my order actually went to Darin's operation. If not, shame on Marv for this deception.



I do know that Solid Steel Industries is making quality products, and Darin and Russell have responded to questions. Russell even called me back without a request, responding to a telephone call when I hadn't left a message. That's truly excellent customer service. Thanks for the help with my front end steering, guys.



Regards,

John

 

[Marv Windecker]

Hi Guys,



Well, Darin finally had to open his mouth and start with the BS. He is well known for it locally. I was going to stick to the high road in this whole matter, but I'm not going to sit here and take this without responding.



First, maybe you should look back to the original thread titled "Loose steering box fix" Look at the profile of the first poster and you will see the last name is Tessier. The BS starts right there. I told him he shouldn't be doing stuff like that, but everything's a big joke to him.



One day Darin asked me if it would be possible to somehow support the sector shaft with an outboard bearing. Any credit to him for the DSS should pretty much stop right there. I said there was no reason it wouldn't work and explained how an extension nut could be made to take the bearing. He proceded to try it. I still have the nut he built and the piece of channel iron he torched up as a prototype. His fabrication and machining skills are laughable at best. Maybe you would like to see the photos? Darin is quite skilled at operating a roll of tape however, and this was his major contribution to the company.



After that first post to the TDR he decided there was some interest and came to ask me to design something that would actually be saleable. At that point I designed the first model that had the open tube ends. I later changed that to the current design. It was me that welded every single one of the first few hundred of these things together. It was also me that lined up laser cutting, bending, found a supplier for boxes, bearings, bolts, etc. It was also me that did the AutoCad drawings for the laser shop and me that built the assembly jigs. He practically begged me to go into business with him, and so Solid Steel was formed as a 50/50 partnership. You can't "fire" a partner either.



Initially, we did all the manufacturing here at my farm. Eventually, I subcontracted all the manufacturing out to a larger manufacturing firm, whom Darin and myself still utilize to this day. Darin made no contribution to the DSS design at all - he just came to me and said "build it"



We decided we needed a website, so I looked after that too. When it came time to design the trackbar, again it was me to the rescue. I wouldn't be surprised if the trackbar brackets purchased from anyone but myself might not fit quite right. The hard copies of the AutoCad drawings for the trackbar parts that vanished from my filing cabinet weren't the final revision. Guess where the "exploded" view of the trackbar installation instructions came from? Me again.



Every single photo on my website was taken by me, with my camera, in my yard, and is of my truck. The line drawings, and the text for the instructions were all done solely by me.



Many of you may have noticed in early July that I removed my name from the solidsteel. ca website. At that time I was being as fair as possible with Mr Tessier considering the circumstances. He had agreed to pay me monthly and run the business himself. Since I wasn't getting any money from him, I started up again myself after 90 days had elapsed. And by the way, I am still a 50% share holder of Solid Steel Industries Ltd. He is now operating from a single car garage.



In short, Darin had an idea and I made it all work for us. Greed got the best of him, and he thought he would get it all for himself. I thought he was my friend.



And finally, the real reason that Darin and I don't work together anymore. He couldn't stay away from my wife. She has been living with him since August, and remains there to this day. I'm sure they have a long list of excuses but...



Like many of you, I was fooled for a while, and at one time, I also thought his word and ethics were both good.



Merry Christmas

Marv

 

[SnoKing]

I was going to say that the two of you need to kiss and make up, until I got to the second to the last paragraph. Not sure if you are blaming the correct person in that paragraph. This whole saga is a bit sad, as both the DSS and TBK are quality products. To bad there was not patents applied for. SNOKING

 

[MThorn]

To follow Marv Windeckers posting about the Solid Steel split up make sure you read the thread "steering upgrade" It would seem a lot of Darrins TBK 's do not fit! I talked to Marv today, he would not even speculate who took the hard copies of his AutoCad drawings for the trackbar bracket, but said if any one tried to use them the brackets would not fit right.

The brackets Marv makes are a later edition. I know both Marv and Darrin and remember when Marv was developing the trackbar bracket Darrin kept saying good enough , but Marv is fanatical about fit finish ETC He refused to sell them till they were perfect. This was why the first DSS were upgraded.

Windecker Machine IS the small machine shop in the first Solid steel website. It is owned by Marv! He made the brackets for Solid Steel (but not any more) which is still owned 50/50 by him and Darrin, the DSS Darrin sells are still made to Marvs design so they fit!

Marv is sorry some folks are having trouble with their Trackbar brackets but he cannot control the quality of products solid steel sells now.

Marv is a friend of mine, I have no ties or shares in Windecker Machine, I used to think Darrin was a friend but want nothing to do with someone who would pull the stunts he has.



Monk