Hello all. I am looking for some info. My 1979 f150 4x4 has recently developed some severe wandering issues. Randomly will put you in the other lane of traffic. A little back story I am a mechanic by trade. I have daily driven this truck for 4 years. Front end is good.. Ball joints etc. Only play I have is lower column bearing and play in the steering gear. New development is appears if the box flexes on the frame bolts are tight. I have not removed the box yet. Waiting on a new one to arrive.
Open to thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks
Brent

 

What about the rag joint?

 

Rag joint and steering shaft are good

 

I have read about cracked frames... I don't think this is the case unless it is behind the box...

 

Check the front axle u joints. When the u joints start to seize up, it causes all sorts of strange steering problems.

 

If the drag link's ball joints are good both ends, almost has to be steering box. Doesn't take much slop to lead to wandering.

Mine's wandering was the SB, I put a Red Head Steering box on, difference like "night & day" (my '77 as '78-'79 type setup since late '80s, not oem inverted Y type). I did replaced the drag link a few years ago, it was even worse before then.

I had tried taking slop out of box just as several mechanics suggested, to no good.

 

Thanks for the reply.. Axle joints are in good shape as well as the drag link. Still leaning towards the sb. Kind of out of ideas... Been wrenching for 30 years.. Shouldn't be this hard lol.

 

Its those crappy factory steering boxes. Im replacing mine in a cpl of weeks with a blue or a red top.... slight chance your box to pitman bolt might be slipping. But my vote is the box is shot.

 

The factory installed bolts that retained the manual and power steering gear boxes to the frame were too short. Ford also used lock washers and plain 'ol nuts.

The nuts worked loose, the box began to wobble, the frame cracked. Not pleasant!

Ford sent a "campaign" letter to dealers advising them of the 'fixum.'

Weld the crack, weld steel plates over the crack, install longer grade 8 bolts and lock nuts.
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The Ford/Saginaw P/S gearbox* has a flaw, there are no bearings on the sector shaft, it rides directly on the housing. Before too long, fluid begins leaking from the sector shaft seal.

Red Head Steering Gears takes the box, machines it to install the needle bearings that Ford omitted...on purpose, so they could sell a gazillion sector shaft seal kits.

So called "rebuilt" gearboxes sold by auto parts stores are nothing more than resealed gearboxes!

*Ford/Saginaw P/S: 1969 F100/250 2WD & F350 from serial number D96,001 // 1970/79 F100/250 2WD & F350 // 1976/79 F100/150 4WD & Bronco.

1977 F250 4WD from serial number Y20,001 (not a High Boy) // 1978/79 F250 4WD // 1979 F350 4WD // 1980 and later F100/350 & Bronco, Ranger, Bronco II and etc etc etc.

 

Good to know.. Thanks

 

Did you get a parts house "new paint" rebuild? The word on the FTE street is X1000 on Red Head or Blue top. Why Redhead so good? I believe Bluetop does the same.

Our re-manufacturing process:

• Machining out the housings and installing needle bearings.
• Flame-spraying or replacing the shafts as needed Installing new control valves on some applications.
• Custom fitting each worm & piston assembly with special ordered, precise over-sized ball bearings.

Other things we do to produce a top quality product include:

• Install every sector shaft on a lathe to check for straight and true.
• polish the sealing surface to a higher polish than new.

https://redheadsteeringgears.com/

https://www.bluetopsteeringgears.com/

Check this out. https://www.bluetopsteeringgears.com...s/show/7669789

 

After buying Redhead steering gear boxes for two of my vehicles, I will never again buy a standard rebuilt box. Redheads are awesome. But before that, are you positive that your track bar bushings are good? A quick test for that is to sit parked, in neutral, no brakes, engine running. Turn steering wheel from stop to stop. If the truck shifts left / right as steering passes center, it's probably mostly a track bar issue.

 

I have checked again.. Very slight movement in the track bar bushings. I will replace them as well (only a year and a half old). I hope it isn't a mistake but I purchased a "new" not rebuilt box from Cardone. I hope it is OK. No stock I'm my part of the world. Converts to about $600 cdn with shipping.

 

A very slight deflection of the track bar can cause a lot of steering wander, bump steer, "clunking", etc.

Unless something has recently changed, gearboxes for our trucks haven't been produced in a long time, and the Cardone's are just standard rebuilds. They don't do anything special, mainly just seals. If it was loose when they received it, it'll be loose when they ship it. I learned that the hard way.

 

I will update when I receive it.. Thx for the input.