1990 f160, 4.9, 2wd. On the steering gear box, there is a bushing between the rod coming from the steering column, and the gear box. I'm pretty sure I;ve seen this reffered to as a "rag joint". Is this hard to replace? I found it, because I felt some knocking in the steering wheel. I want to see if the gear box needs adjusting, but this needs to be corrected first.

Thanks

 

It's not really difficult. Just kind of a pita to get to. I wouldnt mess with the made in China joint(cheapie) though. You'll probably never have to replace it again. I'd go with the Ford part. If I remember right you'll un-do a clamp bolt, slide the steering shaft up,it kind of telescopes, and then remove the old joint. It just acts like a U-joint and allows the steering shaft a little flexibility. When it gets worn it allows too much "play". When it REALLY goes bad you can loose steering control. I've had that happen! Not a fun day:-)

 

The suggestion of going to the dealer is a good one, but I'd be amazed if they sell anything less than a complete new steering shaft. If so Autozone has 'em in the Help! section, take your old one in because there are two sizes, I think you need the bigger of the two but could be wrong. I've also been told the hardware that comes w/the Help! joint won't work, so plan on a trip to the hardware store or whatever.