A steering gear box converts the turning of the steering wheel into the side-to-side movement that steers the front wheels. Trucks with a solid front axle, such as Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, use a recirculating-ball box bolted to the frame and connected to the linkage by the pitman arm. When it wears, the most common symptoms are excessive play, wandering, fluid leaks and steering that feels heavy or notchy.
Bad steering box symptoms
- Loose or sloppy steering: the steering wheel moves before the wheels respond, so you are constantly correcting to stay in your lane.
- Wandering: the truck drifts on straight roads or over ruts.
- Fluid leaks: power steering fluid around the input or sector shaft seals or the top cover.
- Heavy, binding or notchy steering: tight spots as you turn, or effort that changes from one side to the other.
- Poor return to center after a turn.
- Clunks when changing direction, which can also come from loose mounting bolts.
Many of these symptoms can also come from worn tie rod ends, a worn drag link, ball joints or the track bar, so check those before blaming the box. The dry steering test in our death wobble guide shows how to watch each joint while a helper rocks the wheel.
Can you adjust a steering box?
Many recirculating-ball boxes have an adjuster screw and locknut on the top cover that sets the lash between the sector gear and the rack piston. A small adjustment can take up some play, but it should be done with the box centered and exactly as the service manual describes. Over-tightening makes the steering bind, wears the gears faster and can stop the wheel returning to center. If the box still has play after a correct adjustment, or it leaks, it needs to be rebuilt or replaced.
Replacing a steering gear box: what is involved
- Center the steering and mark the steering shaft position.
- Remove the pitman arm with a puller and disconnect the steering shaft coupler.
- Disconnect and cap the power steering lines.
- Unbolt the box from the frame and install the new one, torquing the mounting bolts, pitman arm nut and coupler to specification.
- Refill and bleed the power steering system as the manual describes, then check the alignment.
Steering gear box for 2009-2020 Ram 2500 and 3500
The Red-Head RH2881 is built in Washington state and replaces the factory gearbox on 2009-2020 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks for $866.00. It keeps the factory steering shaft and the stock pitman arm, so a lifted truck with a dropped pitman arm keeps its arm. Its 6-bolt top cover interchanges with the 4-bolt cover most 2009-2012 trucks came with. On a Power Wagon, check whether your steering is 3 or 4 turns lock to lock and ask us before ordering if it is 4.
Working on a Ram HD? See also our Cummins engines and Dodge and Ram transmissions.
More guides: loose steering and steering wheel play · car vibrates at high speed · clunking noise over bumps · power steering pump noise · steering box adjustment · Ram 2500 steering box replacement.
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