Weird steering

[BrianX128]

Randomly my 85 350 has started super odd steering. It's a ttb 50 and it drives as if both front tires are like this \_/ .. as in it started pulling to the right some but not gradual like alignment worn just randomly out of nowhere. If you let go of the wheel it doesn't get progressive worse and keep turning the wheel it just stays there. If you fight it back you can hit the center of the V and it seems fine but if you turn too much left to compensate it does the same thing that way.

I crawled under the front end and played with steering linkages figuring I'd find a roasted bushing or something but everything is solid. It acts like one of my old trucks that you could physically turn the wheel from 12 - 2 and it didn't do anything because of insane play between wheel and box but on this one the wheel to the box is tight.

I'm not sure where else to go, bad p/s pump leaking pressure? Just doesn't feel safe to drive even though the steering shifts don't move you at all on the road it feels like driving a box truck on a bridge and a sudden gust of wind hits you. Any suggestions welcome. Driving the others until I can dig in deeper. I ripped the wheels off and didn't check for bearing play yet so that's a thought while I'm typing this I suppose.

 

[subway]

did you check the steering shaft going into the gear box?

 

[tradergem]

If it is a sudden change in steering direction, I would suspect that your front drive axle shaft u-joints are trying to seize up. Mine did this last winter and I was barely able to drive the truck back to the house. I would be driving straight and when one of the u-joints tried to seize up the steering wheel would jerk either to the right or left. I had to slow down to about 10mph just to keep the truck from driving off the road.

 

[BrianX128]

I didn't check the steering shaft into the gearbox because it didn't feel like there was any play there but I'll look at it again from under the hood.

It does seem like what tradergem is saying is what is happening to me, I did go down and spin the axle shafts by hand and didn't notice anything but that doesn't mean one of them isn't happy I guess. Trying to think what an easy way to test those would be with it jacked up though, can't really wiggle those the same as a driveshaft u joint.

 

[Big Bart]

Food for thought -

1) Check your PS fluid and make sure its full.
2) Check for a PS line that is pinched or kinked.
3) Check tire pressure in all 4 tires. Over/under inflated causes odd things to happen.
4) Rotate your tires. Front to back to see if you just have a tire that has gone bad and pulling.
5) Check the front hub wheel bearing. To your point you may have to do this when the issue happens so take a jack on the road with you. Once things cool off or free up, it no longer happens.
6) I would also say just check the font brakes to cross off the list. (Look at them when you rotate the tires for heat marks on rotors, grooves in the rotors, uneven pad wear, or end of life pads. Perhaps a Bad caliper, rotor, wheel bearing, balloned ruber brake line due to age (Inside has all but closed, allows fluid in under pressure, but not out.), pinched metal line.

Let us know what you find!

 

[subway]

If it is a sudden change in steering direction, I would suspect that your front drive axle shaft u-joints are trying to seize up. Mine did this last winter and I was barely able to drive the truck back to the house. I would be driving straight and when one of the u-joints tried to seize up the steering wheel would jerk either to the right or left. I had to slow down to about 10mph just to keep the truck from driving off the road.

This has happened to me as well, I could feel it with the vehicle jacked up. You could see the joints popping in the knuckle also if you have someone turn the wheel back and forth on you.

 

[BrianX128]

So this is from 2 years ago, same truck...

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Did it once back then, hasn't done it since until the other day. Does kinda do what you are saying in the video, any way to determine which of the u joints it is easily? None of them have any slop.

 

[Black dawg]

with the tire jacked up, turn the steering wheel so that the steering is about half way. lock hub and rotate the tire. Do this with the steering pointed left and right.

Usually when they are bad enough to cause a pull, this test will find it.

 

[BrianX128]

Whole front end jacked up or one side at a time?

 

[Big Bart]

When these are bad there are usually signs. (Visual or audible.) I would suggest you jack up both sides and place on jack stands. As mentioned by Black Dawg lock the hub (Suggest one at a time.) so it turns the axle shaft with the wheel. As he mentions try after turning with the steering partially turned to force the u-joint to work harder. I would try with your wheels half turned to the left, then half turned to the right, and then straight to see if you can hear or see anything.


Visual inspection for -

1) U-joint is loose or has play when rotated.

2) Uneven rotation or turning.

3) Resisting or one side is much more difficult to turn. (Keep in mind your hub bearings or brakes could also be resisting to. Bad hub bearing VS bad U-joint.)

4) Severe rust or grease leaking out. (To little grease or rust inside quickly kills the u-joint.)

5) Spin the tire (May not spin due to bearing, brakes, axle, etc.) but it does spin, does it hang up or slow up at a specific place. If so rock back and forth to determine what is resisting.


Then listen for any odd noises. You may also want to drive along a long wall, down an alley, or behind a long building to see if you hear any noises coming from the front end when driving. The wall, building, etc, reflect back the sound and make it easier to hear.


Let us know what you find.

 

[BrianX128]

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Found it now lol.. So I've changed one of these before on my F150, I remember taking the hub off, a C clip that held some internals, a spanner nut I took off with a 4 prong sprocket, remove rotor / caliper, take off 5 bolts that hold a retaining piece in but this was on the drivers side not passenger side.. Do I have to take way more off to get this to slide out?

 

[Big Bart]

That should do it! Glad you found the issue.

That should be about all it takes. I do not believe either side is harder but the passenger side axle shaft is a little longer. (Pumpkin in front is offset to allow a driveshaft to come down the drivers side of the drivetrain to front axle.) It's been a minute since I did one on a Ford with an external locking hub, but did my Jeep a couple of years ago.

Some food for thought.

1) You may want to think about doing both sides, these axle shaft U-Joints are hard to do on the road, so inconvient if on a trip or out of town to fix and expensive to pay someone else to fix. I always do them in pairs. Also pull the shafts slowly and carefully trying to keep centered so as to not damage the axle shaft seal.
2) As I recall the Ford dana axle uses wheel bearings (My Jeep has a large single bearing hub.), so inspect the bearings for pitting and at a minimum clean and repack them.
3) Check your ball joints before removing anything. Tug the wheel hard at 12 and 6 and again at 9 and 3 for any play. Also perhaps wiggle with a breaker bar where the axle and steering knucle meet. If bad it is a great time to replace those as well.
4) Check the axle shaft seals, if leaking replace. Your axle ends will be wet with axle lube. It's a little tricky but doable.
5) I cannot recall how the rotor and hub are assembled. I cannot recall if the rotor is part of the hub, pressed on the hub, or free of the hub. I feel like they are part of the hub or pressed on. (I used to have a 95 4wd gasser as a spare truck, now have a 88 2wd IDI, so its been a while.) If they are one unit or require you taking the hub appart, its an ideal time to do the front brakes and rotors if your pads are less than 50%.

This way you know the front axle is ship shape and good for another 30,000 miles easy!

 

[Black dawg]

A lot of the time, u joints that are causing this wont have any external clues to the fact that they are binding.
I see this several times a year. people always describe it as a sudden pull....that will come and go....a lot of times after coming out of a curve.

Had one a couple years ago that would pull the steering wheel quickly to the left about an 1/8 turn, and then let go over and over for about a 1/2 mile every morning after pulling on the highway for the first time during the day..........wouldnt do it the rest of the day.

 

[tradergem]

Glad you found your problem. And by all means follow Black dawg's advice and replace both axle u-joints at the same time.

 

[BrianX128]

You must be registered for see images attach

Of course the inside of my axle is different than every one I can find on Google or YouTube. No idea what I'm to take that off with. All other spanner axle nuts look nothing like this and the tool doesn't fit.