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Browse Red Head Steering Gears Online by Make, Model, and Year. One of the most prevalent issues with heavy duty, diesel powered trucks, especially as they accrue some miles, is sloppy steering. And its no wonder, most of us install larger tires, haul a considerable amount of weight, periodically use them offroad, and even put snowplows on the front. All of these put considerable stress on your steering components. All of those stresses coupled with the fact that the OEM steering gears, or basically anything you find at your local parts store, could be considered absolute garbage means that the majority of us are driving around with loose, wandering steering that must be constantly corrected in order to keep the truck in your lane. That is, unless you’ve upgraded your Cummins, Powerstroke, or Duramax with a Redhead!
SHOP RED HEAD STEERING GEARS FOR DIESEL TRUCKS
Red-Head Steering Gears was founded in 1981 by Seattle area automotive entrepreneur, Warren Foster, who also founded Foster's Service in Georgetown, WA (now Foster's Frame & Axle) and T 'n' W Pumps in Georgetown, WA (now Foster & Snyder in Pingree, ND). The business was purchased by Tom Foster and then Harvey Foster, both nephews of Warren. Tom is now retired in Arizona. Harvey moved to Seattle in 1979 to go to work for Warren in his frame and axle business. This knowledge of front ends has been very helpful in diagnosing steering problems. Harvey worked at the frame and axle shop for 6 1/2 years before joining Tom at Red-Head. Harvey has built and tested between 43,000 and 47,000 steering gears in the past 21 years. This business has had and continues to have a number of other great employees, all family members. Why we carry Red Head Steering Gears..... As anybody that deals with us on a regular basis knows already...we want the best for our customers. As most people with a Dodge truck realize, the stock steering gear box leaves a lot to be desired. It was no different on our 2005 Dodge (3 gearboxes in the first 25,000 miles) or our 2007 Dodge (3 gearboxes in 75,000 miles). We have been searching for the answer to the gearbox dilemma and after testing a few other aftermarket boxes have settled on Red Head as being the best. Steering is smooth, effortless AND they are built to last. But it doesn't stop with upgraded Dodge boxes, they build upgraded boxes for nearly every application and we've had nothing but positive feedback on every unit. Red Head gets our Seal of Approval!
SHOP RED HEAD STEERING GEARS FROM DIESEL POWER PRODUCTS!
RED HEAD STEERING GEAR FAQS
We get a lot of calls and e-mails each day with various product, vehicle, and installation questions. Some are completely off the wall and can even catch us off guard at times, but many others are fairly routine, so we thought we'd post some of the most popular questions that can hopefully be a good resource for you.
Q: What are hydraulic assist ports and do I need them?
A: Red-Head offers a porting option for those that are either already running a hydraulic assist steering, or plan to in the future. If you choose to make this upgrade to the box (from the drop down menu), your gear box will come with two pre-drilled and tapped ports with plugs. For clarification, hydraulic assist is NOT something your vehicle would have come from the factory with, rather it is an upgrade that adds a hydraulic ram to the steering linkage to aid in steering. Most vehicles do NOT have this option, thus if you are unsure if you have it, you probably do not.
Q: Why are Red Head steering boxes better than OEM or parts store replacements?
A: Red-Head is a family owned and operated steering gear company that has been in the business for decades and prides themselves in rebuilding only the best internal components, all made in the USA. Where the OEM's and other aftermarket companies focus on mass production or rebuilding to factory specifications, Red-Head takes a different approach. First, the housings are machined out and replaced with needle bearings that create a smoother, more consistent rotation of the shaft, thus the steering. Next, the worm and piston assemblies are custom fit with precise, oversized bearings that are built exclusively for Red-Head. The sector shafts of the boxes are all installed onto a lathe to confirm they are exactly straight and true to avoid any potential binding or leaks at the shaft. Further, the shafts are flame sprayed or even replaced as needed. Overall, Red-Head does everything the OEM should have done in the first place to make the strongest, tightest gear box you'll find anywhere.
Q: Should I choose a standard or Extreme Duty Red Head steering gear?
A: That depends! While the majority of the gear boxes we sell are the "standard" boxes which are still substantially better than the OEM, the Extreme Duty versions take it up another notch. Our recommendation is that if you're running 37" or larger tires, typically have lower than normal air pressure in the tires (thus a larger contact patch to the road surface), frequently go off-road with your truck, or if you frequently haul relatively heavy loads, then we'd recommend going with the Extreme Duty model. Otherwise, if you just prefer "the best," then go for it as there's really no downfalls.
Q: What power steering fluid should be used with a Red Head gear box?
A: There's no change necessary, just factory OEM spec fluid
Q: Will my aftermarket or drop pitman arm fit a Red Head steering gear?
A: In most cases, yes, unless the new box is changing the sector shaft, such as with part number 2879U.
Q: How do I identify the correct spline count on Ford Super Duty steering gears?
A: The easiest way to do that is to pull off the sector shaft nut and physically count the splines. Remember the sector shaft is split into four sections, so if you count the splines on one section multiply that by four to get the total spline count, just remember not to count the master splines (larger splines). And by splines we mean the "mountains" on the sector shaft, not the "valleys." Also note, that you need to count the splines on the shaft itself, not the pitman arm.
Q: What warranty comes with a Red Head steering gear box?
A: Red-Heads carry a one year warranty. Red-Head prefers to deal directly with the customer in the event of a failure. To get the warranty rolling, you will need to grab your order confirmation and shoot a call to the folks at Red-Head. Let them know you bought a gear box through Diesel Power Products and you are having an issue with it and they will take it from there.
Q: Do Red Head steering gears use factory mounting hardware?
A: Besides the issue with 2879 boxes where some aftermarket "parts store" replacements came with smaller bolts, yes, everything will hook up just like stock. We do recommend flushing the system before installation to prevent any contaminated fluid from getting in the new box and compromising it, however.