Hi everyone - this is my first post, but I've read plenty of threads and I appreciate all the good information I get from this site!

A couple of months ago, I put a new complete link/tie rod set under my 96 F350. It's a crew cab, long bed 4x4 with 7.3L powerstroke. After reading a bunch of threads on here, I ended up buying all MOOG parts and the swap went pretty easy. However, I think I may have incorrectly installed the center link (DS1071) to the passenger side knuckle. The other two tie rod ends (attaching to the driver side knuckle and the pittman arm) and the drag link to center link connection all use a grease boot. But the center link to passenger side knuckle connection came with a rubber bushing and a flat metal washer with a curved edge that the bushing sits in. I believe this is supposed to prevent the center link from rotating as the steering assembly goes back and forth. The link came with no instructions and I tried everything I could think of to find some instructions (including Federal Mogul site, searches on this site and other google searches). After no success, I installed it with the rubber bushing against the center link joint, then I capped the bushing with the metal washer, then attached the link to the knuckle, then torqued to Ford specs.

A couple of weeks ago, I looked underneath to make sure everything was still looking OK, and I noticed that the rubber bushing had started to "squeeze" out of the space between the center link joint and the knuckle. It appears to have a little bit of cracking from the stress. BTW - I don't drive the truck very much so the new parts only have about 500 miles on them.

So what I'd like to know from the experts is 1) did I incorrectly install this link and if so, what should I do differently to fix it? and 2) does anyone know where I can get hold of another rubber bushing (I'm obviously not interested in buying a new center link to get another bushing)?

I have a good picture, but I can't figure out how to post it.....

Thanks for any suggestions - Rich

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...pics-here.html Here is a link to a thread on how to post pics.
Also you might be better posting on the `87-`96 F Series page for more responses.

 

Thanks for the help! I'll post over there also.

 

Hey Rich. I hope we can settle this out. I'm about the do my tie rods too. Any chance, you notice a better ride/steering with new tie rods? I'm doing 'rods and a steering box as well to help tighten up the front end.

First off, the outer tie rod end should connect to the knuckle not the centerlink. This is P/N ES2077RT or equivalent (DS1071...IS the center link). From there you have the connector collar and then the center link which connects to the pitman arm. This is the longer rod. The drivers side inner tie rod then connects to this center link as well. You may have this backwards...

Now that i'm looking, something seems out of place...What is the grease fitting I see in the above pic on the right? I don't know how much different the f-350's are from the f-250 front ends (I have the same truck as you but in a 250)... but ya never know what ford did.

As for your bushing, I would take a wild a-- guess and say that's suppose to be on the center link where it meets the pitman arm. I know this isn't much consolation but mine has boots on everything now maybe the boot is covering a plastic bushing? Then again, there could be a difference between the 250 and 350...

 

Hey Al - I had the same issue with steering slop and was going to do the tie rods and steering box also. The new set of tie rods fixed my slop completely. I didn't need to bother with the new steering gear. I'd suggest trying out the rods first if you haven't already bot the new box.

The picture above is my setup. I have one of those CD based service manuals and according to it, and the sound of what your describing above, I'd say the F250 setup is quite different from the F350.



The old OE set that came off had grease boots on all the connections, but MOOG supplies that rubber bushing and washer setup with the center link (DS1071). The items were boxed seperately and the pictures on the federal mogul site (shown above) clearly show the washer and rubber bushing with DS1071, so I know they are supposed to go where it attaches to the passenger side knuckle.

I'm now wondering if I should have lubricated the washer with some grease first to allow it to slide on the knuckle. It may have twisted against the bushing causing one side of it to pop out. I think I'm going to try breaking that connection, cleaning it all up, then putting a coat of grease on both sides of the washer and bushing. This might allow them to slide against each other better. Probably be a couple of weeks before I can get to it, but I'll update the post once I think I've figured it out.

 

wow this is an amazing diagram. What CD do you have? I need this!!! Fantastic!!! yeah the f-250 is definitely different... my LH tie rods connect to the pitman arm and the RH link connects to the RH arm. Why is it so different??? I though the 250 and 350 were identical except for say the axl's? Well learn something new every day. Whats odd is the center link that's going from the RH side is the same on my truck...or so it looks, just reversed. Definitely weird.

thanks!

 

The Service Manual CD I have I bought off eBay for about $15 and it"s very handy. But it doesn't have a very good picture of the steering setup. This really good photo I have is from a Ford TSB article (98-15-8) related to steering shimmy. I cropped the photo of my setup and added the MOOG part numbers with MS Paint. Google that article number and you should be able to find it pretty easy.