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

Will more revolutions per mile bring rpms up? I wish I had 3.55s lol cuase I hate how high it revs out! @Mopar1973Man I compared 265/75/16 vs 235/70/16 and it showed the 235 as being like an inch and a half shorter. I thought you sais it was 1mm taller?

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

 

23 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

265 / 75 R16

 

10.4331 Inches / 75% of 10.4331 = 7.82 inches R16

 

10.4" / 7.82" R16 (american measurement)

 

235 / 85 R16

 

9.25 / 85% of 9.25 = 7.86 inches R16

 

9.25" / 7.86" R16

 

7.86 - 7.82 = 0.04 inches 

 

1mm = 0.039 inches

 

Yes, 235's  are 1mm taller. For the 265/75 R16 vs 235/85 R16

Edited February 9, 20187 yr by Mopar1973Man

15 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

7.86 - 7.82 = 0.04 inches 

 

1mm = 0.039 inches

 

Yes, 235's  are 1mm taller. For the 265/75 R16 vs 235/85 R16

My bad. Id like to go taller to lower rpm. Does hankook make a 265/85r16 

Call your local tire shop and see what they can order. 

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Call your local tire shop and see what they can order. 

Will do. I am correct about a taller tire lowering rpms right?

Mike could you get somep pics of your truck like this? I’m considering going all the way down to 235s these are 275/85s

As requested...

7 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

As requested...

Thank you much! Honestly they don’t look as bad as I thought for how skinny they are. 

Hard to tell a 235 vs 265 being there is only 1.1 inch (30 mm) difference. 

5 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Hard to tell a 235 vs 265 being there is only 1.1 inch (30 mm) difference. 

True. I think a 235 is 9 inches across and that’s the tread width of my 285s

1 minute ago, Marcus2000monster said:

True. I think a 235 is 9 inches across and that’s the tread width of my 285s

That only 50mm or 2 inches in width difference. 

I currently have Toyo M55 255/85r16's on my second gen.  Guys claim they get 90k miles out of a set.  I'll be lucky to get 30k.

4 minutes ago, Tom Robarts said:

I currently have Toyo M55 255/85r16's on my second gen.  Guys claim they get 90k miles out of a set.  I'll be lucky to get 30k.

I think you got sucked into a trap! Lol

 

Hence what I said...

13 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

What a joke is Cooper STT's and Toyo M/T those are jokes. Extremely heavy, tire poor ice/snow traction. Then to top it off roughly a 2-3 MPG lost because of rotational mass is more and rolling resistance is high from the tread pattern. Top it really good is the price typically over $1,000 for tires nope not me... Never again...

 

The funny part I see about tires and wheel all the time is people buying wheels and tires that are much bigger than factory just for the "Cool Factor". So now what have you done?

• Reduced your final gear ratio
• Increased the rolling resistance
• Increased the rotational mass of the tire
• Reduced MPG's
• Increased overall cost of replacement
• Increased wear on brakes
• Shorten lifespan of front end part and steering gear.

 It might not have the "Cool Factor" but I've got more money in my pockets and less failure with the front axles and brakes. 

• Very minor change to final ratio (1 Rev/mile difference)
• Reduced rolling resistance because of less tread face on the ground and using A/T tread and not an M/T tread.
• Improved ice and snow traction.
• Reduced the rotational mass by at least 25 pounds per tire!
• Increased MPG's (Record is 27.2 MPG hand math)
• Reduced cost of replacement this set cost me $580 bucks for the 235/85 R16 Hankook.
• Reduced wear on the brakes not having to stop that rotational mass spinning on the axles. (Brakes are replaced for the first time at 185k)
• Extended the life of all the front end parts and steering gear. (Still got factory OEM Tierods, gearing gear and power steering pump)

Edited February 9, 20187 yr by Mopar1973Man

15 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

I have 4:10s and I wish I could reduce rpms. 

