just sloppy steering.

 

what do you mean sloppy steering?

 

I rebuilt mine, after which it started road walking.

 

Play in the steering wheel.

 

so when the truck starts dogwalking

 

these trucks are hard on everything in the front end (typical dodge). The worst things i have noticed are balljoints and track bar.

The front end was totally rebuilt before i bought my truck, now, about 40,000km later the track bar is ready to fall off again...

 

YKDave , 40,000 km not to bad.

 

im talking about at 40,000km is was literally ready to drop out of the truck, it has been banging around for months!

My truck had developed one hell of a banging noise in the front end last year and i think i finally got most of it solved. between the track bar and the control arms falling apart (the circular part on the ends that was pressed in was loose and the holes ovaled out, i just welded them up for now!)

Its almost like driving a totally different truck, it drives alot better and its SO quiet inside now!

Also, while i was under there it appears that its time for a new drag link assy, its starting to get sloppy already... damn i hate these trucks....

 

there hasnt been a single second gen dodge work truck at work that I havent had to rebuild the whole front end pretty much. thats my only major complaint with my truck so far

 

The front end was a bad design, cheap but bad. Do the 03+ track bar mod and that will eliminate the DW. Spicer ball joints, steering brace, get rid of the fatcory "y" steering for a true crossover system and you'll have a solid front end. Replace the unit bearings for a manual hub kit and your gold.

 

yea the front ends are really bad..if i were you i would avoid the death wobble and replace the track bar, front shocks and steering damper, tie rods are pretty bad sometimes as well as the sway bar ends..they get chewed up pretty easily, but for steering the stock box can only last so long and the play can only be minimized slightly until it starts to go downhill even further, another problem is the steering shaft as well...pretty much the entire front end blows...

 

So what all does the 03+ replace just the track bar? I want to put a leveling kit on but I need to tighten everything up first. The track bar is the one that keeps your body over your tires right?

 

Trac bar holds the axle straight. A bad trac bar will allow the front axle to move side to side. On a 4 link coil set up a trac bar is required.

The 3rd setup replaced the balljoint style trac bar to a much stronger bushing style on both ends.

Also a lift kit increases stress on the trac bar because as the body goes up it pulls on the trac bar.
A stock trac bar should accommodate a 2.5" leveling kit though.

I opted to just get a Moog trac bar, it's not as strong but it was $100 with a lifetime warranty compared to the $600+ for the 3rd gen style with the conversion bracket