Loose Steering in my F350.
 

I have a 99 F350 with the 7.3 diesel. The truck has 245k on it. The problem I have is there is play in the steering wheel. I have to turn the wheel about an eighth of a turn in either direction to get the wheels to respond. So in other words I can turn the steering wheel from about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock without the front wheels responding.

Can you guys please point me in the right direction as to what I should start looking at first? I will go tug on any parts of the steering shaft I can reach and see if theres any play, but I'm wondering if theres any adjustments I can make. I appreciate any help.

You can try tightening the steering box. I haven't done it myself, but there is an hex key bolt on it. Don't make it too tight.

There's a lot of possibilities with that kind of mileage on the truck. Have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth while you watch for play in front end components under the truck.

Ok so I tried tightening the steering box one quarter turn, and that helped a little bit. I will try a little more tmrw. Kinda ran out of daylight today.

Go to this link.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-problems.html

This will cover most of what your describing. This one really helped me after I bought mine. Keep us up to date on what you find. ;)

Also check the BIG nut on the pit-man arm, really helps to get it on jack stands, wheels off the ground, KOEO and have someone rock the steering wheel in the dead space. Position yourself so you can see the shaft going into the steering gear and the pit-man arm in your peripheral, if the shaft movement does not match the pit-man arm movement then you'll need to start with tightening the worm gear mesh, follow the posted instruction and don't go too tight or you will bind the gears and not be able to steer! If that checks ok, look at the pit-man arm and make sure the movement between the arm and the shaft it is on matches, if not, you will need to get the right size socket and re-torque, I do it from the drivers side wheel well with the tire off. Next thing to check would be drag link, tie rod ends, etc. Basically you are having someone move the steering wheel in the dead space while tracing the input from the steering wheel all the way to the wheels. You'll find it this way.

Thank You!! I just replaced my tie rod ends and connector link (or whatever its called) and there was a little play.....checked that pitman arm nut and BAM all better!!

Love the info on this site! I'll be checking into my loose steering this week! It's been driving me nuts for months! Thanks guys!

Holy thread resurrection! The internet really is forever!! ;) :-X04

Lots of possibilities for the looseness. I would start with having someone turn the steering wheel back and forth and see where the slack is to start with. That might help narrow down where to start.

This isnt' rack-and-pinion steering so "tight" is a relative term. I've got about 1/2 the play you do and I'm thrilled. I may still have a small dead spot but I'm not herding the truck down the road any more since I put my new gearbox in. My tie rods and drag link are getting up there in age so I'm sure they add to the play/dead spot. Unfortunately the wallet doesn't support replacing them (again) for awhile.

Good Kit?
 

In general you get what you pay for. If you are buying a kit that's about 1/2 of what a name brand cost (Moog, XRF, etc.) then you can probably expect it to not last as long. They do not look greasable so take that into consideration too.

While many do not pay the OEM replacement prices they do last awhile. I went OEM for replacements since I got 200K or so out of my originals. The replacements are still holding up at 316K.

Sometimes you can find a good deal out there get lucky. This may or may not be one of those times.

Thanks Brian, yeah I'm thinking Moog. I priced everything Moog at Rockauto for $356 which includes the sleeve adjusters I may not need and includes shipping. Then I priced everything at Amazon (Moog) and it came to $350 shipped with the sleeve adjusters. Those prices also include a new stabilizer. Everything steering is original with 213K on them, so I would rather just upgrade all at once.

I had Moog ball joints and did not have great luck with them. I do not have any experience with their steering components.

I have XRF ball joints and have been very happy with them. When my OEM tie rods are done this time I'm going with XRF's 99-04 steering kit (3rd one down): XRF Ford Truck Front End Kits | Front End Kits available from American Undercar

Their price (+ free shipping) is a little lower than Amazon (but no steering stabilizer).