I took a look at the axle pivot bushing finally - they seem okay, but it is super hard to see inside there. I did develop a clunk up front... and after replacing the sway bar end links, that went away, but still no help with the steering issues.

Rear axle looks really good - doesn't look like it has moved at all on the leaf springs, and every measurement I can make comes up the same on both sides. I drained and flushed and refilled the rear diff, but it didn't do anything to help... but at least I know it has new fluid in there now.

Any other suggestions? I have taken it to Ford ($130) and they say everything is great and it is just the way an old truck drives... Maybe time to get a new one... but it seems like any old truck can be made 'like-new' with the right part replacement.

 

I still think your ball joints are bad. Test them under load.

 

I am not sure how to test them under load... I replace all ball joins (both sides, upper and lower) with Moog Problem Solvers... I had a clunk from the left before I did that, and once I had the Moog in, the clunk went away (but not the bad steering). Can you give me some direction on how to check them under load?

 

You need to turn the wheels by hand with the full weight of the truck on it. That's the only way to really know if the balljoints are okay.
One way to do that is to put 2 thin steel plates (flat!) under a wheel. Put grease in between the plates. Then turn the wheels by hand to feel if it's smooth. Should have no binding. You do need to disconnect the tie rod first.It's a bit of work but....

 

I took the truck to a frame/alignment shop. They had a set of plates like you describe and did exactly that. They 'unloaded' the ball joints by pounding on the knuckle to loosen them up, they moved rear axle backward an inch or so on one side so the thrust angle was perfect and did an alignment (added a bushing to change the camber on one wheel). After all that, still no improvement. They say it drives real nice now... but if I am driving over 40mph, I notice having to correct constantly... and if I am towing a camper over 40mph it is frightening. Pre-accident, there was no problems with the truck - I took the truck towing the camper over the SF Bay Bridge at 65 with cars all over the place... and now I am nervous when a car passes me on a nearly deserted two lane road.

I think it is probably time to sell the truck to someone wanting a low speed farm truck or something. I have put a lot of money and a ton of time into this and haven't seen one bit of improvement.

 

Did they give you a print out of the final numbers? What was your caster?

 

I also wonder how they move the axle backward an inch. I recently replaced my rear springs and I don't think there is any way to adjust the axles front to back. There are pins on top of the springs and they fall into the axle (with a block)
Did you see them do it ?

 

I have been following this as I have a slight wandering/failure to return to center/dead spot in my steering. Back in November, I felt the steering get "loose" all the sudden right before I parked. I had to turn the steering wheel 2 or 3 times as much as normal for the same turn radius. Thankfully I was pulling up to a friend's house in a neighborhood so slow speed. When I went to leave I knew I likely had a problem. Only made it about 20 feet and heard a clunk and the steering wheel was free spinning 360 degrees. The connection at the Pitman arm and steering box had completely sheered off. I was lucky to be traveling so slow and expecting an issue. Fast forward. Had a Redhead steering box put on and drag link tightened, new tie rod ends, and an alignment done. The truck is easy to turn the steering wheel, however it definitely takes more back and forth correction, seems to have a dead spot when the wheel is at center, and I have to turn the steering wheel much further than I ever had to on my stock steering box. The new Redhead is a 36 spline while my stock one was 32 spline. Shop owner says this would only make it stronger, however I seem to think this is causing my issue of having to turn the steering wheel more to get the same amount of turn radius as I did with my stock box. I.E. with the 36 spline and same diameter, the steering wheel would need to spun more to get the smaller teeth to rotate the steering gear the same distance. I could be wrong on this, but I think of it like gear ratios. A lower gear will be easier to spin, but you need to turn it more to get equal distance with a higher gear.

Sorry for the windy story, but just wanted to show where I am coming from. I too need all new shocks, but I want to try and figure out the source of my steering issues without having to throw parts at the truck. Seems like you have been through this process and have not really gotten to the bottom of it either. I hope somebody else can chime in to help with our situation. I have a 2000 F-250 SuperCab Short Bed 4x4 if you can't see my signature.

