Hello everyone. i am sorry to informally introduce myself by asking for help. But as i am sure you all are use to it by now. I am no stranger to the forum world though.

my name is shawn. i live in chillicothe ohio. 30 years old blah blah blah. picked up a new little toy and have been tinkering with it for a little bit. A 1979 Ford F-150 with a 351M bored 30 over. Skyjacker lift kit with a 3 inch body lift totaling 9 inches of lift sitting on 38inch TSL super swampers.




My problem. I have been drifting all over the road. swaying this way and that way. was doing a process of elimination on that. while having the wife cut the wheels left and right, i noticed that the steering box was moving away from the frame. so i torqued the bolts down and had her do it again. well, i have a cracked frame by the steering box that is on the outside of the frame near the tires and on the inside of the steering box. i have been searching and have come across this thread.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...150-4x4-2.html

I understand what is being written in there but my only problem is this. understanding that making a plate and putting it on the outside of the frame and on the inside of the steerign box will throw everything off a little and you would possibly have to adjust the steering colum, get an alignment and whatever else, but how woudl i weld a plate in on the inside of the frame? although welding a plate on the inside of the frame and running the bolts all the way through would seem like a more sturdier approach for a cure for my problem but i dont think i will be able to go that route. i have included pictures of the areas and also have included a picture of the crack near the steering box for future searches. any help really would be greatly appreciated in this. speak slow, and break things down for me. my hours of work are long so i dont comprehend things like i use to when i was younger.

inside frame ( motor side )




outside frame ( tire side )

 

Welcome to FTE

What you are saying regarding welding plates on the frame is exactly what the dealers did, as this was a problem when these trucks were nearly new.

The three steering gearbox bolts worked loose, the box wiggled around, soon the frame cracked.

While not common, it certainly wasn't un-common.

Ford later came out with longer bolts:

3) 384737S2 .. Bolt-Steering Gearbox to Frame

7/16" -14 x 3 15/16" / Grade 8 / National Coarse Thread / Thread length 1 7/8"

 

so just so i get this right? i am going to have to remove the steering box, fabricate a plate. weld it up ( top and bottom ) and re-drill holes?

does anyone have any pictures of the newly updated plate in question so i can get a general idea of what to make? i tend to be an over acheiver and want to make sure i get it right and not over do it.

what size plate? i am readin 1/8th thick plate. but just want to verify. any pictures really would be helpful. Because right now the truck is parked until i can get it fixed. i dont want to further the damage to the frame.

 

why cant you go this route? this is something that happened to the chevys too. just gona have to have a welder do it so the welds are good and strong.

 

you need to make that area spotless clean inside and out.
the trac bar bracket has to be removed to clean the area
very common for them to crack like that
I think that once you get it clean and start chasing the crack you will find it starts at the end of the weld in this picture

[/img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i171/Crucifix79/steeringbox005.jpg[/img]

to weld it up without have contaminants ruin the weld the inside of the rail has to be spotless

 

numberdummy: approx what are the deminsions for this plate. and i am assuming it is just a flat plate that sits flat on the frame itself. and what thickness. did for move around the steering colum etc... to fit this plate in. i will go to the store here in the next couple of days and try to source me a nice peice of steel that is 1/8th inches thick and see what i cant work up.

 

LOL...that was a long time ago, besides...

There was no Ford fix, dealers just welded up the frame, installed steel plates to re-enforce it, then installed the longer bolts Ford did come out with.

The bolt specs are in my first post (edited in).

 

lol, are you trying to say that you are old? haha.

understood. i am just a perfectionist when it comes to my cars and trucks. i want to make sure what i am fixin' to do it the right way.

I am a grease monkey anways, just not a fabricator.

 

As a matter of fact...yes.

I was 7 when I learned how to drive (1951), as my dad was a car dealer. He gave me an old clunker of a 1946 Chrysler to "practice" on.

Began working as a partsman part time in 1958, went to work full time in 1962, spent 35 years as a Ford partsman, another 12 years in retirement.

You do the math.

 

not old, just very wise.

well i appreciate the information though. as sad as it sounds and as selfish as it sounds i am glad to hear that i am not alone on this. i will keep you all informed though. it might take me a couple weeks ( not a whole lot of free time ) but will take pictures when i get it all completed.

 

just an update. had someone come out and look at the truck that would be doing the welding. green light on all of that.

From that previous thread that i referred to the only two things that i might have to do is adjust the steering colum and get an alignment. correct me if i am wrong.

 

The alignment will not be affected at all. No need to worry about any of that. You will have to get the steering wheel straight again though.

 

ok, thanks. not really pressed about the steering wheel. nice avatar btw. looks like you are running TSL's as well.

 

update:

Just got the truck back. the problem i was having was this. the truck wondered down the road. while driving the front end had some play and it would just wonder while going down the road.

After examination, i found a crack in the frame near the power steering box. it has been fixed but has not eliminated my problem. it def helped it out alot, but no cure. i am thinking maybe replacing the bushings/ball joints etc.... but curious to see what you all say.

 

You need to check the whole front end. It's a common problem on the dentsides.