Many improvements have been made to the Steering System of Dodge Ram trucks. From the factory the steering of these trucks quickly deteriorates and drivers often feel a gradual loss of responsiveness and overall control. The tie rod system is a crucial part of your vehicles steering system as it transmits force from the steering center link to the steering knuckle forcing the wheels to turn. The tie rods are responsible for turning the wheels at the same rate and in the same plane as each other. Without properly functioning tie rods, the front tires would turn at different rates and in highly worn cases in different directions. In 2003 to 2009 years, Dodge incorporated a tie rod system that is commonly referred to as Y Linkage. The design of this linkage allowed for the front tires to toe in and toe out independently as the suspension is compressed and relaxed. This causes the driver to feel slop, wander, bump steer and in some cases the infamous Death Wobble as a result of!
This design. A significant improvement to this poor linkage is the upgraded steering linkage. The upgraded steering linkage makes a dramatic improvement on these problems by utilizing a T style linkage. This style has a solid one piece tie rod end. This eliminates the independent toe in and toe out problem as the suspension compresses and relaxes. The Source Automotive steering linkage kit incorporates zerk fittings at the tie rod ends to allow for greasing for longer tie rod life. This steering linkage also requires a new steering damper. The original steering linkage has a stud style attachment point and this upgraded version does not. After installation of the upgraded linkage kit, we recommend a front end alignment to ensure that the front tires are tracking identically. The Source Automotive tie rod upgrade is a genuine Mopar upgrade with stronger, heavier links for reliability and longevity. This upgrade is a 2003 and newer truck specific product. If you want to know more information about: Adjustable track bar dodge so clicks here.
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Dodge Ram trucks, specifically the diesel versions, are known for poor steering handling. Often owners of new trucks are pleased, however over time the heavier diesel engine (when compared to the gasoline engine) contributes to greater wear on front end components. This creates a sloppy, unresponsive feel that virtually every owner experiences. Source Automotive and Solid Steel Industries were the first to design a solution to a large contributor to the wandering problem. This innovative thinking generated the first Dodge Steering Stabilizer.
The Dodge Steering Stabilizer provides additional support to the frame and steering box where the factory design falls short. This stabilizer firms up the flex in the frame rails that is felt when driving. This flex is made worse by the heavier diesel engine and often by over sized tires and lifted suspensions. Frame flex contributes to a mushy, sloppy feel as the truck drives down the road. The second location that the Stabilizer supports is the bottom of the steering box. As the driver turns the steering wheel, the additional weight also causes the steering box to flex at the sector shaft. This contributes to early steering box leaks and causes premature failure of steering boxes. Source Automotive recommends preserving your steering box and greatly improving the drivability and handling of your Dodge by installing a Solid Steel Industries Steering Stabilizer. Modern diesel engines require compressed air to operate most efficiently. This compressed air is created by the use of a turbocharger. Turbochargers have been utilized in many applications because of their reliability, efficiency and ease of use. By design, a turbocharger or “turbo” uses the air flowing out of the exhaust to rotate a turbine wheel. That turbine wheel is attached to a compressor wheel via a shaft. The compressor wheel pressurizes the air and thus increases the density of the intake charge. This increase in pressure forces more oxygen rich air into the cylinder and provides the engine the ability to burn more fuel as the engine RPM increases. As the engine RPM increases, so does the RPM of the turbo. In fact, turbos used on dodge diesel trucks can have an RPM of up to 125,000! This design is different from that of a “supercharger” which is mechanically driven from the engine, often from a belt that is connected to the vehicles crankshaft. This process is often referred to as “forced induction.”
The increase in pressure created by the turbo is called “Boost.” As the engine idles, an insignificant increase in pressure is created. When the RPM of the engine increases, so does the exhaust pressure going through the turbine side turbo. When this happens, the turbine wheel spins enough to allow the compressor wheel to generate boost. Another variable that significantly impacts the performance of a turbocharger is the size of the exhaust housing. Boyle’s law in physics states that at a given temperature, volume and pressure are inversely proportional. This basically means that at a constant temperature, the pressure of a volume of gas increases as the space decreases. It also means that as the space increases, the pressure decreases. The important thing to note here is that as the size of the turbine housing (or exhaust housing) increases, the relative speed and pressure of the exhaust coming out of the engine also decreases. Lower exhaust pressures rotate or “spool” the turbo slower than higher exhaust pressures. So, with a larger exhaust housing, one could expect to see a slower spool up. This slower spool up is often referred to as “turbo lag” or “hesitation.” One could also describe the lag as “turbo response time.” Knowing this, it may seem like the best choice would be a small turbine housing. The smaller the turbine housing is, the quicker the turbo will spool, however, as the turbo builds boost, the exhaust gas temperature or “EGT” for short, will become too hot often risking damaging the engine and other vital components. On the other hand, if the exhaust housing is too large, the engine may not be able to spool the turbo, given the lower pressures of a large housing, and therefore an insignificant quantity of boost will be made. The team of experts at Source Automotive have years of experience building and testing various turbo combinations on Dodge Diesel Trucks. This experience comes from first hand knowledge. We daily drive these trucks. We tow on a regular basis with these trucks. We drag race these trucks testing various combinations of single turbos, dual, triple & even quad charger set ups, utilizing the Cummins engine. Due to the overwhelming quantity of variables and the complexity of choosing the correct turbo, let the experts at Source Automotive help you choose a turbo(s) that is carefully selected to your needs and desires. Choosing a turbo does not have to be a costly mistake that turns your truck into a “laggy pig.” Let Source Automotive help you pick what is best for your unique application. If you want to know more information about: Turbo gaskets so clicks here. Source Automotive has redesigned and greatly improved the factory track bar for Dodge Ram Trucks. Track bars are bars that are attached to the frame on the driver side and extend to the axle on the passenger side of the truck. They are designed to keep the front axle centered underneath the truck and prevent the axle from shifting back and forth from the driver side to the passenger side. Just imagine the front axle shifting while driving at highway speeds towing a trailer! The track bar can make a significant difference in the handling of the vehicle.
From the factory the 1994 to 2002 model year Rams came with a track bar that incorporated a tie rod end on the frame side. When the factory designed tie rod end wears out, the only solution available is to replace the entire track bar. Source Automotive and Solid Steel Industries have designed a high quality eyelet end which utilizes graphite impregnated polyurethane bushings that replace the tie rod end. In order to make this function properly on a 1994 to 2002 Ram truck, a Track Bar Bracket Kit must be installed. The track bar bracket kit incorporates a bracket that mounts to the frame and accepts the bushing style end from the track bar. When these bushings eventually wear out, simply replacing the bushings is all that is needed. In addition to the bushings, the bar itself has been greatly improved over the stock configuration. The upgraded version is larger in diameter and heavier duty than the lighter factory track bar. Source Automotive and Solid Steel Industries have designed two different styles of track bars. For stock height trucks, a standard Non Adjustable Track Bars will place the axle in the proper location. For trucks with leveling kits and lifts up to 3”, or lowering kits, the Adjustable Track Bar allows proper front axle alignment. If the adjustable track bar is installed, we highly recommend a front end alignment with a check to ensure that the front axle is centered properly. The only remaining consideration is that some aftermarket differential covers may need modification to allow the track bar to clear sufficiently. We have found that some aftermarket cooling fins on the differential covers protrude farther than factory and can come in contact with the track bar. |