steering problems
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
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Just a guess, but did anyone tow your Econoline by attaching to the sway bar? The bushing doesn't look worn, as if it was trying to move forward to me. It looks like a chain was hooked to it & then pulled, bending the mount forward.
You say the steering gear was replaced, but everything I see looks like it's been in place a very long time.
Suggest you have somebody rock the steering wheel back & forth thru its free play & center, while you inspect the steering box output shaft underneath. The shaft & pitman arm should go left & right only. If you find it going up & down, what I call the steering gear (inside the steering box) is showing excessive wear. Sometimes you can adjust out excess play, but be extremely careful not to make steering tight when it's not near center wear portion.
Can't you find a Chilton or Haynes repair manual?
You say the steering gear was replaced, but everything I see looks like it's been in place a very long time.
Suggest you have somebody rock the steering wheel back & forth thru its free play & center, while you inspect the steering box output shaft underneath. The shaft & pitman arm should go left & right only. If you find it going up & down, what I call the steering gear (inside the steering box) is showing excessive wear. Sometimes you can adjust out excess play, but be extremely careful not to make steering tight when it's not near center wear portion.
Can't you find a Chilton or Haynes repair manual?
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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Just a guess, but did anyone tow your Econoline by attaching to the sway bar? The bushing doesn't look worn, as if it was trying to move forward to me. It looks like a chain was hooked to it & then pulled, bending the mount forward.
hasnt been towed and I have put it back in place twice before because its moving forward as you see
You say the steering gear was replaced, but everything I see looks like it's been in place a very long time.
looks that way caused by salt, sand and rain (cold and warm) still everything is less than 7 month old
Suggest you have somebody rock the steering wheel back & forth thru its free play & center, while you inspect the steering box output shaft underneath. The shaft & pitman arm should go left & right only. If you find it going up & down, what I call the steering gear (inside the steering box) is showing excessive wear. Sometimes you can adjust out excess play, but be extremely careful not to make steering tight when it's not near center wear portion.
steering gear is an replacement from Rockauto as all the other parts , I dont expect this to be in need of tightning
Can't you find a Chilton or Haynes repair manual?
have it all and they arent precis enough conserning this subject
hasnt been towed and I have put it back in place twice before because its moving forward as you see
You say the steering gear was replaced, but everything I see looks like it's been in place a very long time.
looks that way caused by salt, sand and rain (cold and warm) still everything is less than 7 month old
Suggest you have somebody rock the steering wheel back & forth thru its free play & center, while you inspect the steering box output shaft underneath. The shaft & pitman arm should go left & right only. If you find it going up & down, what I call the steering gear (inside the steering box) is showing excessive wear. Sometimes you can adjust out excess play, but be extremely careful not to make steering tight when it's not near center wear portion.
steering gear is an replacement from Rockauto as all the other parts , I dont expect this to be in need of tightning
Can't you find a Chilton or Haynes repair manual?
have it all and they arent precis enough conserning this subject
if I grab the input shaft just above the steering gear and turn it quickly left and right I can feel that there is a problem on the primary side of the steering gear (and the pitman arm isnt mowing) tried to tighthen the steering gear once before and didnt do anything to the problem
when I drive thru waterpits with one wheel the car goes to the "water" side
I have allready ordered the rubbers mentioned above , hopefully this will solve the problem
or at least solve some of the problems as all the parts replaced until now hasnt done s%¤#
still looking for the replacement parts to the primary side of the steering gear , non at this moment has come up with an split drawing of the area
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
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From: NY, NY
150's steering is busy and sloppy and you have to constantly adjust when driving. Part of it is attributed to sway, and part of the sway is attributed to soft sidewalls of the tires -- jelly feeling....
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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and get rid of that sloppy¤%# ---nes ?
I have tried 2 other E-lines but cant recall the model number , do think one was a inline six E150 , the other a Diesel cargovan could have been a E350
Sincerly
JCBX
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
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There was a time when I thought E-"150's steering is busy and sloppy and you have to constantly adjust when driving". But after going thru everything else mentioned, including the sway "attributed to soft sidewalls of the tires" concluded that Econolines can steer precisely, like a train on tracks.
Yes, tires alone can make a world of difference. Even just experimenting w/air pressure can make improvements you can feel in the seat of your pants.
