Alright I have - 2001 excursion 7.3l

My issue:

My steering wheel wobbles sometimes.

It rocks left and right when going in a straight line. Mainly starts after a left or right turn. Sometimes the steering gets hard to turn to the left or right when not moving.

I have replaced:
Power steering pump as of today
Tie rod
Drag link
Link to steering box
Adjusted steering box
Tires have 8k miles on them
Front rotors pads calipers and lines
Ball joints feel right
Wheels are tight
I rotated the tires
All aired up

what am I missing?
The link from the axle seems to be tight. The leafs in the front are new.

I am so very lost. Hello is appreciated.

 

4x4 or 2x4 ?

 

you say tires have 8k on them but that doesn't mean that they are balanced or the rims are not bent. I would start with the wheels.

a bent rims would not explain the hard to turn part but I suspect you have 2 seperate issues going on

 

please explain in detail why you adjusted the backlash on your steering gear and the procedure you used.

did you make this adjustment before you started replacing parts or after ?

did the symptoms that lead you to adjust the steering gear change after the adjustments ? and did the symptoms you describe start before or after the adjustment ?

please answer in detail as the clues to your problems are likely rooted in this area.

 

I'll go ahead and say it for Pirate--messing with the steering gear is what likely effects your turning. How long have you had this vehicle? Was there a time it did not do this as in before these tires? What size tires do you have--did you go to wider ones? Do you have a lift? If so, how much? Is it 4 X 2 or 4 X 4?-entirely different animals. By rock-do you mean it wanders off course or do you hit bumps and it jumps off course? How many miles??

 

It's 4x4

As for tires rotating them did not help I don't think there is a balance issue. It will do it at a speed of 1-2 mph when it does it.

Backlash was adjusted after parts were replaced. It was done just to rule it out.
Was also done when power steering pump was off ( easy access).
Turned screw gently till a stop checked for any binding backed screw out about 1/32 tightened the nut with the Allen still in place repeted checking for any binding.

 

The hard steering was before the adjustment and it does not do it all the time only when the steering wheel starts shaking the wheel. I've had it for 2 years now 174k.
Tires are the oem size.
The truck just started doing this last week and has just sat since ( no time to fix). No lift.

It does steer normal sometimes I drove it for about 30 mins and I couldn't get it to do it. I will see if it does it in the morning.

Bumps don't agravate the steering issue. I think it starts after a slow turn from a stop. Like taking a left or right turn. 90 degrees.

 

The parts that I replaces needed to get replaced. I also put sway bar bushings and end links on.

It's been a good truck until last week just started out of no where. Powered steering fluid was pretty black. Replacing the pump made the steering easier seeing as you needed two hand to turn it before and now can use a finger.

 

I am still processing your info, sometimes I need to let it stew for a bit but right now I am leaning towards a issue in the spool valve inside your steering gear or possibly the pressure relief valve in the pump.

let me ponder it overnight and I should be able to give you a few things to test to see if we can narrow down or conform.

by chance have you noticed and unusual noises when the symptoms presents ?

 

There is no noises anymore. There was the wine of the power steering pump prior to replacement that was all.

 

Are your hubs locked or unlocked and if they're unlocked are they actually unlocked? They can stick in the locked position. If a U-joint in the front steering knuckle is trying to seize up it can do exactly what you described if the front axle is turning.

 

[QUOTE=twigsV10;16263492]Are your hubs locked or unlocked and if they're unlocked are they actually unlocked? They can stick in the locked position. If a U-joint in the front steering knuckle is trying to seize up it can do exactly what you described if the front axle is turning.[/QUOTE

I double checked that they are unlocked

 

Did you double check by reaching up and trying to spin the shaft? With esof hubs, that is the only way to be sure they are really unlocked. Hubs staying locked was the reason I went to manual hubs.

 

I jacked of the truck up Spohn the wheels to watch the U joints not turn on at all. But I grabbed the U joint and made sure it turn. But I lock the hubs to make sure that the hopes work. Then unlock them and made sure that they were unlocked.

 

You mentioned checking the ball joints- assume you also checked the unit bearings for excessive play?