Box Mount
Sure it's true that ram assist will take some of the load off your steering-box mount, but if you've cracked or broken yours you should fix it right. Here's how we did ours.
Monster Tie Rod
Since we run 350 pounds of wheels and tires on the front axle and were attaching a very powerful hydraulic ram to the tie rod, we couldn't have just any old piece of tubing up there. We contacted Clifton Slay of Avalanche Engineering and simply told him what we were doing, what our tie rod measurement was, and that we wanted to use 31/44-inch rod ends. What we got was a monstrous piece of art that could bend, but we don't want to be around if it does.
Driving It
We've heard horror stories about degraded steering input, loss of road feel, and quirky handling characteristics as the result of ram-assist steering systems. We experienced absolutely none of these. While we can now turn the wheel with one finger whether in the rocks or in the driveway, the truck still straightens out after a turn when you let go of the wheel, proving that the ability of the steering box to self-center is not affected. Driving at highway speed feels as sure as before, but you don't install a system like this for street driving.
Off road with both 38- and 42-inch tires, steering couldn't be easier. We haven't been able to bind up the steering no matter how tightly we get the big truck wedged. In fact, we've found that the 2-inch ram is powerful enough to move the front of the Dodge sideways when the front tires are squeezed and the wheel is turned. Our Avalanche tie rod has held up to this abuse, as well as being bashed into a few big rocks without the slightest hint of being bent, and the rod ends are still nice and tight.