Many times, when you make an improvement to your truck, it creates a snowball effect. What that means is one change will inevitably require you to make another change. Such was the case with the addition of the SuperCoil SuperSprings I added to Project WorkHorse. The addition of the taller springs did level the truck, but it also caused the truck’s steering wheel to be off-center. I couldn’t just let that go, and to remedy the problem, an adjustable track bar was needed.
My reasoning for the spring upgrade was two-fold. First, the SuperCoils are taller than the OE springs, so they leveled my Ram. Also, the progressive-rate design also improved ride quality. Second, I haul a lot of stuff and the heavier rear coils give more support than the OE springs did.
But, when the front springs raised the front of the truck to make it level, this created the steering wheel problem. While some people might be able to live with this oof-kelter condition, I am not one of those people. But what caused the wheel to “move”? The reason the steering wheel is now off-center is because raising the truck caused the factory-installed, non-adjustable track bar to “pull” the front axle approximately 1/4-inch to the driver’s side of the truck.
The OE track bar does not incorporate the adjustable sleeve like the Rough Country bar. This sleeve allows the bar to bring the steering wheel back to center.
Some of you might look at the steering link and think adjusting that to center the steering wheel will work. It will not. If you adjust that bar, all you will accomplish is making your steering box off-center. When it comes to a new track bar, the most economical adjustable bar I could find was from Rough Country. The new bar is 1-1/2 inches in diameter and it is much heavier than the OE bar. This new track bar is made of forged steel and features rubber Clevite bushings for long life.
Installation of the bar is straightforward and it is even easier to adjust. In fact, the installation took less than 15 minutes and adjustments are super simple to make. The bar can even be adjusted while on the truck. Simply bolt it in place and adjust it as needed.
The OE track bar is held in place with a bolt on each end. To remove the bar, you must first ensure the front wheels are straight. Once they are, simply remove the two bolts that retain the track bar. When I changed mine, I did not need to jack up the truck or support anything. Just do not move the truck or steering until you have the new bar in place.
The OE bar is removed after the two retaining bolts are taken out. the new, adjustable track bar is held in place with the same bolts.
Once you have the original bar removed, place it on a bench (or the truck’s tailgate) and place the new, adjustable track bar next to it. With the new track bar threaded together, simply make it roughly 1/4-inch longer than the OE bar.
With the new bar assembled and adjusted to approximately the proper length, install one end into the truck’s bracket and then raise the other end to its bracket. Since the new adjustable track bar is longer than the OE bar, to get it installed, you have two options. One is you can have someone help by having them slowly move the steering wheel back to center while you place the bar into the other bracket. Or, you can position the wheel to straight yourself and then climb back under the truck and put the bar in place.
When the adjustable track bar is in place, small changes can be made by turning the adjustment collar.
When you have the new track bar in place, you can make small adjustments to the bar by turning the connector sleeve and this will make your steering wheel be centered as needed.
Adding new leveling springs or a leveling kit will not require having your truck be aligned as long as you do not raise the front of your truck more than 2-1/2 inches. An alignment should be performed if you raise the truck any more than that.
