New powerstroke Owner
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 0
From: missouri
Something else to look at for your steering issue. Since you have the lift, make sure your pitman arm is not loose. Just have someone wiggle the steering wheel and see if it wobbles back and forth. It wont take much wobble for your truck to be all over the road. Some trucks pitman arm nut loses up when they are lifted, plus they are supposed to be torqued down to like 400ft lbs. So people cut corners.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Thanks for the help guys. I'm gonna check out the steering today. Hopefully fix it too
Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,337
Likes: 346
From: Breckenridge, TX
X2. 350 lb-ft on the pitman arm to box, 406 lb-ft for the trac bar to bracket. Not just "impact tight" from whoever did the lift.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas, Nevada
Haha no it's a long story. I sort of turned my boating hobby into buying and selling boats, mainly wakeboard/wake surf boats. I can become a dealer whenever I get a place of business but I've just been working out of my garage. I do what I love and for my age I make good money. All while being a full time mechanical engineering student.
Thanks for the help guys. I'm gonna check out the steering today. Hopefully fix it too
Thanks for the help guys. I'm gonna check out the steering today. Hopefully fix it too
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Made some progress today. After cleaning under the truck real good I discovered that the leak wasn't on the bottom but coming up top. I think it was coming from the O ring from the oil filter cap. It was running down the back and dropping down both sides of the whole motor all the way to the bottom. I'm gonna clean it again and clean up too real good and check again tomorrow and see if that solved the leak. And also look for any more. I did find some play in the pitman arm that I noticed while turning the wheels. I wanted to righted up the bolts but didn't have a wrench big enough to fit it. Anyone know the size? Also is there a way to for sure determine if the steering box is bad before I fork out for a new one. Thanks guys! Y'all are awsome!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 21
Not sure if there is a way for sure to determine if the box is bad. I can tell you mine was real loose and sloppy, and the truck wandered. I can also say that mine had a lift and big tires like yours, and had experienced the "death wobble" more than once. I guessed that the box was bad and was correct.
I went with a Red Head rebuilt box. The steering is now tight, almost too tight.
I also found a bad drag link joint and replaced it. Then I did all the ball joints because two of them were bad.
I would bet your steering box is bad. You may have other components that are bad also.
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I went with a Red Head rebuilt box. The steering is now tight, almost too tight.
I also found a bad drag link joint and replaced it. Then I did all the ball joints because two of them were bad.
I would bet your steering box is bad. You may have other components that are bad also.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 0
From: missouri
I had a truck that had that problem. Dang nut coming lose on the pitman arm. The size is 1"5/16. Now that nut is a one time use only. I would say that is why it is backing off. Whoever had it before you probably used the same nut when the put the drop pitman arm on. I would get another nut. Put the new one on with good lock tight. Torque it down to 350 and then put the old nut behind it to lock it. If it is even a little lose there is about 95 percent of your steering problem. You can check the box by grabbing the steering shaft and turning it and watching your out put shaft. Any play in the box will show up if you turn it and the pitman arm doesnt. I would be willing to bet it is ok. The nut is the problem.
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 419
Likes: 3
I recently had an oil leak on my 2006 in the same location as the OP. It was the boot on the turbo. It had small cracks that were letting the oil seep on to the top of the motor. And then the oil would run down the back of the motor. The cracks were not visible until I removed the boot. But i could see oil on top of the motor under the boot.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 5
From: Roseburg, OR