So I've had this issue for a while now when I hit 60 mph in my E350 super duty the steering wheel shakes like crazy. It depends on the highway, some its not so bad others its terrible like I'm sitting in a paint mixer. I never used to have this problem on any highway. I've checked the tie rods and ball joints. Replaced front shocks and the steering shock. My not so old nexen tires were rotting between the treads so I got new michelins put on up front and had them check everything they could for my issue. They told me everything was great tires were balanced. My shake issue has been better since but not cured, I haven't taken it back to the shop.

That was probably 6 months ago, now my steering box is leaking. I've always wondered if something could be going loose in the steering box causing my issue. So now that I have a steering box leak. I'm trying to decide if I should re seal replace or what. I've been doing some reading and it seems that the reman steering boxes just have new seals and arn't anything special. Then there is the red head steering boxes that are supposed to be better but there doesn't seem to be one for my truck. So now I'm torn I'd like to replace the box to see if it helps my other issue too. At the same time if it won't fix my issue I'd rather just slap a few new seals in it and be done with it over paying $200 for an old pump with a few new seals in it. Anyone know if the f series red head units work in our trucks (well mines a cutaway seems that matters too)?

 

I recommend using the Ford gear box. It is warranted for 2 years and if you have a Ford dealer install it, then the labor is warranted as well. I would recommend replacing the gear box if it is leaking. Double check ball joints, and the drag link parts for play. I also suggest a steering damper from an E-Super Duty (aka E450).

 

I had a similar problem last year when I got my '05 E350 cut-away, with 172K on the clock. The steering gear was leaking from the bottom seal, and I figured with the mileage on the van, I just replace the entire steering gear with a re-man unit.

Of course, I need the $184 one from Autozone, with a life time warranty, and I had to warrant my labor for life time too........

You didn't state the mileage on your van, but to answer your question, Yes, the steering gears do wear out, and I've replace several on cube vans (cut-away's)
Any cube van, E350, have additional weight/stress on the front end due to the weight of the box and cargo.

 

Its got 215k, I started reading my service manual and saw that it does stabilize the steering so going to go with a motorcraft, $375 for a reman thats supposedly from what I was reading not the best part to begin with sure is a kick in the teeth. I should get it in this weekend, I'll let you guys know how it goes. I should do all my tie rods with new moogs while I'm at but I'll probably save that for another day.

 

I got the new steering gear and all new tie rods in over the weekend. I busted my newer steering shock reattaching it and haven't replaced it yet. Haven't had it aligned yet either but I built all the tie rods in the drive way matching the old setup thread for thread. It dropped right in easy with all the tires still on the ground first try. Yet my steering wheel shake is still there if not worse. I thought for sure that would fix it.

I had trouble getting the old pitman arm off so I bought a new one. Then I had trouble getting the new one on. I don't have the best vice setup so I gripped the pitman arm with a 36" pipe wrench and ran the nut home with a breaker bar on a 24" breaker bar. Its not on the the tapered spline near as far as the old one was. My mechanic buddy said the new ones don't go on as far as the old ones did that I'll be fine. I figure I'll re torque it after a while.

 

After all that, you still have the steering wheel shaking over 60mph??

You have new(er) tires on the front end??

Have you had the front end re-aligned yet?

When you do, have the tires checked for balance.
Yes, some times the weights can fly off, there only tapped on the rim.
Also have the rim checked for warp, this can be found with a spin balance machine. Those Budd style rims can warp, or bend easier than standard type steel rims, I've had that problem with the dully style rims before, mostly on the rear tires, bouncing off curbs.

Question, do you have heavy body roll when going down the highway??
At high speeds, does if feel like you don't have control of the steering.

Answer that, and I'll tell you the cause of the problem.

 

Yes shakes still there even seems worse.

I had new tires put on the front in the fall trying to solve the issue. I have not had it re-aligned since I did all these last weekend. They supposedly aligned it when the tires were put on.

The tires were supposedly balanced when they did the new ones. I've been thinking for this alignment I'll take it to more of a truck shop and have them double check everything.

It does seem to have some body roll, I never did like going very fast on the highway in it. Way before the shake started happening there was a section of highway with ruts. I seemed to have hit it a certain way that it made me sway back in forth in it and almost roll the truck. Happened again after that but not as bad I attributed it to a worn section of highway with ruts from semis that my tires didn't like riding in.

Steering control seems good. Just this week with the issue on going I was merging on to the highway over halfway in my lane when a speeding idiot in a lexus came up on a semi in the lane next to the one I was heading into. He didn't look just cut over and I had to swerve quick with him barely missing me. I was only going 50mph or so though because it was a construction zone.

 

Caster shock is very rare but it could happen. Toe and camber won't cause it. Or even SAI.

I'd look at the rims and see if they are bent. Some clowns don't even look when the spin the tires on the machine.
I know you say they were balanced but just another point.....some clowns just spin them and bang on the weights w/o spinning them again to see if it's really balanced.

don't do that!

 

Ive worked at a few auto shops and I've seen People do this. I've done it myself even. (I was younger and less wise, what can I say?)

 

Man........you had a lot of......"supposedly".......in that post.......

But, I hear ya, that's why I go to a great Tire man, and get my alignments done at a big truck shop, that cares and take there time to double/triple check things before the call it done.

Your running that cut-away, and the 'car-care centers' don't cut it.

Reason I was asking about "body-roll" is have your rear springs checked out.
If the rear springs are weak, negative arched, or just worn out, broke, that will cause really bad handling, front end steer problems.

Couple of 'fixes' would be new springs, added (in pack) leafs, not the bolt-on style, they will not work for a van this size/weight, or what I've used are Timbrens on one cube van, really solve the handling problems, rear end squat.

 

Supposedly because I know better ha. I took it to a car tire shop my(slightly incompetent) buddy works for but not his because they don't have the right lifts but another location does. His brother worked for the big truck tire shop in town and they don't do things right either. That why I'd rather do the work myself but don"t have a balancer.

Interesting I swapped the rear end last year on my truck. I wonder if I got something out of alignment back there. Can't say for sure but right around the time I swapped the rear my steering issue started. I never thought it could be anything to do with the back since I feel it in the steering wheel.

 

Yea, kind of remember something about you swapping the rear end out.

Could be?? Did you by chance reuse the U-bolts when you changed out the differential??? One should never reuse the old u-bolts, always use new.

Did the u-bolts come loose over time?? Might want to check the torque on the nuts, if I remember, should be 175 ft lb.

If the bolts are loose, the axle is shifting around, and short of running dog-leg, could be effecting the steering.

 

I did re-use the old ubolts. It was actually almost 2 years ago now. There still tight back there.

Well one cheap trip to a better tire shop fixed the problem. One tire was 3/4 an ounce out and the other an ounce 1 1/4 out. Alignment was out too but that might have been me. They tried to sell me new tires saying they got messed up. I can't tell by looking at them. The truck feels completely different on the highway now. Weird part is it pulls to the left slightly now when it didn't before. Guess I can blame that on the tires. Oh well its way better than it was. Won't be that long before I need new rear tires, I'll swap the fronts to the back inners then.

 

Good to hear you got "this" problem solved..........amazing how a little out of balance can cause so much problems, but then again.......your running 2 tires on each side, doubling the problem.

FYI......from what my "excellent" tire guy taught me........the outer tire wears quicker than the inner tire on Dully's.