 

I did get a printout - caster is 5.3 on each side (due to some extra aggressive bushing I added a while back to hopefully fix this. Before the new caster bushing, I was at 4. I did not see them move the axle, but they said that they loosened the u-bolts and then used the porta-power to move it back, and then they used new u-bolts and tightened them down. They are definitely new bolts, and the top plate is clean, and the pin is all the way forward instead of mostly back in hole (but that is maybe 1/8 of an inch). Not sure how they moved it, but from the tire to the nearest bottom edge of the side panel (toward the front of the truck) is much closer to matching on both sides, where before it was an inch too close (axle forward) on the passenger side. So something shifted.

For the 32 vs 36 spline pitman arm/steering gear box... the splines are where the pitman arm connects to the gear box. I assume the gears inside are the same no matter which box you have, so the splines are really just to help fit the pitman arm snug, and aren't used as gear teeth, so I don't think it is causing the problem. My new gear box is 36 as well, but I never counted the splines on my old gear box... since I replace both the pitman arm and gear box at the same time, I just had to make sure they matched.

 

Why did you get a different spline steering box ? I'd also check out the balljoints. Sheering off by the pitman arm isn't normal. Was it in an accident? Severe impact?
I'd say balljoints or the steering box is toast again. Does happen, even on red head.

 

Shop I had work done ordered the 36 spline because it was said to stronger. Evidently the pitman arm had been cracked for some time because it was somewhat rusty where it had been broken. I do have a 4" lift, but it has had a drop pitman arm to match. The ball joints only have about 15,000 miles on them and steering box has maybe 3,500 at most. As far as the steering, except for the spot at "top center" where it seems like it does not catch or return, the steering works great and the redhead will easily spin the 37" tires at slow speed in parking lots. I just can't figure out why I now have to turn the wheel more to get the same amount of turning radius. I am tempted to replace all the front end components to rule it out, but that is expensive to do. The "dead spot" at the top would lead me to think tie rod ends, but they were replaced. I wonder if I need to fully replace the drag link instead of just tightening the big nut. Tightening the big nut helps, but certainly does not fix the problem and it also makes it stiffer to steer left than it is to steer right.

 

Tightening the drag link nuts shouldn't make any difference in steering-stiffness.
I'd still verify the balljoints. The whole 'having to steer more to turn' doesn't make sense at all to me. Doubt that has anything to do with tie rods, ballljoints or drag link.

 

If the rear axle was off by 1 inch side to side and the locating bolts through the spring were not sheared off you have something bent. I would measure from spring locating bolt to both ends of the spring on both sides, if they are the same the springs are not bent. If the springs are good I suspect you have a "laddered" frame, only a GOOD frame shop, not an alignment shop is likely to detect it. I have seen a frame 2 inches out of square but not twisted that 4 alignment shops said was straight that a good frame shop found and repaired.

 

Ok, I deal with this issue all the time at my job, going with all moog parts, great idea. I did see you said you properly torqued them, this is important step with fords and moogs. I wish I could remember exact numbers right now, but I believe upper is 69 ft/lb, and lower in two steps, 49, then 150. Like I said, don't remember exact, but that's about right, any tighter on them and they stick bad. Now on to the steering gear. I send many reman box's back for to much play, and being to stiff. I always recommend using factory steering gears. Red head box's are awesome, also very expensive. Now I would like to ask, when your driving is it like you are trying to keep it on a razor blade edge, or is it like your tires are soft and your herding snakes down the road? If it's like your on the razors edge the box is to tight, if your herding snakes it's to loose.

 

I would say it feels like I am driving down an icy hill... and it is hard to keep the truck going straight... it is just a feeling of not fully in control... things are moving around left to right and I am constantly turning the wheel to correct it. When I look under the truck and have someone turn the wheel, everything looks real smooth and fluid, no lag between the steering column moving and the pitman arm turning - it looks much better than it did. I just know that when I am driving I feel like I drift to the left, but then trying to correct, it is easy to over correct, and then I drift to the right, and back and forth every 2-3 seconds... I am not moving the wheel much, all within the 11 - 1 o'clock range (if my hand was at 12). I get this feeling like I cant keep the truck in the right lane, and am worried about not being in control enough to get it back to where it needs to be quickly if the situation arose.

I didn't get a factory steering box, just a cheap reman. It does have a warranty, so I can pull it off and probably send it back, but I don't know if I get a replacement or just another reman to try.