Ok folks.....55 f1`00 stock suspension.....arms now tired from sawing the wheel back and forth.....yes I have that familiar free play in the steering wheel, perfect for scaring hell out of the wife when she drove it....me..I thought it was a challenge.

<a href="http://www.motorhaven.com/">shop manual</a> lists no method of tightening up the steering. Ball joints, wheel bearings, everything checks out tight...

How do I adjust this free play? and straighten the wheel so that the bottom spoke doesn't point at 7:30 when going straight?

And yep, the wife will ride in it occassionally but "will not drive it till you tighten that up" BTw she does not gripe when I spend on the truck.

Big Hands

 

Ball Joints???

Often overlooked are the tie rod ends. Feel fine when the wheels are on the ground but loose as a goose in the air.

 

I'd start with tierod ends. My '52 F-1 had a lot of freeplay, and the biasplys didn't really help the control I replaced the tierod ends (even though they didn't look worn) and it stiffened right up, also got new kingpins and it drives great.. still need to move the wheel back and forth but it is so little that I don't even notice anymore... and center for the wheel is straight for the truck

 

Can you pull the steering wheel and replace it so it lines up correctly?

 

Hey big hands, ball joints on a 55 are as common as muffler bearings LOL, anyway you can adjust the steering box there's a nut with a screw on the side of the box, you need a short regular screw driver and a wrench, jack the truck up off of the ground then loosen the nut with the wrench then hold the nut while you turn the screw in just till it seats then back it off about 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn then hold the screw still while you tighten the nut back down then test drive it, if it feels to tight then loosen the screw a little more.