Not really. I installed a new steering damper on my D-ram Friday. I took the standard Mopar damper off the truck. It seemed it was still good. It provided good resistance expanding and contracting.
So I laid it aside and put some anti-seize on the bolt that goes through the hole on the base of the shock, you re-use that bolt on the truck with the new damper.
Put some anti-seize on the bolt on the arm end that goes through the steering bar. They get stuck on those steering bars with rust.

Well this new Bilstein steering damper is expanded all the way, in fact it acts like a shock absorber when you compress it, it will expand right back out to full length.
I didn't think anything about it, compressed it and held it up and let the bolt shoot through the bar when it expanded by it. It has just as much resistance as the old Mopar one.
I put the lock nut on, tightened it and went for a drive.

Hell, it pulls Left now. It never pulled left. Grrrrrr. It was good and gradually drifted right a little going down the road , as it should.
Now I go left with the new Bilstein damper on. Annoyed.
I bet when I take my hands off the steering wheel, that damper is trying to expand and push that steering bar left, its pointed that way.

I will drive it again today first, and if it still wants to go left, get back home, put the old one back on and see if it goes back to to normal.
I get normal again, then I am sending this new one back to Bilstein.
geesh more work.

have a good one

 

SO IVE HEARD... on a normal perfectly flat road, cars are supposed to drift to the left. That is to compensate for most roads being crowned (higher in the center- for water runoff)

Makes sense to me, but ive never really noticed or tested.

There are bushings at the bolt holes no? Maybe the old Mopar bushings were worn out?

 

Put the old one back on. Its back to normal, no pull to the left anymore.
I double checked the air pressure in the front tires they are equal. I figure I will try the new Bilstein steering damper again a little later, I have a trip coming up and will be taking the truck. So I just won't mess with it now.
Strange. I will use the old Mopar steering damper and let it ride.
I would like to get some new Michelin tires, but have to wait a month or two.
oh well Have a good one.

 

I'd definitely give Bilstein a yell and see what's going on. Am wondering if you got a shock absorber that was packaged wrong.|

 

The pressurized steering stabilizers are trying to expand and will cause the truck to drift left. The better ones are pressure adjustable and the psi can be lowered somewhat to lessen the tendency.
I used a 2.0 Fox when I had my Toyo MT which produce a radial pull to the right. The Fox would neutralize that effect.
I'm back to a stock stabilizer with my Toyo AT2's.