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Just curious what everyone is doing to make their trucks more stable to drive. I want to daily my truck or at least make it an option and it will consist of freeway driving
its a 1978 f150 4x4 short bed, James duff long arms, wild horses 4.5” early bronco front springs and everything else is stock/rebuilt.
ive adjusted the steering box and suspension has all new bushings but it still doesn’t give me much confidence when driving over a pothole or sewage cover. I’ll drift lanes and have to correct steering when I drive over something like that. I’m sure a steering drop bracket and track bar would help but is there anything else I’m missing?
Tires are worth considering. For instance, new mud tires can drift and make a new truck feel unstable. Sometimes air pressure makes a difference as well.
6 months ago I got 4 Firestone tires put on my f250. Black wall 10 ply. Immediately noticed a humongous difference in the front end drifting. Previously I had 3 sets I think of used tires on the front of my truck. Twice I needed tires, and instead of buying 4 new ones I was also in possession of 2 used tires anyway. So those got put on the front and new tires on back.
So these are the first brand new tires I’ve had on the front, and they took almost all of my steering play. Before I really needed a new gear box, now I don’t think I do really. The truck will walk around a little. But with the new tires I know of 10 year old trucks that mine drives straighter than. of course mine tires are 32” tall, like 7” wide 10 ply and slick side wall, not a 4x4 tire at all.
If you have a 4.5 worth of lift and do not have a drop pitman arm and or also a trac bar drop bracket or other options are to us a adjustable trac bar and or use a trac bar riser bracket on the axle. Then it sound like it is lifted and not done properly, and that could be your problem. Did you get new C bushings to account for the lift and correct your pinion angle? https://www.andysautosport.com/lift_...ford_f150.html
Insp the trac bar bolt holes for being worn out. X100 on tires and tire pressure matter. And X1000 if you steering box is worn out Red Head or Blue Top time. Also insp the steering shaft rag joint. Adjusting a worn out steering box is a short term fix.
yes all of the bushings are new. I’m not sure how to identify what kind of steering box I have. The tires are aired up to 32psi (31x10.5r15). The springs are 4.5” on an early bronco but about 3 or less on a dentside. The rag joint is brand new. I have about 8* of caster. The only old part on this front end is the stabilizer which is about 3 years old
Also besides the axle internals I just finished pretty much a full mechanical rebuild and replace of everything on the truck including the steering box. The thing was so dirty and rusty by time I wire brushed it clean there wasn’t any obvious colors on the box that would help me tell you guys if it was red or blue
You can see it doesn’t sit too high. Maybe an inch higher than the rear with stock springs. So 8* of caster should be more than enough
Are your front springs wild horse’s rock crawling progressive rate ones? If so they are crazy soft. I have them on my 69 Bronco and they are designed for rock crawling. My Bronco is a mess on the street cause the springs are so soft.
Stiffer springs will make a big difference.
If you like the soft front ride a sway bar may help too.
Are your front springs wild horse’s rock crawling progressive rate ones? If so they are crazy soft. I have them on my 69 Bronco and they are designed for rock crawling. My Bronco is a mess on the street cause the springs are so soft.
Stiffer springs will make a big difference.
If you like the soft front ride a sway bar may help too.
they seem to seem to ride pretty stiff in my opinion but I also have no concept of how these older trucks ride. For the past 3 years I’ve been driving a desert truck as a daily with lots of suspension travel so that kind of screws with my feel for a vehicle too
Also besides the axle internals I just finished pretty much a full mechanical rebuild and replace of everything on the truck including the steering box. The thing was so dirty and rusty by time I wire brushed it clean there wasn’t any obvious colors on the box that would help me tell you guys if it was red or blue
You can see it doesn’t sit too high. Maybe an inch higher than the rear with stock springs. So 8* of caster should be more than enough
Ok got it. As far as I know mine is original. I think it’s dated D6 or D7. I took it apart, re sealed it and inspected everything. I wasn’t sure exactly what I should have been looking for but nothing seemed damaged.
Dump the springs and rebuild the steering and suspension and it should drive great.
I bought a '79 f150 SWB 4x4 brand new and it drove as good as any new pickup today. didn't handle near as well but it was a pleasure to drive. I had all stock suspension but I put a 1 1/4" block under the spring perch to level it just like you do on a super duty today. worked great and didn't effect the way it drove.
Dump the springs and rebuild the steering and suspension and it should drive great.
I bought a '79 f150 SWB 4x4 brand new and it drove as good as any new pickup today. didn't handle near as well but it was a pleasure to drive. I had all stock suspension but I put a 1 1/4" block under the spring perch to level it just like you do on a super duty today. worked great and didn't effect the way it drove.
so I drove it on some higher speed limit fresh black top this morning about 65 mph and it felt great.
my problem with what you’re suggesting is that it all is already new or rebuilt. I’m going to get a brand new steering gear just because I feel like that is worth it and look into some solutions for pitman arm drops and track bar risers to fix the suspension geometry. I’ll see if I can find good springs or spacer that keep the ride height I’m at but I don’t want to go any lower once I put 33s on.
im kind of doing a balancing act of looks and performance on and off road.
I think most of my problems might be coming from being new to a solid axle vehicle and California taxes not fixing our roads because like I said it feels great on fresh roads and smooth corners but a lot of our local roads and pot holes are terrible
