Wondering steering......

[firehonomichl]

Ok guys I’m at a lose on what to try next... I have an 88 f250 7.3 tidi with the TTD Dana 50 I’ve put all new tie rod ends steering box ball joints and wheel bearings and it still wonders... am I missing something?

 

[franklin2]

Center pivot bushings, leaf spring bushings, and then an alignment. No lift correct?

 

[Cubey]

What about rear shocks? They can make it feel like it's wandering, especially in wind. At least that's my experience on vans.

 

[firehonomichl]

Yep no lift and all new shocks all the way around. I was thinking the pivot bushings. It’s a lot better with the new ball joints but it’s still there.. maybe I’ll do those pivot bushings today and see what’s happens. Are those hard to change out?

 

[sjwelds]

It's an old Ford, it's trying to keep you awake.

 

[david85]

It's an old Ford, it's trying to keep you awake.

Love it

But seriously, try and have a look at your caster angle. That's what helps the truck return to center and track straight. You can get offset ball joint bushings to adjust this but its usually done at the alignment shop.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Is it wandering or is there play in the steering? I just took the play out of me steering shaft a couple of months ago and it made a HUGE difference. I knew that it wasn't loose front end parts (even before I replaced them due to bad rubber boots). When the play came into the steering, like going onto or off of a bridge, I could tell that the wheels were moving together. I tapped the upper part of the slip joint (on the steering shaft) and put a bolt in there to hold the two pieces together.

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[firehonomichl]

Is it wandering or is there play in the steering? I just took the play out of me steering shaft a couple of months ago and it made a HUGE difference. I knew that it wasn't loose front end parts (even before I replaced them due to bad rubber boots). When the play came into the steering, like going onto or off of a bridge, I could tell that the wheels were moving together. I tapped the upper part of the slip joint (on the steering shaft) and put a bolt in there to hold the two pieces together.

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so I took my slip joint apart today and put a couple shims in and that helped greatly. It’s still kinda loose but helped slot. Maybe I’ll do the bolt trick like you did.

 

[franklin2]

That is supposed to slip together during a bad accident so the steering shaft doesn't end up in your gut. The factory had a short piece in there that looks like a small leaf spring that takes the play out but still lets it slip together.

I hired a shop to replace my steering box when I was on vacation once, and they pulled those two shafts apart and lost that leaf spring piece.

Here's a article on it in this link.

https://www.fullsizebronco.com/thre...cedure-for-excessive-play-in-steering.465730/

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If you tighten the bolt very tightly, it will hold the two shafts together but will still slip.

 

[franklin2]

If you tighten the bolt very tightly, it will hold the two shafts together but will still slip.

If you say so. I am not here to criticize, just making people aware of why it's designed the way it is.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If you say so. I am not here to criticize, just making people aware of why it's designed the way it is.

Oops. I didn't write that correctly. I meant to say that if you don't tighten it very tightly, it will still slide. Sorry for that mistake.

 

[TNBrett]

Oops. I didn't write that correctly. I meant to say that if you don't tighten it very tightly, it will still slide. Sorry for that mistake.

I did a steering shaft on a Jeep similarly. I drilled 4 1/4” holes in the outer tube and welded 1/4” nuts on. I did 2 on each flat. Then I used flat point SS 1/4-20 set screws and jam nuts. I was able to remove 100% of the play, but still compress it by hand.

The other reason the shaft needs to be able to slip is that the steering box is mounted to the frame, and the column to the body. The distance between the two will vary when everything moves.


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[IDIBRONCO]

I thought about welding a nut to the shaft, but decided against it. I would have had to take the shaft off of either the Ex Wife or my parts truck and take it with m into work to be able to weld it because I don't have a welder. I was in a hurry and just wanted it done. I was worried that there wouldn't be thick enough metal to tap and have it hold the bolt, but I was wrong.

 

[03wr250f]

To answer the op question. You need a alignment from a quality shop first.
Second they make a borgensen steering shaft replacement for our trucks that removes all of that slop you guys are referring to. They are very expensive though. I believe they are $250

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