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I fixed a lot of my Excursion wander issues with steering box adjustments and caster shims & 5* of caster. Problem is when towing I still had a white knuckle ride. After my ProPride hitch install didn’t really fix the wander while towing I made the decision to replace my steering gear box.
There were only three options in my mind: a Ford Reman, Redhead, or a Blue-Top steering gear. Others have rebuilt the gear themselves or had a racing/custom rebuilder do it. I didn’t want my Ex down that long so eliminated those options. Many here have had good luck with either the Redhead or Ford remains. Redhead quality control and customer service seem to have gone downhill judging by posts and comments here at FTE, which excluded them from my decision. I randomly decided on the Blue-Top over the Ford reman.
Blue-Top steering gears are located in ND and have been around since 1986. But, fairly recently a former Redhead employee bought and reorganized the company, pushing sales nation-wide. Blue-Top Steering Gears, Inc..
Not being 100% sure what model gear I needed, I talked to Ryan and he had me get the part number off my Pitman arm (turns out it was 36 spline). I ordered part #2764BS online and it arrived three days later via USPS large flat-rate box. It cost me $410 for the gear, $150 of that being the core charge. There was $22 for shipping on top of that. I have no idea what the other gears cost, but I’m pretty sure it was more than the Blue-Top.
After a couple weeks of poor weather I finally got it installed a week ago, following sammie0126’s fine instructions. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12565770. According to Blue-Top’s warranty instructions I also did a PS system flush.
First impressions: steering was better. It wasn’t horrible after my other wander fixes, but there was still a dead zone. That is 95% gone now. This last Friday I towed my 7000 pound travel trailer to a repair shop. The steering/sway was so much better there is no comparison. Take all this with a grain of salt as I don’t have anything to compare it to. I just know it is better than I had before.
I shipped my old gear off to Blue-Top last week via USPS large flat-rate box for $18. It arrived there Friday. I got my core refund today (Monday). I was holding off on this review until I received my core refund. So far so good. No leaks and the steering is solid with virtually no wander.
I have no association with Blue-Top. Just a so-far satisfied customer.
Thanks for the review. So you got the number off the pitman arm. I wondered about that. I e-mailed them and they never got back. Maybe because I used my old work e-mail. Yes final price seems good. I thought there was a 200.oo core charge.
ArmyLifer, thanks for the honest and candid review of the new to us (FTE) Blue Top steering gear. I have sent reps your way for taking the time to write up your thoughts and provide some good looking pictures.
I for one am very happy to see these on the market now. I wish they had been here a year ago, but I know where I will get my next gear if/when the AutoZone fails.
I was one of the lucky ones to have my brand new RedHead steering box leak after the installation. I purchased it on one of the group buys. I swapped the 2000 box with the 2006 box when I did the Dana 60 coil swap but it too has the sloppy wander. I've been waiting for someone to review Blue-Top. I'll try them next. thanks
My brother and I just ajusted his F250 stock steering box.. ( tighten it )
I am assuming you guys tried that first..
What seems to be the life span of these things ?
My excursion has 210,000 miles and my brothers F250 230,000 miles..
I have never touched mine
My RedHead has been performing flawlessly since the day it was installed... but maybe I'm lucky there - or the demand for RedHeads was so great that the QC fell to the wayside in recent years. Too much success has done in many vendors in the past. Clay, Ryan, and Brian are shining examples of not letting the success ruin the quality of service.
Kyle, I had adjusted my gear 1/8 a turn, then another 1/8 a turn 4 years after that. My gear blew the top off of it just after installing a steering stabilizer and backing my camper into the campsite.
I had about 230,000 miles on the truck at the time. I have pasted the link to the thread I posted about it and as you might see from the pictures this was an old style gear box with only 2 bolts and a diamond shaped cover on the top of it, not like the new ones.
I probably tightened the adjustment screw on mine about 2-1/2 turns over about 4 months. It helped immensely, but like has been said, it’s more of a bandaid. Apparently you can tighten it too much and then you are screwed. I didn’t want it to come to that so went with a replacement. I might have been able to tighten it up a little more, but just wanted to be done with it. I never did have any leaks in my factory steering gear. It was just too loose.
I bought a Red Head a few years back In I believe the same group buy that Rich got his. No problems here as well.
2 and a half turns? Sounds like way too much to me. There is a crush washer/sleeve in that adjustment that is really easy to crush. Once done you are done more ways that one!
I had a full 4” of slop in my steering wheel when I bought the truck 14 months ago. The adjustment screw got it down to around an inch. New Blue-Top is at around 1/2” now.
It's amazing what new parts will do for an old truck, eh? I recently had Duck Fan replace EVERYTHING in my front end including steering box, steering wheel, springs, etc. It drives like it did 19 years ago when I drove it off the lot.
I also bought the Red Head a few years ago and no problems. Now what I'd really like to see is a review of that Pro-Pride, I am thinking about the Pro-Pride for an upcoming TT purchase, I have heard they are well worth it for the safety factor.
What's the preferred power steering pump upgrade these days? just picked up another 7.3 pickup and it could use a little bit of upgrading in the steering department. I think I'm just used to driving my 2013 F150 too much...
06-11-2018, 11:52 AM
