Go until it gets adverse. What's to lose?

 

A steering box from what I've read! haha

Drove the Ex to work this morning and although there is still a little slop, driving the thing is a night and day difference. No more constantly feeling like I was going off the road! Going to tinker with it a bit more tonight and see if I can get the rest of the slop out, but so far, so good.

 

Guys I did all of the above and also did the v and b code springs. Complete new front end on my 4X4 and alignment and it still wandered. Michelin M/S tires. Then someone suggested to lower the air pressure in the tires. I went with 65psi rear and 60 psi in the front and cured my wander. I had 70 lbs in all tires before that adjustment. That is what worked for me..

 

Every time I read about someone that lowers tire air pressure and tames the "wander" feeling...is another piece of data...

I have had this theory for a long time that higher pressures in our tires tends to make the Ex feel like it is drifting/wandering. My own personal experiences confirm it but I'm only one truck...and each time I see this type of post...it only strengthens the theory that a strong root cause correlation of tire pressure to wander exists.

Joe.

 

It was you, X Hemi Guy, that suggested to lower the air pressure in my tires.

 

See wasn't that a great idea!

I suggest it because it seems to WORK!

And your data point further supports the theory!...and the price for trying it sure is right isn't it!

Joe.

 

Actually it is pretty obvious. Many times if you exaggerate a principle it brings the solution to light. Picture a tire with 100 pounds of air in it and the contact patch is small and stiff. It wont have the ability to track right................right? I had an argument with a 40 year old man when I was 14 about the angle change of a rifle barrel when you raise/lower the sights and I told him to exaggerate it................case closed. (he never was very bright though)

 

subscribing

 

Did mine today. Its not perfect, but its a lot better. I didn't want to push it too far. Basically I had about an inch of movement in the steering wheel each direction of "slop". Now its about an 1/8".

 

I upped my tire pressure to 60/65 front/rear, up from 50/55... and am VERY happy with the improved handling and decreased wandering. The ride is slightly stiffer, but hey its a truck. I am able to make fewer corrections when traveling down the road and don't have to make as large corrections as before.

I was surprised to see how much less wander and how much better the steering response was with just 10 more psi. I know that other people have mentioned lowering tire pressure, and that helping wander... don't know how, but it might have to with my stock soft springs, increasing the tire firmness may be reducing the axel warp or wander some how.
Each upgrade I have done has improved the wander and handling, but the simple tire pressure did as much a the Rancho SS.

I have stock springs (yea, need to do the f250 spring upgrade ), rancho Steering Stabilizer, Bilsteins, and stock wheels and tires (they are E load range BFG Rugged Trail)

 

Very useful this thread

 

adjusted mine again, to try and get the little bit of play out of the wheel. I think I adjusted it too much and i still have the same amount of play. It doesnt bind up when turned lock to lock. But when I turn a corner, the wheel doesnt return to center. I could drive in circles without a hand on the wheel. I think I need to back it out a bit and just live with a little bit of play in the wheel. I think it not returning to center is also causing "wander" because a little adjustment makes me have to readjust the the other way instead of it find its center.
Does that make sense? Any other feed back?

 

Dang ~4.5 years and this thread is still going strong! haha. I think I'm going to try this in a couple days, when I get time. Wow this site has helped me with SO many improvements to the truck that I feel like it's basically new (~118k miles, got it only a couple weeks ago, LOVE IT!). Thanks, FTE!!!!

 

I followed another Ex on the way home from a weekend at Mom-in-laws. Was on a curvy uphill highway and the poor driver was fighting the loose steering, tons of corrections. I felt bad for the guy- he was probably used to it...

 

Adjusted mine too, and this is happening to me as well. I think we'll need to either live with the slop or find another cure, as this was not ours.

Here's a stupid question, when tightening/loosening the allen wrench screw, you have to hold down the 5/8th nut, right? Did that, and when I tightened (to the right/clockwise) it was a breeze. When I tried loosening the allen wrench screw (left/counter cw), it was a PITA! Ran out of daylight so going to finish today, just going to back it out a little.

I have an '01 V10 and it was pretty easy to get to. I have short arms so I had to have one foot on the bumper and another on a step ladder, but I got to it.

BTW that radiator hose takes FOREVER to cool down. I got home, ate dinner, changed into my car working on clothes, and came out about an hour later and it was STILL super hot! It didn't feel that hot at the time, but after going in and out of there numerous times I burnt the CRAP out of my arm, right above the elbow. Yikes! Oh well, haha.