Lower steering shaft repair/ replace

• Jul 1, 2018

• #1

m67tang

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been looking at why my steering feels loose. I’ve found the lower shaft is loose. Also called intermediate shaft. Online the dorman part costs $230+. Is rather find another way.
Is there any other options to fix this??

1997 PSD F250

 

• Jul 1, 2018

• #2

79jasper

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Well... there's several joints. Which spot specifically?
The rag joint? The slip joint? What?
Borgeson makes a nice one.

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• Jul 1, 2018

• #3

m67tang

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Seems really loose right at firewall.

 

• Jul 1, 2018

• #4

79jasper

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Not anything there to make it loose. Just a passthrough boot for the firewall. But above that is a ujoint.

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• Jul 1, 2018

• #5

m67tang

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Told the shaft itself wears out. Is this correct?

 

• Jul 1, 2018

• #6

79jasper

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Not exactly. There's a spring in the slip joint that's supposed to keep it tight.

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• Jul 2, 2018

• #7

m67tang

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Can the upper u joint wear out? I’m thinking about pulling it later today after work and then maybe it’ll be obvious whatever is wrong

 

• Jul 2, 2018

• #8

79jasper

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I reckon it could.
Yeah, have someone turn the wheel back and forth, while you look at every joint.

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• Jul 2, 2018

• #9

m67tang

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As I watched the shaft, outside the firewall, it was as if it had a small orbital wobble, not just rotation in place. Seemed to originaate at the firewall. I don’t know how else to describe it.

 

• Jul 3, 2018

• #10

Double-S-Diesel

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i wonder if the lower column bearing is bad

 

• Jul 5, 2018

• #11

m67tang

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It’s off the truck now. The only looseness is where it’s telescope slide. The outer slide has a solid 1/8” slop, so that it orbits in the middle. Is that enough to cause loose feeling steering wheel.?
Rag joint is ok. U joint is ok.

 

• Jul 5, 2018

• #12

m67tang

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Double-S-Diesel said:

i wonder if the lower column bearing is bad

Click to expand...

What’s that, please?

 

• Jul 16, 2018

• #13

m67tang

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An Update:
I’ve purchased a replacement Borgeson steering shaft. Problem seems solved. Steering feels solid again.

 

• Mar 14, 2019

• #14

Jake60

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Mine broke the flat spring in the collapsible shaft. I have the Borgeson replacement, got it fitted in today except for the part where they have you file a new flat for the retaining bolt on the steering box shaft and not use the flat already there.
This is to maintain a mechanical lock since the factory flat is ground to the end? How critical is this I mean it seems unlikely that it's gonna slip UP?