I have a 71 F100 with power steering added and new suspensions parts done (+ kingpins) when i upgraded to disc brakes. Has anyone added a steering damper to their 2 wheel drive truck?

I have been thinking about trying to find something at pull a part I can salvage and adapt to my truck to try and improve the steering at highway speedds. Just wondering if anyone has tried something like this.

 

I've been thinking about doing something like this too. I have manual steering, so I do to know if it would help or hinder.

 

What is it about your steering that needs improvement?

 

Mine just has a bit of bump steer. Nothin real bad...

 

Mancar1 put a MOOG SD20 on his 68.

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I see this so often here guys want power steering then when they install it they find it's very squirrely. So then look for ways to correct that problem.. Why not just buy a new damper that will bolt on which out making it twice as much work in the first place.

It adds more resistances to your steering wheel right Which in turn causes some parts to wear out faster. Especially when your vehicle is not moving like turning the steering wheel while your stopped.

Worse yet is turning your steering wheeling with your foot on the brake pedal.
While doing this you can hear your whole linkage getting tweaked..

I've noticed more women doing this then men tho..

Orich

 

So, you say no damper, or add one? Not sure what your writing here.

I had a Bronco years back with power steering, and after about 10 years & 100k, it started getting like this. Replaced the factory stock damper, and fixed it. So with that in mind, I'm wondering if anyone has added one to their truck, if they liked it. Did they get an aftermarket damper or adapt something off another truck.

 

If it's not any problem no need for one, but if you are having to deal with speed wobble from sloppy suspension then yes you'll need one as it only a bandage to get you by..Right!
Orich

 

The real purpose of a dampener is to keep the steering wheel from jerking out of your hands when hitting a curb or rock. Not to correct any problems you have. More often then not, it is masking other issues that need addressed. Yes, I do run them. But not to fix any problems already present.

 

I will try to adjust the steering gear/box and see how that does.

As far as sloppy suspension, I have replaced practically everything that wears in the front end, with new North American sourced brand name parts. Have had it aligned, asked for same places to check my work. Have I and they missed something? maybe. Is the alignment any good? Hard to say. I went to numerous places trying to find someone that could do a real alignment. So many places these days can't or don't know how to do one an older twin I beam truck. They rely on the computerized machine to do the work for them, and their machine "doesn't do Ford trucks that old". Have called countless shops so not sure what else to do.

I did the exact same process, minus the power steering upgrade on a 66 F100, and had absolutely no issues with sloppy steering, death wobble, at all.

 

When I worked in a brake shop the alignment man even adjusted the steering box play and reset the steering wheel to straight then test dove it. As this was old skool but sometime had to tweak it some more not to pull.

Rock the steering wheel play as your adjust the screw in about 1/8 of a turn until the play is out! But test drive it each time turn it in. If to tight and steering wheel will not return to center going through a turn..
Orich

 

dot, try taking it to a big rig shop. They would know how to do a real alignment on it.