35s but front end won't be happy, along other things 

14 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

LOL! What tires have you guys had good success with?

Free always good lol, but seriously seems like more expensive is not always better when it comes to tires. I have toyo open country and not too impressed, they're good just not as good as the hype.

I did liked nitto terra grappler, may be my next set again, but I think they were only D rated so not sure there. Might try something different too, still early to decide my tires got more than 3/4 life left. 

Edited February 9, 20187 yr by Dieselfuture

3 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Hence what I said...

 

The funny part I see about tires and wheel all the time is people buying wheels and tires that are much bigger than factory just for the "Cool Factor". So now what have you done?

• Reduced your final gear ratio
• Increased the rolling resistance
• Increased the rotational mass of the tire
• Reduced MPG's
• Increased overall cost of replacement
• Increased wear on brakes
• Shorten lifespan of front end part and steering gear.

 It might not have the "Cool Factor" but I've got more money in my pockets and less failure with the front axles and brakes. 

• Very minor change to final ratio (1 Rev/mile difference)
• Reduced rolling resistance because of less tread face on the ground and using A/T tread and not an M/T tread.
• Improved ice and snow traction.
• Reduced the rotational mass by at least 25 pounds per tire!
• Increased MPG's (Record is 27.2 MPG hand math)
• Reduced cost of replacement this set cost me $580 bucks for the 235/85 R16 Hankook.
• Reduced wear on the brakes not having to stop that rotational mass spinning on the axles. (Brakes are replaced for the first time at 185k)
• Extended the life of all the front end parts and steering gear. (Still got factory OEM Tierods, gearing gear and power steering pump)

This should be put I tontje articles section. Very good reminder mike thank you.

But Mike, cool is everything!

 

I'm fairly impressed with the Toyo MT's we put on the wifes Jeep last summer.  We haven't had any issues in the rain or snow, it handles as well as the OEM Duelers it came with.  The wider wheels drastically improved braking stability as well.  That wrangler would get real squirrely on a hard stop with the skinny stockers. My coopers are great off road, silent on the street but sketchy on the ice. 

 

I've always run larger tires without much issue.  My last F-250 IDI with the TTB, I replaced everything with quality parts, maintained them and didn't beat on them like they owed me money.  That truck maintained it's alignment perfectly the whole time I owned it.  I like to build sturdy then treat it like fine china...as opposed to my brother who builds cheap then flogs it to death.  That being said, it's still a truck and does what it's built for, I tow and haul every chance I get. 

3 hours ago, Sycostang67 said:

But Mike, cool is everything!

 

I'm fairly impressed with the Toyo MT's we put on the wifes Jeep last summer.  We haven't had any issues in the rain or snow, it handles as well as the OEM Duelers it came with.  The wider wheels drastically improved braking stability as well.  That wrangler would get real squirrely on a hard stop with the skinny stockers. My coopers are great off road, silent on the street but sketchy on the ice. 

 

I've always run larger tires without much issue.  My last F-250 IDI with the TTB, I replaced everything with quality parts, maintained them and didn't beat on them like they owed me money.  That truck maintained it's alignment perfectly the whole time I owned it.  I like to build sturdy then treat it like fine china...as opposed to my brother who builds cheap then flogs it to death.  That being said, it's still a truck and does what it's built for, I tow and haul every chance I get. 

How many miles on your coopers?

1 minute ago, Marcus2000monster said:

How many miles on your coopers?

 

I wore them nearly out at 25k and sold them with 25% tread just to get rid of them. Got tired of the constant loss of MPG over a heavy tire. Cooper's where closer to 90 pounds per tire 265/75 R16.

2 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

I wore them nearly out at 25k and sold them with 25% tread just to get rid of them. Got tired of the constant loss of MPG over a heavy tire. Cooper's where closer to 90 pounds per tire 265/75 R16.

The question was directed at @Sycostang67 but thanks for sharing your experience! 

Oh well.