# Help with dodge steering and front sway bar after supercoil install



## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

so I put supercoils on my 04 ram hemi today. lifted it a lot more than I expected it too- 3 inches. while I was doing the install, however, I went to loosen the bolt that attaches the steering to the passenger side wheel assembly, which was very tight(so was every other bolt). after trying to get it to budge, it made a sound like lug nuts loosening and scraping on the rim, and got a LOT easier to move. however, the bolt was spinning with the nut. did something inside break, or just break free? everything still seems tight as far as steering goes, I turned the wheel back and forth a couple times, and everything looks OK, but I dont want to drive it without knowing if my passenger side wheel will track straight down the road or not...

1 more thing. I broke both of my sway bar links while removing them, and have heard that some guys go without them. does anyone plow without these links/ without a front sway bar? bad idea?


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm not quite sure I understand the bolt you broke free, maybe a picture? As for the sway bar its up to you. The truck may not handle as well before but might actually ride a little softer. If you go off road it'll at least flex better!


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## Wicked500R (Sep 6, 2007)

it sounds like the tie-rod bolt is spinning in the socket and this is a pita when it happens. You can drive without the sway bar but just get new links from Napa, they be cheep enough.
If those coils lifted your truck 3", your gonna have problems with the track bar and the front axle not being centered..


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

yea i talked to a mechanic yesterday and he said the same thing you did about the steering. i picked up end links from auto zone... 50 bucks a piece  and I was driving around yesterday before I put them on, and experienced death wobble for the first time. immediately went home and reconnected the sway bar, havent had a chance to go at high speeds yet, but could this have caused it? is it my track bar possibly? any suggestions?


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## bltp203 (Nov 5, 2006)

Track bar or ball joints. If you haven't done ball joints on your '04 yet, I would start there.


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

I was hoping to get 1 winter out of my factory ball joints..... is it worth the 800 for the carli ball joints or not? really dont want to pay the 5 something for the carli track bar either, but it seems like all adjustable track bars are that much. this is my first dodge, and my first plow, so not sure what to prepare for/expect.


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## Wicked500R (Sep 6, 2007)

Look into a Don Thuren trac bar. It's adjustable and will allow proper suspension travel. Good Stuff !


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

Your death wobble was probably caused by the 3" of lift you got out of the springs without adding new lower control arms or dropped pitman arm. 2.5" of lift is really the max you can do on the stock suspension without messing with the rest, and even at that some trucks need additional parts. 

I'd do the tie rods first, get an alignment and go from there. BFG's have also been known to cause death wobble on dodge trucks- so if you have those tires that may cause it to be worse as well.

Before I'd change the ball joints, I'd take out the lift coils and see if it still has the death wobble before wasting money.


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## bltp203 (Nov 5, 2006)

I went with greasable ball joints with NAPA and haven't had any problems since. Death Wobble is a pain to diagnose. I went with new tires first, that wasn't it.....then went with ball joints and found that was my problem. 

Check the ball joints for play if they are ok then move to something else.


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## Wicked500R (Sep 6, 2007)

3" of lift WILL give you track bar issues causing your front axle to not be centered causing a bunch of other problems. Look at your tires closely from the top of the fender down and you will see one tire much farther out than the other !

And you also got the other problems with the steering and so forth as was said before


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

HA most of it was because I hadnt hooked my sway bar back up yet. I bought new end links (not cheap) and got them on, and theres still some shakiness, but it corrects itself without having to slow way down. the axle is a little off centered, do you think the springs will settle at all? I was hoping to end with about 2 to 2.5 of lift, the 3 was a surprise to me. track bar will probably be next, then probably control arms at the same time as ball joints, hopefully not for a while though. I guess this is what happens when you mess with factory stuff haha. the ride is pretty good with the supercoils though, especially now that death wobble is gone for now...


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

btw, ball joints are surprisingly tight, but my truck only has 40k miles on it, owned by an old guy who never drove the thing.


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah they'll settle a little but who knows how much. Glad to see its somewhat fixed.


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

so the lift has settled in to about 2.5 to 2.75 inches, and obviously the nose sticks up pretty good. I picked up a 3 in block kit with ubolts, but the ubolts are way too long. 2 questions

1. does anyone have ubolts laying around that would work for my 3 in block?

2. everyone I know has talked about factory blocks/spacers, but my truck doesnt have them. all of my friends have cummins though. is this a cummins thing, or should my hemi have these? I dont see spacers there...

3. will my factory shocks work with my 3in block? I know that with those spacers in the cummins its too tall, but Im hoping to get by for now...

ok that was 3 questions, but any help would be great


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## Wicked500R (Sep 6, 2007)

huskerfan523;1047859 said:


> so the lift has settled in to about 2.5 to 2.75 inches, and obviously the nose sticks up pretty good. I picked up a 3 in block kit with ubolts, but the ubolts are way too long. 2 questions
> 
> 1. does anyone have ubolts laying around that would work for my 3 in block?
> 
> ...


1. Can't help ya'

2. Is your hemi a 1500 ? It is possible they were removed previously to lower the truck.

3. Your shocks might work/ bolt up but they will be almost at max extension and will not work all that well and might cause other damage so you should invest in a set of shocks. If the blocks are a true 3", I would get a set of +4" shocks.

more info on your truck would be helpful


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## huskerfan523 (Apr 22, 2010)

04 ram 2500 quad cab short box, 2.75" lift in front, soon to be 3in lift in rear, hemi automatic silver sport 44k miles... someone gave me the grand idea of mounting the 7.5 western for a couple days to get the springs to settle a little faster; bad idea?


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