Steering Gear, factory reman or redhead?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 2
Steering Gear, factory reman or redhead?
If you've changed your steering gear out to either the FoMoCo Reman model or a Redhead, what has your experience been?
The factory piece comes with a new sector shaft where redhead claims to install oversized ball bearings to take up the slop. I called redhead to let them sell me on their product and that was about the best thing they could come up with.
Personally I suspect there is more trouble in the sector to block interface than in the rolling block/ball/worm interface, but have no data to support that.
What has your experience been? Thanks.
The factory piece comes with a new sector shaft where redhead claims to install oversized ball bearings to take up the slop. I called redhead to let them sell me on their product and that was about the best thing they could come up with.
Personally I suspect there is more trouble in the sector to block interface than in the rolling block/ball/worm interface, but have no data to support that.
What has your experience been? Thanks.
Veteran/Sheepdog
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 110
From: Western AR
Have you looked at replacing with an '05-'10 gear box? Bigger and better with more leverage. Just need to change the pitman arm and add/get the '05+ return line to the hydro-boost. Both those parts are a dime a dozen in the salvage yards.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
Back in 2005 ford spun off visteon who made the steering gear, the plant was run by a holding company called Automotive Components Holding, around 2008 ACH sold the steering gear plant to Linamar and moved it to Mexico.
I found redhead about 2007 after 2 boxes bought from the dealer were absolute junk. My anadotal therory is that the turmoil at the plant caused quality to fall... drastically. Maybe the motorcraft boxes are better nowadays but after putting redheads on 3 different personal vehicles I'm sticking with them.
That said, I'd agree a new sector shaft would be a better choice. As long as the rest of the remanufacturing process was done with acceptable tolerances.
I found redhead about 2007 after 2 boxes bought from the dealer were absolute junk. My anadotal therory is that the turmoil at the plant caused quality to fall... drastically. Maybe the motorcraft boxes are better nowadays but after putting redheads on 3 different personal vehicles I'm sticking with them.
That said, I'd agree a new sector shaft would be a better choice. As long as the rest of the remanufacturing process was done with acceptable tolerances.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 2
Did you do that?
I considered it about a year ago, I actually had one of those gears on hand to do a full suspension conversion before I shelved that project for time and cost reasons. The sector shaft is quite a bit larger on the never box however the pitman arm is shorter an has a larger bore for the drag link. I don't know if you could somehow fill and ream that drag link bore. If you could I don't know if you'd get full travel out of the already limited turning ability with that shorter pitman arm.
I considered it about a year ago, I actually had one of those gears on hand to do a full suspension conversion before I shelved that project for time and cost reasons. The sector shaft is quite a bit larger on the never box however the pitman arm is shorter an has a larger bore for the drag link. I don't know if you could somehow fill and ream that drag link bore. If you could I don't know if you'd get full travel out of the already limited turning ability with that shorter pitman arm.
Veteran/Sheepdog
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 110
From: Western AR
Pirate certainly knows more about this than I do, but I was under the impression the leverage was provided from within the bigger box itself (sector shaft). Interested to hear how he thinks the pitman arm figures into the equation...
I will be installing one on my truck in the very near future.
I will be installing one on my truck in the very near future.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
Ive used both boxes but don't really have much tech on them other then installing new ones on my rigs,
comparing a 2001 F250 / 2001 Excursion to a 2005 F250 is interesting however.
2001 Excursion Spec
comparing a 2001 F250 / 2001 Excursion to a 2005 F250 is interesting however.
2001 Excursion Spec
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
the scrub radius on the 2005 is going to be less with the newer offset wheels but I think there is also a difference in the steering arm portion of the hub.
I have a call in to verify as I have never closely observed or measured them.
To use a 2005+ box with a 99-05 axle I am thinking you would want to build a custom fabricated pitman arm. or find a afterwork conversion arm.
I have a call in to verify as I have never closely observed or measured them.
To use a 2005+ box with a 99-05 axle I am thinking you would want to build a custom fabricated pitman arm. or find a afterwork conversion arm.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 2
Interesting info, I wouldn't have expected that the turning diameter was only about five feet less on the '05, having had an '05 F250 4X4, I would have thought it to turn about a third tighter than the Ex. Maybe it's the 4 turns lock to lock for 50' that just feels bad compared to 3-3.5 turns (guessing) for forty-five on the later models.
Could you cross-breed the inner and outer drag links to make the '05 box work on the Ex? If you could, with that shorter pitman arm, would you still get full lock? Hmm..
Could you cross-breed the inner and outer drag links to make the '05 box work on the Ex? If you could, with that shorter pitman arm, would you still get full lock? Hmm..
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
My fiddling with these boxes is limited so you will want to verify but to my recollection these boxes are not internally limited, the limit stops are on the knuckles. So yes, the box should/might be able to turn enough to make up for the difference in pitman arm length.
Cross breeding TRE
A quick look online at them and 1 see a few issues.
1. Hard to guess scale but they may not be the same length.
2. Thread diameter ?
3. Even if length and diameter worked out that dogleg looks like it would raise the tie rod up maybe an inch ? Possible bump steer inducing issues with correcting the track bar angle to match.
A trip to the parts store and compare them side by side will answer 1 & 2
2005 on top
Cross breeding TRE
A quick look online at them and 1 see a few issues.
1. Hard to guess scale but they may not be the same length.
2. Thread diameter ?
3. Even if length and diameter worked out that dogleg looks like it would raise the tie rod up maybe an inch ? Possible bump steer inducing issues with correcting the track bar angle to match.
A trip to the parts store and compare them side by side will answer 1 & 2
2005 on top
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,259
Likes: 346
From: Northern California
Personally I'd be inclined to build a custom pitman arm by grafting the 2 together. 
we used to build arms for our rigs before the days of full hydro steering. No problems if done correctly.
Disclaimer * Have this built by a fab shop if you are not confident in your welding skills.
we used to build arms for our rigs before the days of full hydro steering. No problems if done correctly.Disclaimer * Have this built by a fab shop if you are not confident in your welding skills.