I just test drove an F-5 (still debating if it is worth 2.5Gs) that had exceptionally tight steering compared to my F-6. I didn't know what I was missing and now want my F-6 to have the same tight steering! Everything is stock. What do I need to do/replace? Instructional photos would be a bonus!

 

There has been few discussions about this subject in the last few months. There's not many minor things you can do to tighten up your steering. There are some major things though that you can do.

My steering was very sloppy. I ended up replacing the original steering box, the tie rod ends, rebuilding the drag link and replacing the king pins. I did each repair one at a time, test driving between each repair and could really an improvement after each one. With this old trucks everything tends to be worn out after all these years. The fire truck probably was a very low mileage truck, most are. If your F-6 is like any other typical truck it's been used a lot more than a typical and has hauled some pretty heavy loads. There isn't much you can to to improve the steering of your truck other than what I've stated above.

 

And I'm sure these parts are super easy to come by...

 

Check with your local good parts store, like NAPA or Carquest. You might be surprised what they can get for you. Also, Rock Auto has them listed for F-4s, I don't know if they're the same as the F-6. Job Lot in NY also has a lot of parts for the bigger trucks. They're prices are pretty decent.

 

Wow! I have heard of rock auto before, but WOW! I'm pleasently surprised! Thanks for your help!

 

But be careful ordering parts for large trucks from RockAuto. They have great prices, and as long as the part you want is for F1 through F6, you'll be okay. But they have parts listed for F4 which won't fit. Brake cylinders, hoses, shoes for example. They list the same part numbers for F2 and F4, which are not the same parts.

I did get my tie rod ends from them for my F4, they were cheap and they fit perfectly.

 

I agree, check with them over the phone first to make sure they have the correct parts for your larger truck. I've bought plenty of parts from them for my F-1 and F-2, along with parts for my families daily drivers without a problem. LMC also has a slight problem with incorrectly listing parts for the F-2s and F-3s. Classic Haulers is a very good place to get parts for our trucks but I don't know how big they go.

Job Lot is probably the best source for parts for the larger trucks and they're in NY, shouldn't be that far of a trip for you to go there and check them out in person.