I'd bolt it and weld it.
Why ?
Because I like welding with my mig. I'm sure it's overkill though.
Since I bought my mig I tend to want to weld just about everything that is steel.....perhaps a a bit OCD....

 

I like that. Maybe we are a little OCD, but when you do it right, you only have to do it once.

 

Thanks for the great thread.

Rebuilt the front suspension on my 210000 mi 97 E250. Drives great but I want to try this as well for giggles.

Found the brackets on an E450 bus in the junkyard for $6.

 

S-C-O-R-E big time--holy cripes, way to go!

The shock itself can be had for well under $40 locally or online. BTW those fancy nuts holding the shock to the brackets is just Ford's typical shock absorber mounting part.

 

I have this complete OEM setup for sale and will ship. They do make a tremendous difference in the feel and stability of the van chassis. PM me for more details or visit this link

92-14 Ford Econoline E150 E250 E350 OEM steering stabilizer assembly

Scott

 

This is a pretty long thread, and I apologize for not really looking thoroughly through all of it, but I have a '13 E350 with a 2" lift and larger tires. I have found my van does tend to need some constant attention on the highway at speeds and with wind. I did notice one member with a '10 who had ordered the parts for this, but did not see any response with his finished impressions. Anyone able to offer any feedback on how this impacts newer vans with the anti roll?

In the spirit that I am also new to this van, I have gotten the impression that there is a way to tighten up the steering at the box some. Is that the case?

 

I have installed this damper assembly on a 2009 E350 and it works great with no impact to the RSC system and a noticeable improvement in the handling at speed.

Scott

 

Well that settles it. I will put this on my to do list.

 

Rmabus-
I've got this kit ready to ship if you want to pull the trigger. E-mail me for more info at Stredbull18@gmail.com

Scott

 

Thanks Redoval but I am not quite ready yet.

 

Here is a link to my experience with "loose steering" and + caster, circa 2010

E350/E450 Handling Problems are caused by too little + CASTER

 

I have a 2011 E350 XLT passenger van and hate driving it on the highway. Front end is tight and been aligned several times. Shocks are good. Low miles, ~33k. Brand new Michellen LTX M/S2 245/75 tires. I added a Roadmaster Reflex steering stabilizer which helped some, but still front end doesn't return to center as I would like, and requires alot of effort on the highway around trucks and minor crosswinds.

Does anyone know of a good alignment shop in the Chicagoland area that understands these trucks and how to align to improve the driving situation? I am hoping I don't need to explain and convince an alignment shop what needs to done.

Thanks!

 

So, I'm new to my 1992 E150, and I just took it out and the beast cannot handle wind. So, it looks like this upgrade is very good for this condition (right?).

So, I (1) buy the genuine parts (2 brackets; 1 dampener), get some self tapping bolts, and put it on and it's fixed? (does anyone sell a kit with instructions)

(2) When you put on this dampener, should you jack up the truck, take off the wheels etc, or do you just crawl under there and make it happen?

I'm not going to lie, the wind at highway speeds really sucked, even passing slower trucks, sucked. I'm looking for a fix. Is this really that good?

Thanks all!

 

My E350 already had the damper, but still felt like the steering box was loose.

Have you seen the E350 caster fix? I think there are more and better results increasing the caster to 5 degree's as mine is much better after that.

 

I'm guessing you have other front end looseness if your van is not overloaded or has a lot of weight behind the rear wheels. After you are satisfied the front end is good and tight, the steering damper is still a worthwhile addition to your van.
I put the Ford damper on my 2004 E150. The only tip i have is to use the Ford self-tapping bolts (3). They make this job very easy. Some have said their dealer wont provide them because they are discontinued. I used FMCW611645s439 for all three locations. $1.07 each. Good luck,....jack