How much? I ordered mine Saturday online. They don't have in stock so delayed up to 3 days... I'm in 120.00 w/o the shock...

 

Wanted to clarify something about my post offering these parts up for sale.........

There is not a single thing wrong or frivolous about this system at all---it does exactly what's been mentioned already time after time. For me and JUST FOR ME it didn't solve or address an issue I have, one probably related to my actual springs.

FWIW within the past 6K miles I've replaced the steering box (Ford OEM reman'd) as well as every steering component plus coil springs (Moog) & urethane axle/radius arm bushings too. Four new Michelin LTX 245's along with a competent 4 wheel alignment also completed.

Please don't read anything into my offering, by all means the steering stabilizer is a viable option!

 

Thanks JWA. Ever since I read this thread I have been really noticing the steering corrections I keep having to make, enough so to convince me to take action. Your timing for these parts couldn't have been better. Can't wait to see the difference.

 

Warren I look forward to your impressions after installation!

 

Mail came in today and my Ford Brackets are in!!

I will pick up a stabilizer and hardware this week and hopefully install this weekend...

I will give my impressions of how it went soon!!

 

The PM's coming in since my offering these parts up for sale seems to have raised questions and a few concerns whether this addition is worth the time, money and effort. Short answer is YES it is!

After several steps renewing my '03 E250's entire front end and adding Michelin LTX 245/75-R16's all around I seemingly developed a huge "push" (NASCAR) or understeer condition not previously experienced. Suspension work includes new Ford steering box, new ball joints and steering links & coil springs (Moog), Bilstein shocks along with Hellwig sway bars both front and rear, urethane radius arm and axle pivot bushings PLUS adding '08 front brakes. Also had a four wheel alignment done when Michelin's were installed.

Weight distribution is front = 3160#, rear = 4320# for a total of 7480# as a daily driver. Tire pressure is 60 front, 80 rear all on E-rated tires.

What I'm experiencing is a very responsive steering action, the least bit of input results in an immediate change of direction. We've had unusually high winds for the past month which as we all knows blows our vans around like empty beer cans in a parking lot. Instinctive counter steering to the wind tends to create several small oscillations or over corrections to re-center ourselves in the traffic lane---a bit disconcerting but much much more annoying than dangerous or scary.

Without or without the stabilizer this condition persists, no difference before vs after. For those situations where others have success with this addition it would seem they're seeking to correct another issue altogether. I sincerely hope to NOT discourage anyone using this system as long they're not experiencing anything similar to my own experience or situation.

I'll be experimenting with rear spring set-up, most likely adding an Air Lift air bag system to the rear. At $268 complete plus my time to install its a relatively affordable experiment I think.

As to the original post and this thread in general I can post part numbers I used but they're not really changed since day one. The only real difference is I added the shock boot, used a Ford nut holding the shock to one of the brackets---its a nice nut and only $3!

One other change I incorporated was drilling and tapping the frame to mount the bracket fitting that side. Its more than thick enough for three M10-1.5 bolts to hold that bracket securely to the frame. Seemed a better alternative to fishing around inside the frame horn to place nuts over bolts as a few have done so far.

If more details are needed or wanted I'm happy to add more info but honestly there's not a lot of anything new for this great addition!

 

Went to a friends last night and decided to install my new stabilizer and brackets.

All went on smooth and went for a test drive... only 3-4 miles city and 3-4 miles freeway.

What a difference!!! still not perfect but much tighter and less "loose" feeling.

Gonna do 40-50 freeway miles today and see how the Big Dirt E250 does.

Thanks andrewzx92000

and thanks to all who posted about this fix too!!!

 

JWA that's the way mine drives after the Ford Dealer aligned the front end, Caster was off like 2-3 degs and needed a kit at 48,000 miles. With 55 mph high crown two lane Blacktop roads and crosswinds it's (blink) and your on the dirt shoulder. It went from sawing the wheel back and forth to don't touch it with more than two fingers for a correction. It gets real crazy on a uneven road when your being thrown side to side in the seat and try to hang onto the steering wheel for support..........

 

Thanks for that input EManor----I'll have to consider having my alignment re-checked by someone I fully trust.

The high winds have abated quite considerably for the next few days so a few miles on the same roads I normally drive might reveal something.

Since I have the finished specs for caster, toe etc I'll have to double check those against my real alignment guys.

Should anything come of that I'll update this---hopefully we're not hi-jacking Andrew's OP!

 

My camber is out, gotta either replace the bags in the coils and air em up, or get it reset without, but it seems I have the ability to handle my van better than most, I don't understand the purpose for this upgrade, are you guys driving offroad? Camber is a major contributor to issues most of you guys are experiencing, very few shops get it right, usually it's those who handle fleets that get it exactly where it needs to be. Yet I-beams are a difficult suspension because load contributes immensely, whether the front receives load, or loses it, the camber will quickly go from positive to negative.
My 73 could use help, it doesn't have play, just a worn out steering box, if I was able, I'd flip the arms and swap it to 75+ steering geometry, as it is behind the axle.

 

is it anything like this ??

rock auto 1992 FORD E-350 7.3L V8 DIESEL : Steering : Steering Damper

More Information for MOOG SSD121

 

Look at my photos above---there are a few others somewhere in this thread too showing how the Ford parts look, installed and as-received.

Others also in this thread have tried the Monroe version and didn't care for its lack of effectiveness. While budget concerns are understandable this upgrade is a one-time expenditure, not something that regularly eats a hole in your wallet.

 

Over the years, i have had 3 F150s and 2 E150s, all with Twin I Beams. My current E150 is a 2005 with 92,000 miles. I have never had to align it. All front end parts are original equipment. Tires were replaced with Michelins like came on it. I have never had a handling problem such as described in this thread. All my 150s were lightly loaded (less than 1000 lbs.). I always took them to a trusted truck shop for alignment when it was needed. Am i missing something?
Do you guys think it would still be a good idea to add the Ford steering stabilizer? $150 is not a problem if it makes it easier to drive and safer.
What do you guys think? Thanks, ...jack

 

I dont know if this fix would help the e150??

My 2002 E250 seemed to wander at HWY speed and felt every bump in the steering...

I did the fix and things seem better!!! It wont drive like a Caddy, but a great deal for the $160 I invested!!

 

Jack if you don't believe there are any improvements to be made by anything we here in the vans forums discuss please don't try it "just because". Those who've adopted this upgrade had an issue it seems to have cured for them.

From your description of duty its not likely you'll have any issues or problems with the front end, perhaps all the way up to 200K miles---maybe more.

Don't look for trouble coz it'll sure as heck find you soon enough anyway!