Hey guys, I know I am not the only one that has bought one of the redhead boxes. Has anyone had trouble out of theirs? I had been noticing a leak from what I thought was my return side line on the box, I got a chance to check it out today. Line is tight, it is the input shaft a lot of slop and wipe back bottom side soaking wet...I was not all that impressed with the box, especially when I had it aligned last time my body shop guy picked the truck up for me while I was at work(alignment shop right next door to the body shop). "Your truck wanders, is your box wore out? steering components?" sadly all new motorcraft everything and the redhead box.
I contacted Redhead today, gentleman I spoke with was very pleasant about it and told me they were closed today but monday they would call me and get this issue resolved. So that helps but still this box has had less than 5,000 miles, come to think of it there may not even be 3,000 on it I hardly ever drive it with having the company truck. Anyone else have issues with their redhead boxes?

Thanks
Curtis

 

Before you get too worried I'd wait and see what Redhead has to say and how they handle it. They are built by humans and periodically humans make mistakes. To me the real measure of a company isn't whether of not they make a mistake, but in how they handle things after the mistake.

Keep us posted.

 

I already talked to them( 1st post) they are going to get back with me on Monday. I am not pointing my finger and yelling junk or hacks, I am just curious if anyone else has had any issues from them. I realize we are all humans and no one is perfect but to have what feels .100tho of slop QC was asleep on the job but nevertheless if they honor it awesome. If not well doesn't matter it is getting a much newer design box anyway. I am sure they will blame the merconV fluid being I refuse to run P/S fluid, like I said though just throwing it out there see if anyone else had issues.

Thanks
Curtis

 

I guess I wasn't very clear. I meant that you should wait until Monday when you call them back. I didn't mean to imply that you were diss them or calling them hacks, sorry if you took it that way.

 

No big deal just been one of those weekends, well months, . One of those months when your project fails due to your help, and you throw in the towel and say I'm just buying a new truck.

Curtis

 

No worries. Keep plugging on the truck. You'll get there eventually.

 

any followup to this?

i'm considering a redhead box for my truck and am curiuos how things turned out for you.

 

I know for a fact many people love their steering box's from them. I saw someone post about an issue on FSB iirc. and it was resolved quickly and easily.

 

it does look like the box to get. but they're not cheap, so i'm only considering it cus i plan to keep my truck for a long time.

in my research, i found a thread from a year ago where a bunch of members here got a group buy going and saved about $50 each per box. i wish i was able to get in on that. anyone else interested in starting another group buy effort?

 

I'd be interested. Probably going to purchase one here in the next few weeks.

 

I hate to say it guys, my replacement box leaked from the get go. I bought a box from a junkyard out of a 02 E250(4 bolt cover) truck drives straight as a arrow, nice and tight. The replacement redhead was the same sloppy still, the truck wandered bad, mind you all of my steering components are Motorcraft with less than 10k miles on them ball joints same just Napa gold. Poly axle pivot bushings and radius arm bushings, I was just as shocked.

I was even more shocked to find when I pulled the shipping plugs to find ATF in the box they say to only use power steering fluid in. I don't know what to say maybe the chinese newspaper in the box is saying something, I know a lot of people swear by these boxes, my 96 runs a 02 E250 box with over 100k.

I mean no disrespect towards the company, I just hate the fact that I bought this product and it failed, did they resolve the issue by providing another? Yes they did, end result that one leaked also, this time from the control valve housing to main housing where it bolts on( looked like output shaft may have been slightly) but nevertheless I needed the truck. When I noticed it the following day I had to go to Cleveland for work, swap boxes and I am now happy, no more leaks all is well.

Maybe some other guys on here run Redheads can chime in and say the boxes they have work great, I hope so I know I will not run any A1cardone junk. I know I emailed redhead to inform them of the leak and to tell them not to worry about doing anything about it, I never heard back from them.

Curtis

 

that sounds like you got someones old pump to me.did it have a bright red cap on it?

i put a redhead in chip truck.it cured all the wonder that ailed it.at first i was still over correcting in the turns lol.took a bit getting used to tight steering again.been good since install.records show i installed 32k miles ago.

 

i just got off the phone with someone at redhead. the guy i spoke to sounded like he was drugged or brain dead. a lot of "um, um , ah, ah, what-cha-ma-call-it, um, um" came out of his mouth. i hope he wasn't one of the guys responsible for rebuilding or machining the boxes.... it did not leave me with the warm and fuzzies.

the cost to ship the box to me is $34 and i asked if that covered my return shipping of the core. he said it does not, but that they ship it to me in a $15 flat rate box that i can reuse to send the core back. i asked why their cost to ship it to me is more than double the actual postage expense. he said becuase it's their time to box it up. i get that, but $24 of their time putting it into a box? i told him it takes time for me to send the core back, but i'm not getting anything for that....

so i'm gonna spend over $50 in just shipping costs, plus another $266 (after core return) for a box with only a 1 year warranty? i can get a box locally for $140 with no shipping expense that has a lifetime warranty. yes, the redhead website details all sorts of great things they do to make this box the best available, but if it's as good as they say, then why only a 1 year warranty? i don't mind paying for quality, but i've read a lot of reviews here about the boxes being way too tight and never loosing up, about seals pissing fluid a few miles in, even about a box shedding metal shavings and destroying an otherwise good power steering pump.

And then what? something goes wrong i can't bring it back to the local auto parts store and exchange it. i have to call redhead, explain the situation, send it back - probably on my dime, wait for a new one to come (assuming they honor the warranty), and all while my truck is immobile.

at the prices they charge there should be no complaints found anywhere, but they are all over. i don't know - thinking i may be better off with a box found locally at less than half the price with a lifetime warranty....

 

I've been debating about that too. Because I don't want to have to ship the core back and wait for the 100 dollars lol. I just hear it's a great box but I will agree it seems like a big pain.

I think I have talked to that guy too. Seems out of it.

 

Both boxes had the red painted caps, I look at the 2nd one every morning laying in the snow as I jump in the company vehicle. I even swapped in borgesen shaft after the 1st box, I couldn't believe it to find the 2nd box leaking. I had to drive my truck 135 miles to Cleveland when I couldn't even run 30 miles without having to top off the fluid before it would run out. Both boxes I cut open the spin on power steering filter(7191 napa number) there was some garbage in there each time.

I honestly hope my experience isn't a sign of things to come, I hated opening that box and seeing aisen newspaper in there also. I realize it most likely comes from a supplier but still. I also talked to the same guy at the end a real lackluster feeling of satisfaction with the whole experience.

As for our trucks with the old D9## boxes, the newer econoline box is a direct bolt in same splines for steering shaft and pitman arm, only down fall is the fittings use O-rings not that hard to swap ends. My company van currently has 264,000 on it with the OE box still steers awesome, it was upsetting I spent all that money on a redhead and hated driving my truck, while the Econo-line I can let go of the wheel and it sails straight and true. Before I swapped to the other box I was constantly correcting with the truck.

I also plan on pulling this box apart to see if it is actually all upgraded to bearings like they are suppose to be and what happened and why.

Just my 2 cents, go newer design box.
Curtis