I can't dry steer with my 02 7.3 f250. I run 37" Toyos. My point is with my 97 f350 I can dry steer with 38s no problem

 

This might sound stupid but what does 'dry steer' mean?

 

No surprise there, these trucks have a lot of weight up front and you can put a lot of stress on the steering components trying to turn the wheels when still. My stock height truck will barely do it, let alone with your 37's. It is always best to be moving, no matter how slowly or slightly when trying to turn the wheels.

 

You can try flushing the system and adding a Nano-lubricant such as Archoil. A replacement higher pressure pump may be in order. Then again the remainder of the system needs to be in tip-top order as well. I have no issues dry steering with stock 16's

 

if you have deep pockets, this is the ultimate street legal setup:

https://www.offroadunlimited.com/oru...idproduct=8225

 

Trying to turn the steering with the engine off ( and the p/s pump not pumping) can also lead to shooting a geyser of p/s fluid out the cap/top of the pump ( and possibly permanently damaging the seal/o-ring on the p/s cap. )

 

Not that I want to. But when parallel parking it's a pain in the rear. Cause I can't be moving al he time in the city. Not that big of a deal I was just wondering

 

It's a generational thing.

People who want to dry steer are younger folks who grew up with seat belts, air bags, and power steering. They are accustomed to being able to turn the wheels lock to lock with the foot on the brake, without moving.

Older folks don't ask about dry steering. Older folks grew up when cars didn't have seat belts, air bags, or power steering. The idea of trying to steer the wheels while standing still? Never even occurred to people back then. A daily diet of that would ruin the softer compound tires. In fact, it wasn't even possible to do such a thing, unless you had PopEye arms.

We were taught to steer on the roll. Foot off brake, start rolling, then steer. Because without power steering, there was simply no other way to get it done.

Lot's of folks complain about the 99-03 diesel Super Duty's lack of an ability to steer while the foot is on the brake. This is a function of the force multiplier of the power steering (hydraulic fluid) which just so happens to be the same force multiplier for the power brakes (due to the hydroboost system). Keeping the foot on the brake at the same time as trying to steer, means that the force multiplier is trying to assist two strenuous operations at once.

The OP's 1997 F-350 with 38's didn't have hydroboost, so the foot on the brakes didn't rob the power steering system of a force multiplier to assist in turning the wheels while standing still.

The first Ford pickup I ever bought with my own money was a 1963 F100. It didn't have power steering. I've driven every truck since with the same principle in mind. Never steer unless rolling, even if it's just a slow roll.

 

And another great explanation, thanks Y2KW57, can't rep ya again yet. One other thing that comes to mind for me is...if it is so hard on the steering equipment to steer while sitting still what does it do to the other components in the steering system? One thing I can guarantee it doesn't do is make them better.

 

Another thing to consider:

The axis between the upper and lower ball joints causes the tire to roll forward and back slightly when turning the steering wheel. When the brakes are applied, they are actually keeping the tires from rotating around that axis. If the tires can't rotate then they're not going to be happy about changing direction.....and in this day's society you don't want to offend anything by telling it what it can't do.

 

Amen! I learned how to drive in a '56 Chevy 4 door sedan and a '64 International pickup. Both with power "nothing", no a/c, and "three on the tree".
I quickly learned "technique" for steering, while still, when I first got my SD. Proper tire inflation helps, also.

 

Got him for ya!

 

All my old vehicles and the ones I learned to drive required "Armstrong" steering according to the old mechanics I worked with almost 40 years ago.