Hi folks,

I got a 2004 F250 Super duty V20 Full crew cab King Ranch. I have had the entire front end rebuilt, $5400 and we are having some serious issues.

1. The truck constantly drifts to the left, despite the alignment numbers saying it’s dead center.

2. The truck has no turning radius turning right.

3. When braking medium-to-hard the truck pulls really hard to the right.

4. they replaced the gear box (twice) but there is still play in the steering wheel.

Any would really be appreciated.

thanks in advance

 

Play in the wheel, just left to right and not like you can wiggle the wheel around in a circle. left to right, have someone watch the steering shaft as it leaves the firewall and heads for the box, if you move the wheel and the shaft doesn't move with it (lags) then you may have a bad joint in your tilt wheel column. If the shaft moves with the wheel keep going futher toward the box there is likely a slip joint in the shaft watch both side of that. How about at the box? Does the shaft move and the pitman arm doesn't maybe the splines in the shaft side are worn and sloppy. The box splines on a new rebuilt box should be nice but if the splines are tight and there is no slop in that junction and the pitman arm doesn't follow the movement then the worm inside is incorrectly gapped. It can be adjusted with the set screw but WTF on a new box?

Slop in the steering shaft could also explain the drift to the left as its just kind of drifting until everything tightens up in the shaft and it has to stop, the worm could also do that.

Braking to the right under pressure denotes the LEFT caliper has an issue, likely its binding up and not closing as easily as the right.

 

Make sure that the front axle U joints are not frozen up,

 

Might take a look at this

 

thanks, With engine off, the steering wheel moves considerably and the steering shaft moves along with it, however, the pitman arm never offers to move. The gear was replaced with refurb and later changed out with a remanufactured box. Got better but still bad.

 

Everything was replaced. Everything!! Every bushing, u-joint, tie end, shock, steering stabilizer, sway bushing, rotors brakes, everything,

 

how about a brake flex line that has imploded and is acting as a 1 way valve? Were the brake flex hoses replaced? If you jack up the front end, pump the brakes then release them can you rotate the front wheels easily?

 

what was it like before the $5400 front end rebuild?

If you have the front end jacked up with engine off how hard is it to turn the steering wheel, would be nice to have a power steering hose disconnected for this but you should be able to tell if something is binding.

If new ball joints were installed it is possible that they were damaged on the install,

 

Lot of issues here but if you are drifting to the left but are zeroed out.. The issue would likely be your driving style.. Likey you favor close to the middle line.. This i find pulls to the left... If you go favor the right line should pull to the right.. Theres a spot in the middle that will track straight.. Go try it out.. For the rest if the issue sounds like the messed up pretty bad.

 

I know what your saying, and yes driving habits are certainly a consideration. But not here, it definitely pulls to the left. Everyone that drives it says the same thing without me ever offering to bring out the deficient.

 

All the brake lines where replaced. Brakes act good on the rack. Pump em up, keep pressure on the tire and you fill it bleed off as it start moving, both side act the same, but that won’t show the reaction during a load like actually stopping.

 

when I first brought it back and told them the main problem was that kept having dance with steering, the guy behind the said “oh yeah ball joints are too tight”. WHAT!!!! NO!! the steering is NOT locking up.

I haven’t turned it with the front end up, but on the ground there is a degree of difficulty until the tires start moving. But it’s the same both ways.

 

Allot of piping, and one could grap the top of both wheels and pull them in and out.

however it drove straight, and had good turning radius both left and right.

 

just clocked the Turing radius.
turni g right the steering wheels turns 1.75 revolutions
going left it turns 2.75 times.

 

They didn't center the steering box when they installed it, that's why the steering wheel turns are different left to right. That could be some of your drift problems. When a box is straight ahead, there's an internal bypass so you don't get power assist until you go off center. Since the box is off center when you're going straight, there's some power assist being applied, possibly causing your wander. Sounds like some real bonehead work, I'd be worried about what else they didn't do right that will be an issue in 5, 10, 15K miles. For what they charged you that truck shoulda been perfect. Was this at a stealership?