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?

 

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=7181176&cc=1443648&jsn=10459

@01cummins4ever  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. 

I did had to adjust track bar to be shorter when first started to mess with it. I must of had tired front springs, so frame is closer to axle but track bar is still same length and axle gets shoved to passengers side with constant pressure on ball joint of track bar. When I built my front bumper out of 1/4" steel I had to make track bar even shorter, that's when I debated spacers or springs, ended up buying factory plow package springs because spacers would mess things up in steering geometry and will not support extra waight since they're tired already. I was going to build my own 1.5 inch spacers at first just so I could be around factory hight but found a set of new springs for under $200 i believe. So after I put new springs I had to make track bar longer and after few months it settled down some so I made it shorter, about half year later it settled and that was last time I made adjustment, it may be time now to check. It is still 3/4 of an inch taller than it was before I added front bumper. So basically by not making track bar shorter you're using it as a lift kit, it will actually lift front of the truck up slightly depending on how tired your suspension is. So no wonder they only last 20-30k or so. When that ball joint wears steering becomes very sloppy because you're adding extra travel side to side and gear box gets more abuse too, having to pull your axle over and lift your tuck before it even moves tires. That's why I also have a brace for gear box. There is a lot of little things that get messed up on a bad track bar. Hope I made some since 

At least that's what I've experienced with my truck. 

I'm one of the rare ones. Still got factory OEM tie rods yet and they are still tight. Only replaced one set of ball joints and one track bar. 316k miles and still going... In another thread I'm going to get ready to do a steering box reseal soon. Other than that its still tight like factory. 

3 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

@01cummins4ever  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. 

I did had to adjust track bar to be shorter when first started to mess with it. I must of had tired front springs, so frame is closer to axle but track bar is still same length and axle gets shoved to passengers side with constant pressure on ball joint of track bar. When I built my front bumper out of 1/4" steel I had to make track bar even shorter, that's when I debated spacers or springs, ended up buying factory plow package springs because spacers would mess things up in steering geometry and will not support extra waight since they're tired already. I was going to build my own 1.5 inch spacers at first just so I could be around factory hight but found a set of new springs for under $200 i believe. So after I put new springs I had to make track bar longer and after few months it settled down some so I made it shorter, about half year later it settled and that was last time I made adjustment, it may be time now to check. It is still 3/4 of an inch taller than it was before I added front bumper. So basically by not making track bar shorter you're using it as a lift kit, it will actually lift front of the truck up slightly depending on how tired your suspension is. So no wonder they only last 20-30k or so. When that ball joint wears steering becomes very sloppy because you're adding extra travel side to side and gear box gets more abuse too, having to pull your axle over and lift your tuck before it even moves tires. That's why I also have a brace for gear box. There is a lot of little things that get messed up on a bad track bar. Hope I made some since 

At least that's what I've experienced with my truck. 

When you say brace for gearbox, are you talking steering gearbox or transmission?

steering box brace. there is a few makers out there, i have two, and they made a big difference for my trucks.

1 hour ago, portlandareae28 said:

When you say brace for gearbox, are you talking steering gearbox or transmission?

Steering box

Steering box brace is only needed for oversized tire users more so. If you are running stock tires not really required but could prove helpful. Like my truck I've never used a steering box brace and my gearbox now after 16 years and 316k miles is now started to weep. I'm running stock size tires. (235/85 R16)

On 9/21/2017 at 2:31 PM, portlandareae28 said:

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?

 

I vote 2010 "T" style steering. I replaced everything with moog "Y" style, it was sloppy in less than 20k miles. My 2 cents

 

9 hours ago, portlandareae28 said:

When you say brace for gearbox, are you talking steering gearbox or transmission?

 

 

Steering.

15 minutes ago, CTcummins24V said:

I replaced everything with moog "Y" style, it was sloppy in less than 20k miles.

 

That's because Moog is no longer made in the USA and is in "Junk Category" for parts. NAPA and other brand are still good. 

my Moog parts held up much better but i bought it all about 7 years ago.

If I want to buy the T style for my 01 what year do I need to buy it for? Rock Auto, Amazon?

08+ and whatever's cheapest, I think at the time I got mine from rockauto 

i got the mopar parts, i think there was a $60 difference from MOOG problem solvers, and the Mopar ones.

for me it was a bolt in process, for you, you might need the new pitman arm. (i have an extra) and i think there is some good videos on youtube about it.

i got mine from amazon. 

if you look at my post about steering damper you can see what i got.

 

54 minutes ago, Killer223 said:

you might need the new pitman arm. 

When does a guy need one of them, sertain years, or auto vs manual? 

don't know, something about the size for the joint stud. some people were reaming out the holes.. but i think this is a better option. i ordered on thinking i need it, turns out i didn't need it.

I think it's needed on the older models or truck with bigger tires right?

sorry i'm of no further help. i know my system is great after the replacement.