Originally Posted by RonaldReganHitman2000

So just for kicks ill add my story. my e-350 i replaced 100% of the entire front and read suspension from bushings to bolts, springs to spraypaint. aka 100% new in perfect order. got an alignment its SPOT ON now. wanders to the left MORE AND MORE over a few weeks. take it back, alignment still perfect. I did the breaks next. turns out the spindle nut was not tight. after fixing that the truck tracks flawlessly strait with the road as it should.

Originally Posted by wwwheaty

what is the proper way to tighten the spindle nut?

Originally Posted by manicmechanic007

If you want to actually use a torque wrench
Torque the nut to 18 ft. Lbs. to seat the bearings
Back it off 1/4 turn
Retorque to 25 inch pounds

Originally Posted by manicmechanic007

Which bearing nut do you have on the rear?
The ratchet type or the 2 nuts style with the indexing washer?
Both are easy as well
I do not rely on a torque wrench for those either as you will either get it too tight or not tight enough
Same sequence, tighten to take up all slack and preload the bearing, back it off and retighten to obtain .006"-008" crush (preload)
If you are really concerned about actual torque
Check google or a service manual for the torque specs and method
The 2 nut style is easy, 18-22 inch pounds on the inner nut and 150 ft. lbs. on the outer

Originally Posted by wwwheaty

what is the proper way to tighten the spindle nut?

Originally Posted by tabijan

If not already mentioned, JWA swears by a rear sway bar. That’s next on my list if it’ll play nice with the original front sway bar.

Does your stabilizer attach to the steering linkage or to the frame? I read it should attach to the frame for full effect.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/15...e-350-van/amp/

Sounds like that’s what you did but for the benefit of the archives, I got the frame bracket (F2UZ-3E652-A, ~$40) from the Ford dealer a year or so ago. The steering arm bracket is NLA from Ford but you found an alternative as I did.

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 196K miles

Originally Posted by JWA

Just when I thought we were finished with these threads about E-Series vans "wandering" we have yet another! If the existing threads aren't enough to convince people they're generally ill handling vehicles, never meant to be anything more. Having owned 4 of my own and driven 3 others sadly this isn't a problem that is fixable. Those chassis are just huge compromises in design which creates the handling issues we all experience.

Have the caster angles corrected closer to +5 degrees with acceptable cross-camber variations, make sure the tires installed are specified for your chassis and probably too often over looked what's the weight as driven most often?

While some variations in road surfaces might not be immediately seen visually they can exist and in turn affect a poor handling vehicle's behavior.

Personally I didn't experience any significant difference with the front steering stablizer installed but did notice a large improvement installing a rear anti-sway bar, any brand but Addco. It is possible the steering box is worn but before replacing it raise the front tires off the ground, have someone wiggle the steering wheel while you observe whether there is any slop before the tie rods and drag link are moved.

Since you've had at least 4 technicians not find cause for concern that should be sufficient to say your van is acting as it should.

Good luck with this!

Originally Posted by E-152

I have a 2008 E-150 that is difficult to keep in its lane. I have been following the thread A Real Econonline Steering Fix and I'm not sure that my issue has the same symptoms as is referenced in that thread. See end of this post for a description of my van's symptoms.

-- Three different shops say the steering components are tight. (There doesn't seem to be "play in the wheel." While driving and quickly shimmying the steering wheel left and right, the front wheels respond as expected.)

-- Tires have been checked by a respected tire shop.

-- I just had new rear springs installed and alignment done. That made the issue slightly better.

To determine my next step, here are my two primary questions:

1. With the caster at +4.5 and +3.1, should I have the 3.1 (right side) increased to somewhere around 5.0?

2. Would there be any negatives to installing a steering stabilizer at this point in the problem solving process or should I wait?


Description of symptoms:

The issue is subtle and I think that's why at least four different techs who drove it did not find that there was any problem that needed to be addressed.

I experience the issue at any speed but it is more noticeable at higher speeds. It's as if there's play in the front end. Yet as noted above, the front end seems to respond as expected when shimmying the wheel quickly left and right.

Example 1: The vehicle can drive straight for relatively long periods of time. But it will seemingly at random decide it's going to drift to the right (or left) without any input from me. It feels as if I've encountered a strong crosswind or a significant crown of the road when little or no wind or crown is present.

Example 2: Picture driving at any speed and moving into a left turn lane. What a driver would normally do to execute such a move is steer left a certain amount and then steer right a certain amount to properly position the vehicle in the lane. For anyone who's been driving more than a week, this is instinctive.
For the same maneuver in my E-150, when I steer left the van responds as expected. When I steer to the right, it does not respond enough. I have to steer to the right more than one normally would.