Tried searching but couldn't find my answer. I had my van in a shop and they said I needed upper and lower ball joints. Quote was ~$1200 so I figured I would just DIY. When I jacked the front end the ball joints look completely fine. However there is some steering slop.

I don't think it is the tie rod ends. Those appear to be pretty solid. Where I think it coming from is the steering box. I can move the tires slightly before the steering box engages. I suppose that would be the worm gear/wheel not meshed perfectly.

I need to put the wheels back on to check, but I think we are looking at ~1/8" movement at the rim of the tire. Maybe a little more. How much is "OK". I haven't worked on suspension before so I don't have a feeling for it. Presumably the tech though it was excessive and assumed it was the ball joints.

The steering wheel has about 2" of slop. You can move it back and for a total of 2" before the tie rods begin moving. That sound appropriate from my searches.

 

Too little +caster will manifest itself as "loose steering" and "wandering" at highway speeds. Ford ships the caster set at about +3 degrees which is OK for city driving but +5 degrees is better for highway driving.


E350/E450 Handling Problems are caused by too little + CASTER

 

Haven't noticed a problem, but I need new tires and an alignment. Mostly wondering if this will be too much slop to perform and alignment.

Van is new to me and taking care of some problems.

 

Ball joints can't be checked visually. You must jack it up and have someone manipulate it while you check the movement of the steering knuckle/control arm.

I can respect an attempt to DIY, but it sounds like you don't have enough knowldge/experience to pull this off.

 

I meant "looked fine" colloquially, not that it was a visual inspection. We jacked it up and gave a full inspection. I'm confident that the ball joints are OK.

I may have been too long winded in my post. My main question is:

How much slop/play is OK on the output of the steering box?

 

Agree with Im50, you can't make that determination by visual inspection. Ball joints are a weak spot on these vans and will give you sloppy steering. I would get some other estimates if you decide not to diy it. It's not a bad job if you have the necessary tools, and knowledge.

 

OK, I can replace the ball joints.

That still leaves my question. Is slop on the output of the steering box OK? I guess whoever does the alignment can tell me. I'm not trying to fix sloppy steering, I'm trying to fix any root issues I find and then see how it steers.

Other than a strong pull the steering doesn't seem sloppy. I'm not sure of the steering box allowing that 1/8" play is inherently bad.

 

More direct to your question........

First, did you replace the upper and lower ball joints?
To test the ball joints, jack up the front end, with the tires on, grab on the top and bottom of the tire, and see if it "rocks" in and out, vertically. If you have any movement, the ball joints are bad.

While jacked up, weight off the front end, move the tire from left to right, if you have any movement, the tie rod ends are bad.

This is With the steering wheel locked.

Most problem with the vans front steering are with the drag link going bad, this you can check with the tires on the ground, and some one turning the steering wheel right/left, short, the drag link will show the slop as the pit-man arm moves, and drag link does not.

If you have that much slop in the steering, or driving down the road and the van veers right to left, then the steering gear (box) is bad, and some have tried to "adjust" them, but replacement is the best with a re-man unit.

What ever you replace, ball joints, tie rod ends, drag link, then you should get the front end aligned after.

One note, post the year, model, and mileage of this van.

Another note........while park, non running, steering column unlocked, does the steering wheel have a lot of play from right to left, before any resistance if felt in the steering wheel???

 

You can rule out/in the gear box by grasping the steering shaft above the box and twisting it (engine off, wheels on the ground, and steering wheel unlocked.) When you twist, does only the shaft above the box move, but not the pitman arm or drag link? Of course, either way the pitman arm and drag link won't actually move, but you'll be able to tell if force is being applied to them or if the play is in the gear box.

If the play is in the gear box you can adjust it slightly, but I'll let someone with more experience explain that process . . .

 

1200.00 to replace BJs ?
That is nuts.

 

OK. I finally had a day to work on this. Replaced the upper and lower ball joints, all four tie rod/drag link ends, wheel bearings, and brake calipers (brakes are obviously unrelated to steering).

I am still convinced the upper and lower ball joints were fine. The passenger wheel bearing had some movement. The drag ink inner tie rod end had some movement. Some of the other tie rod ends were solid, but had a cracked boot.

I was surprised the nut holding the tie rod end was torqued to 70
ft-lbs. I would have guessed half that.


Overall the wheel bearing and inner tie rod were the worst. There is still movement on the steering box, but I think it's fine. I'll see what the alignment guy says though.

The lower ball joint does not have a grease zirk. Thought that was weird. Also I had to really **** around to get an adapter to press in the new lower. I bought the ball joints at Ford, thinking an after market would have fit a standard ball joint press.

Thank you Wildman & Paddy!

 

My '94 with 120k miles has 1" of wheel slop

 

you should be able to adjust the gearbox.
FYI: upper ball joints (non load bearing) rarely ever go bad

 

Agree........but the problem is........to R&R the lower ball joint with a C-Press, you need to remove the upper ball joint......so, while it out......might as well install a new one.......

 

I don't know the exact model (especially since the OP omitted the year an model) , so, why do you have to remove the upper to do the lower ?
Typically you just pop it out of the spindle and leave the upper bj connected to the A arm