Project finished.

[jag]

Not 1 picture of this project.

Removed the 2 1/2" front lift, installed a set of 3" drop shackles in the rear. Replaced shocks, steering box, pump, upper & lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, track bar bushings, end links, bottom steering shaft bushing, plus installed the 4th gen steering components & brush painted every thing with black tremclad rust paint. Ball joints were new about 20,000 km's ago. Now I know I will be able to keep this thing out of the ditch with the Quad installed, well maybe.

[dripley]

Thats quite the project. I am sure you will like the results Quad or not.

[portlandareae28]

This thread is useless without pictures  

[jag]

Yes the results are over the top. The control arm bushings sure do keep the axle centered, &  not even a hint of wonder. The bushings are poly, & the steering box is Chevy (Silverado 2005 Hd 4x4 with diesel). It's a little choppy on the rear end, but it sure feels nice & tight to the road.

[portlandareae28]

I would love to learn more about the steering box conversion, is the Chevy box better?

 

Also I am contemplating the reverse level so an image of the truck would be great, where did you get the blocks?  did you go to a shorter u-bolt? 

[Mopar1973Man]

On 4/21/2019 at 10:11 AM, portlandareae28 said:

This thread is useless without pictures  

 

[jag]

I like the Chevy box. Is it better, well if I said yes, I would be caught in Japan for speeding from being slapped so hard! For installation, it is a direct bolt on & both hose fittings are a direct match also. There is a little mod to do to the pitman arm. If you have both parts, a keen eye will tell you what to do just by looking at it.

There are 2 different types of boxes. 1 has 3 blanks & 1 has 4 blanks on the sector shaft. 3 is the one you use. For the steering shaft, all I had to do was swap out the ends that go onto the box. It's just like a u joint, press cross out, swap ends & press back together.

On the rear end, I used drop shackles, so no looking for blocks or u bolts.  

[Marcus2000monster]

This has me interested. Is your truck easy to steer? As in the power steering is working well? We need some photos of the box and components installed if you can.

[Mopar1973Man]

57 minutes ago, Marcus2000monster said:

Is your truck easy to steer?

 

Being you have 245's now you can opt for the quick ratio steering box. Which is very easy to steer. (BlueTop Steering)

 

58 minutes ago, Marcus2000monster said:

As in the power steering is working well?

 

No issues to report. Everything working well with a Blue Top Steering. 

 

[Marcus2000monster]

39 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Being you have 245's now you can opt for the quick ratio steering box. Which is very easy to steer. (BlueTop Steering)

 

 

No issues to report. Everything working well with a Blue Top Steering. 

 

Mike I have the regular ratio. Blue top box already and the truck is not easy to steer. It’s not like it has no power steering but it just has resistance. Is it because of small tires and the regular ratio? I still need to take it in for a full alignment and have the caster and camber adjusted. 

[dripley]

2 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

Mike I have the regular ratio. Blue top box already and the truck is not easy to steer. It’s not like it has no power steering but it just has resistance. Is it because of small tires and the regular ratio? I still need to take it in for a full alignment and have the caster and camber adjusted. 

No camber adjustments on the 4 wd, just toe and caster. Unless you have ever with the caster bolts they will probbably break. They are not terribly expensive just to replace.

[Marcus2000monster]

1 hour ago, dripley said:

No camber adjustments on the 4 wd, just toe and caster. Unless you have ever with the caster bolts they will probbably break. They are not terribly expensive just to replace.

Thanks for the info. I’ve been told moving the chamber forward can help with steering return and such is this true?

[dripley]

1 hour ago, Marcus2000monster said:

Thanks for the info. I’ve been told moving the chamber forward can help with steering return and such is this true?

It is the caster you move to do this. My understanding is you can move them all the way forward and be safe with smaller tires. I am by far not the expert on it. Going to move mine forward one day when I get into the front end again and see how I like it. 

[Dieselfuture]

6 hours ago, dripley said:

It is the caster you move to do this. My understanding is you can move them all the way forward and be safe with smaller tires. I am by far not the expert on it. Going to move mine forward one day when I get into the front end again and see how I like it. 

I've been wanting to do this but I need to get new bolts first cuz I know I'll break the original ones off

[Mopar1973Man]

38 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

I've been wanting to do this but I need to get new bolts first cuz I know I'll break the original ones off

 

Be careful... If done wrong you can change the thrust angle of the truck causing it to pull to one side or another. I would suggest having an alignment shop do this and ask for more caster angle added.

[Dieselfuture]

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Be careful... If done wrong you can change the thrust angle of the truck causing it to pull to one side or another. I would suggest having an alignment shop do this and ask for more caster angle added.

If i do it I'll put some kind of angle finder on solid part of axle and try to get both sides same. I was thinking about that for a while now, not even sure how an alignment machine knows if it's mounted to the wheel.

[jag]

Yes my truck is easy to steer. A little heavy at idle, but once the rpm's rise, it's a 1 finger drive. No pictures needed, as it looks the same as your truck. I have done a couple of mods to the pump also, but if I mention them, I know I will get eaten alive by the colored tops steering box people. Once I wash the winter off, (it's snowing again) I will get a couple of stance pics plus the drop shackles. I am the worlds worst photographer, I have essential tremor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by jag
12 ounce can.

[Marcus2000monster]

Thanks for the replies sorry I haven’t been around for the past few days. So I’m going to have the truck aligned and ask for more caster and give them a new set of camber bolts? 

[dripley]

2 hours ago, Marcus2000monster said:

Thanks for the replies sorry I haven’t been around for the past few days. So I’m going to have the truck aligned and ask for more caster and give them a new set of camber bolts? 

Caster bolts. No camber adjustments on the 4wd. It is fixed. Below is an example of the bolts you need.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,2002,ram+2500+pickup,5.9l+l6+diesel+turbocharged,1440064,steering,pinion+angle+adjusting+bolt,1364

[Evan]

I think it's funny that people think they can adjust castor to different specs side to side. You could actually take one arm out and drive. Preferably a upper arm. But in a bind missing one lower would be okay to limp home.

In the jeep world they call them 3 link suspension. Good for slow speed trail stuff. The one side with two arms sets castor angle.

. This is why castor washers get all screwd up. Off side fights side being adjusted

I take one side out completely or loosen nut enough to pop washer out of shoe so that when the other sides being adjusted the washer isnt fighting it on the other side.  

I currently only have castor washers in my drivers side.  Other side has a normal bolt with washers that I ground flats on so they could move forward as far as possible 

 

Positive castor will make steering feel stiffer like it has resistance 

It does have resistance because positive castor is what makes the truck go straight. Like s spinning gyro at speed it wants to really hold straight

But it's not bad. I have mine all the way forward with 35s. I adjusted toe with a tape measure 1/8-1/4 toed in.Tires have 5k on them with no wear patterns yet.

 

I'd set toe at zero with 4th gen steering  

Adjust castor in steps test driving till it feels how you want