Death Wobble...nearly everyone has heard of it, especially if you have owned a Dodge Ram. In short, Death Wobble occurs when the wheels are allowed to move somewhat independently of each other, causing a violent shaking of the front end. There are numerous causes of this, one of which is due to the original "Y-Style" steering that came factory on the 2003-2008 model year Ram HD's. Essentially, it featured a pivot point between the two wheels where the drag link and main tie rod were attached. Later, in mid-model year 2008, Dodge released an updated T-Style steering that would eventually supersede all of the previous Y-Style systems. The T-style steering eliminated the pivot point between the wheels, but still had its own short comings.
One of the main drawbacks of the factory T-style steering is that the tie rod ends are allowed to rotate a significant amount at the knuckles. This not only causes excessive wear, but can also cause them to unexpectedly shear off, resulting in a complete loss of steering control. And finally, the factory steering is built out of substandard materials when used for anything besides cruising down the highway.
Synergy Manufacturing set out to change all of this and create the strongest drop in steering system available for Rams, and so they did! In order to eliminate the rotational issues of the tie rods, Synergy manufactured "wobble stoppers" that are literally a reinforcing cup that will not allow the tie rod to pivot on the main connecting bar. Further, the materials in the manufacturing process will not bend, break, and will undoubtedly last the lifetime of the truck.
One of the most important facets of this kit is that it is COMPLETELY drop in. Other manufacturers have built upgraded steering kits, but they all required the factory knuckles to either be replaced or drilled out. The Synergy kit features tie rod ends that have the exact same taper as the factory. Literally, drop it in and GO!
Optional Tie Rod Stabilizer Clamp & Hardware - Fabricated clamp to retain factory or aftermarket stabilizer with 1/2" mounting bolt.
Do you need to add this optional clamp kit? That really depends on your setup. If you are running a steering stabilizer that mounts in the stock location, then yes, you will need to ensure to add this. However, if you are running a PSC Hydraulic Assist, a relocated stabilizer, or no stabilizer at all, then you definitely do not need it, so no sense in making you purchase it!
Synergy Heavy Duty Steering Kit as used on Project Mjolnir - We had the opportunity to get our hands on a pre-production Synergy HD Steering Kit for use on our Project Mjolnir.
This truck is sporting a PSC Hydraulic Assist Steering to keep the massive 40" tires moving side to side, even when crawling in four low. Previous to installing the Synergy Steering Kit, we repeatedly snapped the factory tie rods due to the tremendous force of the hydraulic assist.
Lets just say that worry is a thing of the past with the Synergy Steering System.