Steering Gear Box....
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 3
From: Broad Run, Va
Steering Gear Box....
So I think I need a new steering gear box... My question to you all is should I go with a quality reman like the Red Head or go with a new one (not remanufactured)? The new ones are about $500 versus the Red Head which is about $350ish... I found the new ones on Rock Auto but I dont know anything about the manufacturers.
I will not go with any of the local stores as they all sell reman crap that will fail in 12 months... and then you are replacing it again... no thanks.
thanks in advance for your opinions...
Andy
I will not go with any of the local stores as they all sell reman crap that will fail in 12 months... and then you are replacing it again... no thanks.
thanks in advance for your opinions...
Andy
Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 131
Likes: 14
From: Baltimore
When I did mine I went with Motorcraft and I'm very happy with it. I had thought about going with Red Head but then heard some grumblings on here about quality issues. Blue Top was another option but in the end I went with OEM. If it hasn't been done consider doing power steering pump at the same time. The combo of doing both made a world of difference for me.
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 306
Likes: 12
From: Greenbush, Minnesota
Sent my steering gear box in to Blue Top at the end of last week. It was back on my doorstep when I got home from work last night. Installed it according to their instructions and took it for a drive after. Night and day difference from the old box. The excess slop in the steering is gone. They have my vote if your looking to have yours rebuilt.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 868
Likes: 84
From: Florida
What's involved to get the steering box out of the 2002 F 250's? Is it hard and time consuming? I've got some loose play and was going to replace some front end steering components. The Steering box is original at 216,000 miles. Your thoughts....
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 3
From: Broad Run, Va
When I did mine I went with Motorcraft and I'm very happy with it. I had thought about going with Red Head but then heard some grumblings on here about quality issues. Blue Top was another option but in the end I went with OEM. If it hasn't been done consider doing power steering pump at the same time. The combo of doing both made a world of difference for me.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 3
From: Broad Run, Va
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 3
From: Broad Run, Va
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4wd Low
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I’ve used Rock Auto before and won’t ever use them again. Had an alternator that was bad out of the box after taking 4 weeks to arrive, and a brake caliper leak just out of the 60 day warranty. Haven’t had horrible luck with NAPA.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 898
Likes: 256
From: San Diego, CA
So I think I need a new steering gear box... My question to you all is should I go with a quality reman like the Red Head or go with a new one (not remanufactured)? The new ones are about $500 versus the Red Head which is about $350ish... I found the new ones on Rock Auto but I dont know anything about the manufacturers.
I will not go with any of the local stores as they all sell reman crap that will fail in 12 months... and then you are replacing it again... no thanks.
thanks in advance for your opinions...
Andy
I will not go with any of the local stores as they all sell reman crap that will fail in 12 months... and then you are replacing it again... no thanks.
thanks in advance for your opinions...
Andy
What's involved to get the steering box out of the 2002 F 250's? Is it hard and time consuming? I've got some loose play and was going to replace some front end steering components. The Steering box is original at 216,000 miles. Your thoughts....
Nice writeup:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-dummies.html
Crows foot wrench (16mm)
Pitman Arm Puller that worked flawlessly for me:
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Redhead here. They were quick with shipping and also with refunding my core charge.
The box didn't make the life-changing difference I was hoping for, but it did help eliminate some slop. It's been in there for about 3 years with no issues.
The gear itself is no big deal to pull out, but the pitman arm was a minor fight, mainly due to the size of the thing. Make sure you have an adequate puller. A cheapo might not fit. I got an OTC puller that was just big enough to grab the arm. But the bolts that keep the jaws from spreading under load were absolute crap. They bent and almost allowed the puller to slip off while under load. That will knock your front teeth out. I replaced them with some grade 5 bolts from the hardware store, and they held up just fine.
The box didn't make the life-changing difference I was hoping for, but it did help eliminate some slop. It's been in there for about 3 years with no issues.
The gear itself is no big deal to pull out, but the pitman arm was a minor fight, mainly due to the size of the thing. Make sure you have an adequate puller. A cheapo might not fit. I got an OTC puller that was just big enough to grab the arm. But the bolts that keep the jaws from spreading under load were absolute crap. They bent and almost allowed the puller to slip off while under load. That will knock your front teeth out. I replaced them with some grade 5 bolts from the hardware store, and they held up just fine.
More Turbo
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 719
Likes: 338
My redhead box worked out just fine. Their customer service has left me bitter. Paid for the return shipping, got it sent back in plenty of time, no core refund. No response to my email about that.
The fellow that started blue top used to work at red top. I will leave it to you to read between the lines about that situation.
The fellow that started blue top used to work at red top. I will leave it to you to read between the lines about that situation.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 27,357
Likes: 5,954
From: Lake Hartwell, GA
@afonda , if you have not already made your selection, I would ask you to take a look at the link below.
Link: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-gear-box.html
Link: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-gear-box.html
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