'90 W250--'89/91/92 Ramcharger

[oldestof11]

727 and non lockup A518 torque converters interchange. Now I have heard the 727s are a tighter converter due to being only a 3 Spd and a high ratio rear end.

[Tacoclaw]

4: does anyone else have a problem with their truck following ruts in the road?

Following may not be the correct term, it wants to climb out of ruts. If you stay centered in them the truck is happy, if you get to either side it will pull toward that side, pretty wildly at times. Both of my trucks do this, seemingly after I switched to 12.5" tires. I thought it may be the offset I was running on the old dodge, but even with -30 offset wheels on the RC it does it too. Dodge has crossover ateering and RC has stock setup, doesn't seem to matter.

I did the toe on the old dodge a few times, got it waaaaaaay toed in on accident once and it didn't seem to help, the tie rod ends on the Dodge are nearly new so I don't think wear is an issue with them, same with the upper kingpins. RC axle isn as-delivered by Bill, I'm sure he replaced everything for me before I got there.

Any thoughts or experience on this? I keep thinking I have a toe problem but nothing I changed on the dodge really helped. The RC is about the same but with the shorter WB and more body roll I'm sure I look like I'm wasted while I'm driving around. There's only one stretch of road that gives me much trouble, but it's basically cop alley so I don't need the headache.

[KTA]

Check your leaf spring shackles and bushings I have seen worn or dry rot cracked ones that would let the whole front end shift under the frame. Beyond that the steering box setup on a 1gen 4wd is crap and notoriously weak. With big tires if it isn't cracked it is probably still flexing the mount. You may need to add a brace to the bottom of your pitman arm to keep it from moving.

[Tacoclaw]

Good thoughts, the Dodge has fresh bushings on all leaves but no brace, RC has poly bushings on the front springs and a factory brace but questionable rear bushings.

Both trucks have lockers, the Dodge used to really rear steer around when getting on/off the power until the rear springs were replaced, it's settled down now. RC is still pretty wild, it does the wiggle on on/off power.

I've got some 63" leaves for it, I need to take a weekend and put the things on there...

I'll look into a brace for the old dodge. It does twist the frame around when hitting steering lock, not hard to imagine it wiggling around while under stress.

[RCCUMMINS89]

How soft are the springs? If you have 1/2 ton springs in the RC, with a diesel.... that thing is going to steer you like nobody's business in the back, without traction bars.

When I went with my Atlas springs, all was fine... then I put in a limited slip 80, and holy crap. The thing would switch lanes when I got on it... put in traction bars, all good again.

[DMan1198]

I've noticed 2nd gens do what you're describing (even from brand new) I had assumed it was just a poor design

[MunK]

My 91.5 W250 started doing this recently. Took a while but I tracked it down to the pass side shackle bushing in the frame being bad. The downpipes heat must be hard on them more so than a gas version. FWIW Our 88 Ramcharger CTD conversion drives real nice even with a rear Detroit in the 14 Bolt. But it's all fresh and on 3/4T rated Alcan springs.

Norm

[Tacoclaw]

Old dodge has run the gamut in springs, stock pack to a 1/2-ish ton pack, all with the stock main leafs with wasted passenger side eye. It steered itself around about the same regardless of pack composition. Now it's got 56", 3/4 ton chevy leaves with fresh eyes and it's much better off.


RC is rocking the stock pack with the 3" block.

I want to change that but it's gonna involve a shackle flip and moving both mounts so I'm biding my time to make sure it's not taking up shop space for a week while I figure something out.




I would have never suspected the shackle mount, Munk, they're definitely wasted on the RC. Both spring eyes are new poly but I didn't feel like fighting the frame pivot at the time...

The only ones I've done are in the chassis saver'd frame I've got laying out in the yard.


I've got one more set of poly bushings, I'll try to put them in the RC shackles ASAP and report back.


:edit: reading back, I see KTA specifically mentioned the shackles too. I kinda glossed over it thinking with good forward bushings things would stay in place.

[MunK]

I don't envy you those frame bushings are a PITA. Jungles kit is worthwhile just to avoid fighting with them LoL I have been considering some 63" Chevy 3/4 springs in the rear of my 91 W250 but I'd like to do the 5spd swap first so I can just build the driveshafts just once.

Norm

[Tacoclaw]

Yeah, that's the main reason I'm waiting. My 208 transfer case stretched it out an extra inch, not to mention the ~2" lift I'm hoping to get from the springs. I'm hoping to gather up a 518 trans and throw it in at the same time and have the whole shebang come out perfect.

I'm sure it will.

[KTA]

I've noticed 2nd gens do what you're describing (even from brand new) I had assumed it was just a poor design

2nd gens have cross over steering, which is a bad design. Cross over steering will always drive like crap on uneven pavement as everythime the axle goes up or down it is turning the wheels by default. This is obvious by the change in position of the steering wheel when centered between a loaded and unloaded truck. If you want it to drive good you really need center point steering like a 3rd gen.

[DMan1198]

Aah so I wasn't wrong.

[MunK]

I dunno, I have run cross over steering on both my lifted crew cab and the Ramcharger and it's considerably better than either one of them was stock. I will agree you can get some bump steer from the design in general. Both my trucks are set up so the drag link is perfectly flat at static and with the Alcan springs which move far more than stock and ride so much better, it doesn't bump steer at all. At least noticeably from the driver seat when driving. Mechanically the movement has to introduce some movement of the wheels, but it's far less than the old push pull OEM Dodge 4x4 design from behind the wheel. My stone stock 91W250 is a handful on bridges at speed due to the twitch when the springs compress. If I could build a proper functioning cross over for that with no lift I would, but it's the workhorse so it stays stock height.

Norm

[KTA]

Yeah the 1st gen setup isn't fantastic either. It seems better to me though just because it is attached to the left side and around here the center of the road tends to be much better than the shoulders so the problem of axle movement induced steering is much less noticeable. I was just thinking I wonder if you could use the 2wd steering setup on your non lifted 4wd. All my 2wds with their idler arms have driven great. I think that would be a fantastic setup on one of these trucks and not hard to do. I will have to take a look and see if there is an obvious reason it couldn't be done.

[MunK]

KTA that's a interesting idea. If I think about it latter I will look at the steering on my D150 truck and ponder that idea. I have never really noticed the crowned road affect, but then again most here that are crowned are also gravel and muddy and who'd notice. Your far too busy trying to survive the washboard surfaces LoL I think about it some day I will jack one side and see how far it moves before twitching things. Then use the skid loader and compress and do the same. You have me curious now.

Norm