Yes, tires alone can make a world of difference. Even just experimenting w/air pressure can make improvements you can feel in the seat of your pants.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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There was a time when I thought E-"150's steering is busy and sloppy and you have to constantly adjust when driving". But after going thru everything else mentioned, including the sway "attributed to soft sidewalls of the tires" concluded that Econolines can steer precisely, like a train on tracks.
Yes, tires alone can make a world of difference. Even just experimenting w/air pressure can make improvements you can feel in the seat of your pants.
Yes, tires alone can make a world of difference. Even just experimenting w/air pressure can make improvements you can feel in the seat of your pants.
would you consider reinforced tires in the case ?
normaly they here are only used in wagons ect.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
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Not sure what you "consider reinforced tires" but Sam's Club would only mount XL (extra load) tires on my E-150 Club Wagon. This usually means an extra ply in the sidewalls, but might only reflect sidewall rating. The point being there's significant differences between specific models of tires & tire pressures.
When you state: "I can feel that there is a problem on the primary side of the steering gear" it makes me think you should look there. The Econoline steering gear box is a complex power steering unit that has its share of problems, including sheared bolts thru the frame. Rebuilds from RockAuto or anyone else will have a certain return rate.
When you state: "I can feel that there is a problem on the primary side of the steering gear" it makes me think you should look there. The Econoline steering gear box is a complex power steering unit that has its share of problems, including sheared bolts thru the frame. Rebuilds from RockAuto or anyone else will have a certain return rate.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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okay
so one can not be sure that even an replacement steeringgear is correct and as it should be
I couldnt fell any difference when changing steeringgear :-(
looking forward to my new parts and see if they are going to kill the problems or at least some of them as every parts untill now havnt done sh1t3
so one can not be sure that even an replacement steeringgear is correct and as it should be
I couldnt fell any difference when changing steeringgear :-(
looking forward to my new parts and see if they are going to kill the problems or at least some of them as every parts untill now havnt done sh1t3
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,351
Likes: 8
You posted that you'd replaced it but still "can feel that there is a problem on the primary side of the steering gear".
There should be very little free play, as in an inperceptible amount, between moving steering wheel & front wheels turning.
There should be very little free play, as in an inperceptible amount, between moving steering wheel & front wheels turning.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2008
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Hi all
at last all bushings are changed
this helped 50% or more .......
still a bit left
must be the steeringgear thou its only 1 year old and 1000 miles
could anyone look this thru and give some input on it
this cant be normal "slack" ?? or ????
and whats the solution .......
YouTube - PICT0134.AVI
thank in advance
Sincerely
JCBX
at last all bushings are changed
this helped 50% or more .......
still a bit left
must be the steeringgear thou its only 1 year old and 1000 miles
could anyone look this thru and give some input on it
this cant be normal "slack" ?? or ????
and whats the solution .......
YouTube - PICT0134.AVI
thank in advance
Sincerely
JCBX
New User
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
steering slack
it looks like your steering box is not well adjusted. to do so relief some weight of the front wheels wiht a jack.Then on top of the box should be a bolt with a flat screwdriver head with a lock nut,loosen the lock nut and by wiggling the steering tighten the screw until no slack then tighten lock nut. should be cure
New User
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
I have the same problem
Hi all
at last all bushings are changed
this helped 50% or more .......
still a bit left
must be the steeringgear thou its only 1 year old and 1000 miles
could anyone look this thru and give some input on it
this cant be normal "slack" ?? or ????
and whats the solution .......
YouTube - PICT0134.AVI
thank in advance
Sincerely
JCBX
at last all bushings are changed
this helped 50% or more .......
still a bit left
must be the steeringgear thou its only 1 year old and 1000 miles
could anyone look this thru and give some input on it
this cant be normal "slack" ?? or ????
and whats the solution .......
YouTube - PICT0134.AVI
thank in advance
Sincerely
JCBX
Senior User
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 366
Likes: 1
From: the old home place
Tire pressure is the ONLY thing that solved my 92's suspension problems. Everything else was changed, and i didn't feel any difference until i started adjusting tires for load, NOT going by the stated rating as i had for almost every other vehicle i ever owned. My 92 liked the tire pressure MUCH lower that stated on door or tire, and it handled TONS better. For example, i had E-rated tires, rated for like 75-80psi, and i only saw improvement when i put them down at like 55 for an unloaded or lightly loaded van. MPG was unaffected with the lower pressure.
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