Hello guys I'm not sure if this has been discussed on this forum before or not. I am considering a steering upgrade for my 2000 Ram 2500. This thread is too help anyone out if they ever want to try this to. Id like to know if anyone else here has done this specific kit ill mention? The kit is from a 4th gen truck and was made specificly for upgrading third gens steering. SOmeone on Cummins Forum bought this kit for a second gen and found out that it was a awesome bolt on upgrade for second gen trucks to! Now I read that trucks with stock 16 inch wheels the stud on the end of the tie rods will hit the wheel so you have to grind off an eighth of an inch or so. I don't believe this works for 98 and 99 trucks but correct me if I'm wrong. Anyways the part # for the kit is #51122362af and that's a mopar part number. Hopefully I can try this upgrade soon but in the meantime id like to find out more about it and possibly create an article when I'm done to help others. I think you can get this kit straight from the dealer for around 350$ which is a very fair price if the upgrade is as good as mentioned. Everyone knows that our steering kind of sucks. I think that big tires and leveling kits make it worse too. This converts the steering to a t style instead of the factory y style steering. 

Edited February 8, 20187 yr by Marcus2000monster

A worn VP will do it also, but I would suspect you would have some other signs of that happening.

Is that 14.2 hand calculated or 14.2 from the overhead lie-o-meter?

3 minutes ago, trreed said:

Is that 14.2 hand calculated or 14.2 from the overhead lie-o-meter?

My lie-o-meter never goes that low, usually shows 28-29

14 minutes ago, trreed said:

Is that 14.2 hand calculated or 14.2 from the overhead lie-o-meter?

Just spoke to him briefly and don't know how he calculates but do know he is talking about in town stop and go mileage, which 14 ain't bad for a 7k pound truck.

26 minutes ago, dripley said:

A worn VP will do it also, but I would suspect you would have some other signs of that happening.

Truck has been running a bit rough after a cold start.

 

21 minutes ago, trreed said:

Is that 14.2 hand calculated or 14.2 from the overhead lie-o-meter?

Hand calculated. Lie o meter has been reading 14.7.

 

18 minutes ago, Tom Robarts said:

My lie-o-meter never goes that low, usually shows 28-29

I think your lie o meter is shucked up big time LOL.

 

4 minutes ago, dripley said:

Just spoke to him briefly and don't know how he calculates but do know he is talking about in town stop and go mileage, which 14 ain't bad for a 7k pound truck.

Not neccasarily stop and go because I live in a rural town with a population of 1k people. Only 1 main street and never stop and go besides turns and stops... 

Let me add I can get 19.5 mpg on the highway running 75 mph. Pu t me down to 55 with turns and slow down as tom3rd gear I am not far off from you. The 96 I had with the V 10 I was lucky to get 8 mpg in those circumstances.

22 minutes ago, dripley said:

Let me add I can get 19.5 mpg on the highway running 75 mph. Pu t me down to 55 with turns and slow down as tom3rd gear I am not far off from you. The 96 I had with the V 10 I was lucky to get 8 mpg in those circumstances.

@dripley You might be too drunk to read this but my plans got canceled and I home again lol... 

@dripley what size diff do you have?

 

I'm seeing about 18 freeway, 16 city and 10.5-13 towing two trailers 12-14 towing just 5er.

I just replied in the other thread on mileage 

9 hours ago, IBMobile said:

@dripley what size diff do you have?

 

I'm seeing about 18 freeway, 16 city and 10.5-13 towing two trailers 12-14 towing just 5er.

D 80 with 3:55 gears

 

19.5 freeway, 14 around town, 11.5 pulling the 5th wheel

10 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

@dripley You might be too drunk to read this but my plans got canceled and I home again lol... 

Sorry fell asleep before I drank all the beer.

13 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

 

 

I think your lie o meter is shucked up big time 

Hand calculated when it was stock on stock tires 215/85r16 and 3.55's DRW 4x4 auto on the highway at 65 I averaged 23.5 over a 500 mile trip.  100hp injectors, EJWA with hot unlock, and 255/85r16s I see 15-16 on the same trip but my odometer is uncorrected so the mileage is off 10%

28 minutes ago, Tom Robarts said:

Hand calculated when it was stock on stock tires 215/85r16 and 3.55's DRW 4x4 auto on the highway at 65 I averaged 23.5 over a 500 mile trip.  100hp injectors, EJWA with hot unlock, and 255/85r16s I see 15-16 on the same trip but my odometer is uncorrected so the mileage is off 10%

Wow that's a huge drop for going 215 to 255, maybe my vp is still good all I need is some pizza cutters. 

Checked the alignment on my truck with a string and it is perfect. Not out of wack at all. So obviously the all over the road issues are from the steering box because of all the slop in it? 

There is an adjustment on the top of the steering box. It is a threaded shaft with a jam not on it. Loosen the nut and tighten the shaft. You are not trying to bottom it out. Try a full turn and if it does not bottom out tighten the nut back up and drive it. Be careful. if you tighten to much the steering will not return on its own. If you feel the shaft bottom out back it off half a turn the test drive.If the steering does not return well back it off a little more. The first time I ever did this was on a S 10 I used to have. Whipped out of the driveway on the street and the truck kept turning so beware.

2 hours ago, dripley said:

There is an adjustment on the top of the steering box. It is a threaded shaft with a jam not on it. Loosen the nut and tighten the shaft. You are not trying to bottom it out. Try a full turn and if it does not bottom out tighten the nut back up and drive it. Be careful. if you tighten to much the steering will not return on its own. If you feel the shaft bottom out back it off half a turn the test drive.If the steering does not return well back it off a little more. The first time I ever did this was on a S 10 I used to have. Whipped out of the driveway on the street and the truck kept turning so beware.

Which direction do you turn it?

Righty tighty looking from above the steering box.