I am 16 and I have 1997 Ford 250hd 4wd. I recently put new to me wheels and tires on 16.5x12 weld super singles on 33x12.5r16.5 interco Trxus M/T. I went to get an alignment and they tried to give me a $1,700 bill to “fix” my steering which I’m not paying.

What are the best brands for steering parts and where is the best place to find them?

I’m fairly mechanical inclined and I’m working on expanding my mechanical knowledge to make sure I can work on my own vehicle.

 

XRF for BJ and tierods

redhead for steering box

oem for steering shaft

 

I took mine in to schawbs 2 weeks ago. They tried to tell me my spring bushings and shackle bushings being shot were the reason my tires were shaking 😂 these trucks are almost 30 years old. So yes they need work.. but cmon really.

You’re young and wise-asking for help. What Knottyrope said is what I’d say also.

 

I would add blue top for steering box.

 

Thank you for the advice.

 

Thank you it’s my first truck and I have been learning as much as possible trying to build my dream truck the way I want.

 

I’ve looked into it and I’m going to do it eventually it works great so far. I’m waiting for it because the truck only has 130,000 miles on it.

 

I just completed (December 2022) the front end on my 97 250HD 7.3 4x4, bought it new in 97, 180000 (Used as a farm truck hauling horses and livestock) no work except set of shocks and tires in 25 years. Put a full set of tires on it, they were in need, went to align and yeah it was recommended to fix front end, I got everything *****, tie rods, bearings and races spring bushing and front shackles and a set of Bilstein shocks for just over $600 delivered from RockAuto, everything is MOOG and I would recommend stay with MOOG, except bearings (National), shackles (Dayton Spring) and spring bushings (Wound up just putting new springs on it.). As long as you in no rush and verify the parts the job is fairly easy (you will need to pull the front axles to get the ball joints replaced) except the leaf bushing can be a nuisance to press out and back in, depending on condition of springs it may be easier to just replace the springs, right at $250 per spring from dayton spring, . Took about a week. I was in no big rush but its a night and day difference in handling if you up to it the way to go, and you can always just buy the parts over several paychecks, and when you get everything get to it, I would not do piecemeal repairs though, get everything do it all at once, then get it aligned. You can rent whatever tools you need from autozone, oreillys, etc for basically nothing, pay deposit then get deposit returned when tools returned. You might want to look at the pivot bearings while you are in there, again I used MOOG. Hope this helps sure others have suggestions as well, not at all uncommon to have to rebuild the front end of any vehicle over time.

 

that’s what I was going to tell him, he says he’s 16. So I’m not sure if he has a job yet. But if you do Zach you can buy the parts you need over a span of time and then do the repairs. Unless you have all the $$ of course. You’ll probably find yourself wanting to make repairs and upgrades often so having some source of income is a great idea

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ring-slop.html

the drag link attaches to top rather than side for better steering

XRF ball joints have lifetime warranty too.

I used moog for many years before and IMO their quality has done down some.

 

Thank you for your advice it’s very helpful I will definitely be looking into it. I have most of the tools I will need and I have access to a 2 post lift which should be very helpful.

 

I do have a good job I work for a welder after school and work on my family’s ranch on weekends if I don’t have welding competitions. I have been saving up for a while about $4,000 saved and I will be using my money I make from selling my pig to buy more stuff.

 

10lb slide hammer is helpful for spindle removal and pulling race/bearings/seals out
5 lb works but take too many hits

2 post is nice to have, the front is really heavy on these with its 1000lb block

 

Thank you I’ll definitely get one.

 

Moog is Great for BJs and Rods, Personally, I'd (steer) away from a stock steering shaft, Borgeson makes one for our trucks that seems to be superior but time will tell.