Look for the bushing seam ( maybe at 2 o'clock on your picture) & use either a sharp punch or sharp small chisel & hit the edge of the steel liner to bend inward until you can knock it out clean.
Steering is going to put me in a ditch
- Thread starter Cainon
- Start date
If you're putting Poly bushings in you actually need that piece in there, but the rubber ones come with it. Just a heads up.
kenneth ferguson
Registered User
I had the same problem it was my steering gear box
raeasler
Registered User
King pin bushings can get worn to the point of not allowing the steering to come back to center as well. Easy way to check those is the same way you would check ball joints. Grab the top of the tire and shake the truck from side to side. If it has play in it then your bushings need replaced. Also keep in mind when doing SOME king pins and bushings that they (the bushings) will need to be reamed out before the king pin will fit properly.
raeasler
Registered User
King pin bushings can get worn to the point of not allowing the steering to come back to center as well. Easy way to check those is the same way you would check ball joints. Grab the top of the tire and shake the truck from side to side. If it has play in it then your bushings need replaced. Also keep in mind when doing SOME king pins and bushings that they (the bushings) will need to be reamed out before the king pin will fit properly.
We had the same issue on my son's 89 F250. He found a video online that showed how the owner shimmed the steering shaft with a feeler gauge. We checked his steering shaft and noticed that the plastic sleeve that goes between the two sections of the shaft had slid down and was not between the shafts where they overlap. We repositioned the sleeve and the cap and put a zip tie under it to keep it from sliding back down. I haven't driven it since the repair but my son says there is virtually no play in the steering wheel now.
Cainon
Full Access Member
Replaced bushings. Must be the gearbox. I'm pretty positive I over tightened it with my hopes of a free fix lol. Lesson learned. Also it's old AF the amount of travel in my steering wheel before any movement is alot. So factory wheel center straight. I'm probably 2oclock before starting to turn. Where should the first place to look, before I mess something else. Much appreciated
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Black dawg
Registered User
Check for looseness between the gear and steering wheel. If the gear was overtightened, you generally wouldn't feel a bunch of looseness.
Did you get an alignment after changing those bushings?
Did you check the ball joints for easy rotation. Your description of problem is bang on for tight ball joints.
Did you get an alignment after changing those bushings?
Did you check the ball joints for easy rotation. Your description of problem is bang on for tight ball joints.
aggiediesel01
Full Access Member
Check for slop in the collapsible steering shaft and rag joint. After this many years either or both can contribute significant amounts of looseness to the steering feel. New reg joint can be had for reasonable, the steering shaft seems to be pretty expensive if you can't find a good one in a bone yard.
Cainon
Full Access Member
Yes I did an alignment. I have a tilt wheel and seems to very how it handles depending on position. Not much, it's still sloppy either way but there is change.
Cainon
Full Access Member
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Cainon
Full Access Member
My shaft seems to of had better days.
flyarmyguns
Registered User
I replaced my steering gear with a RedHead a year or so back and that fixed the same issue in one shot.
Cainon
Full Access Member
Just picked up a new steering gear today. Went ahead and picked up a set of rear pads as well. Sat. Should be fun.
Coffeehound
Registered User
How did it turn out? Did the new steering box fix it? I have the samr problem.
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