On a stock height, stock tire size 3500 dually do I really need to worry about upgrading to 4th gen parts?  or will good aftermarket stock parts hold up another 300k miles?

 

Yes stock parts will be fine. As long you don't put oversized tires or lift kit on the truck.

 

Edited September 21, 20177 yr by Mopar1973Man

I just took all that off of the truck :-)  so since I am new to alot of this, do I need the whole tie rod for any reason or can I just do the ends?

Look again... There isn't just ends you end up replacing all of it.

Okay, are you thinking stick with Dodge Parts? or is auto parts store/moog a good replacement in this situation?

 

Also I bought all new bushings for the front sway abr and links.  I pulled the links off the bar and the bar is out from under the truck but the links are IN there and don't want to be removed.  Is there a method to getting them out?

Edited September 21, 20177 yr by portlandareae28

Avoid Moog and the Dodge Dealer... Both bad ideas. NAPA is good.

I installed these years ago and they have been holding up well, I used my original track bar

 

1994-2002 2nd Generation Track Bar, Tie Rod Ends Luke's Link.url

Thank you, I may do that to the trackbar I just pulled out, but the truck literally has a new track bar in it currently with about 200 miles on it.  Fighting a clunk in the floor and I can see the loose steering components that need to be addressed so I want to address what I know needs to be addressed for sure and than attack the rest.  I am just quickly tiring of all of this so I need to be learning and attacking to get the steering/clunk dealt with and back to liking my truck again :-)

Is the clunk in the suspension when going over bumps or when steering right to left-left to right.  I'm asking this because a clunk when steering can come from the steering column bushing being worn.

bumps

 

Per suggestion I hjave rolled the truck back and forth with the front wheel and not seeing any play in control arm bushings, though do see some compression of the spring and the shocks I would be money are done.  I am hoping to tear into the shocks this weekend.  Not a master at all of this so hopefully something stands out 

Edited September 21, 20177 yr by portlandareae28

I think all track bars should be adjustable, when I got my truck the track bar was shot, I put a new one one just to find out I had to jack the frame up to put it in and that's how they go bad so quickly. Front springs get tired over time and track bar needs to be shorter or it constantly getting pushed towards passenger side and frame and axle are not straight. 

How about a photo of your home made adjustable track bar

I don't think upgrading to the 4th gen style is absolutely necessary but it does get rid of the Y style steering and the 4th gen has the T style which most prefer.

I guess I am not knowledgeable enough to understand the benefits/differnce of the T vs the Y steering, why do most prefer the T?

I am like you in not understanding the benefits of Y vs T. I am convinced there must be some difference but the only way I could know is to swap it out. I might do just this in the near future we will see. For now at 420k I am on the stock Y steering and it has been good for the most. Mine is getting worn and we will see what happens.

 That being said they both replace pretty much in the same way. All of these parts are bolt off and bolt on. Getting them apart is tricky if you have never done it before but not that difficult. I went in for an alignment at near 220k, my first since buying it new in 01. The shop told me it cost $900 to replace just enough to do a proper alignment maybe 40%  of the parts. I did not like that very much so I started looking for parts. I ended buying all the parts and some tools to replace every thing including all of the ball joints for the same $900. The only reason to replace the tie rods is if they are bent. I dont know how to tell you whether they are bent or not since new they are not all straight. I probably could have save some coin had I known at the time.

 Now with all of that being said, if you are seeing and feeling parts getting loose I would say do the whole thing, Y or T and the ball joints if they are worn. It is more money and time but was worth it for me to start all new and I knew my trucks history. Maybe you do not. I did my ball joints one saturday for on side and the other the next saturday. Then the tie rods the next weekend. I also took alot of beer breaks. You can do it all in one week end if you just barrell in and do it. I am not good at that. You will save money and be happy with the end results. Did my first rebuild at 60 years old and the next one I figure to be 66 so dont let it worry you. If I can do it anyone can as you dont mind getting dirty and turning a wrench.

3 hours ago, Royal Squire said:

How about a photo of your home made adjustable track bar

Not sure how well you can see it but basically it's a stock bar that I cut ball joint off and welded a pice of round stock same I'd as bushing side of track bar, went to parts store picked up poly bushing $15 then went to steel place got stock $5 then fasten all got a big fine thread bolt with 3 nuts $30 then chopped a 3 inch section of bar out and welded bolt on one side and nuts on the other, it might of been 4 inches can't remember now, but had to be shorter then stock by half inch so I could have the bar shortet. Everything is gusseted even bolt and nuts with round piece of pipe I had laying around that is just beraly fits over od of bar. When I was welding nuts together I grinded a v in them so I could fill it with welding wire, basically I over killed everything knowing it's an important part of handling. Been 4 or so years now no problems. I had a lot more time back then and that's why I dI'd it, now I'd probably just buy a kit.

 

2 hours ago, portlandareae28 said:

I guess I am not knowledgeable enough to understand the benefits/differnce of the T vs the Y steering, why do most prefer the T?

Difference is on the y when you go over bumps body moves away from frame and it pulls on the y and changes your toe in and out especially on a worn track bar, on t tow doesn't change unless you change it, going up and down over bumps may be noticeable in steering wheel moving left and right a bit. 

I may rethink building my own adjustable track bar. I don't have a lot of time, and the time I do have there is  already a list. Thank you for sharing the photos 

Here's a pic for those needing a visual to go with @Dieselfuture'a description.

 

I'm patiently waiting on my y steering to wear out so i can get the T style in  

Yeah the list never ends....

I have seen the pictures just hard to grasp what the change would do. Heard a lot of good things about it though and the cost is comparable to the Y steering. So I have not written it off as of yet. I do know that when I rebuilt my Y steering, with MOOG by the way, it was as good or better than the stock parts. Never saw anything bad about MOOG until I had replaced all of mine with MOOG.

@Dieselfuture  I admire your ingenuity, and thanks for sharing your work, although just wondering why a person would need an adjustable track bar on a stock height truck? Have you ever had to adjust it, and what would determine the need for adjustment, would it be just taking up slack in the ball stud? Or re center the axle for some reason

When I did my Luke's links, I did all the joints while I was at it, that was just a no brainer, that was in 2011 and now the track bar joint seems to have a little play so adding a shim with the L.L kit is supposed to fix that, but we'll see I guess