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I have a 88 f-150. It has steering play but it’s barely anything I was wondering if it’s normal. I’m used to electric steering from the car I drive. I just replaced some steering parts, so I have to take it to get aligned since the steering wheel isn’t straight.
here’s pictures of where the play goes from:
Be very careful when playing with the sector shaft adjustment on the steering box. I made a big mess of mine when trying that adjustment. I way over tightened the adjuster because the play at the steering wheel was not going away and the steering was horrible and did not function well, driving was terrible. When I was working to get the steering back to a reasonable function I discover that root of the steering wheel play in my truck was the intermediate steering shaft, not the steering box. The intermediate steering shaft is telescoping, primarily to allow it to collapse in the event of a front end collision, and the play comes from growing tolerance between the inner and outer shaft. If you take the shaft out and pull it apart you will see there are shims and they tend to wear down over time. I tried making shims with material from aluminum cans, but never had lasting success. Someone on the forum used feeler gauge strips to make new shims and reported good success. I ended up replacing the intermediate shaft with a new Ford part and it was tighter for a while, but gets sloppy again after a while. My next attempt will be to use the feeler gauge material to tighten that slip joint up when I find it a problem again.
Ok, I’ll check that too. I won’t go more than a turn on the steering box. If it doesn’t fix it within a turn I’ll put it back a turn and look at the intermediate shaft.
You will never get all the play out and have it like a R&P set up.
If the box has that much play it is time to replace it and dont replace it with a remanf. you pick up from the local parts store as all they do is install new seals so it does not leak right away.
Look up Red Head or Blue Top rebuilt boxes. The factory box is metal on metal at the supports and when the metal wears the box gets play.
The Red & Blue boxes are machined for bearings so no play over time*.
I installed a Blue Top in my 81 F100 and love it. As for play it is the nature* of this type of box to have a little play.
Go drive any car or truck that has the same type of box and see.
Dave ----
I'd check the steering shaft first based on my experience of doing it the other way my first time. The problem I had was getting the steering box back after tightening it, it did not just return to previous when I turned the screw the other way. You check the steering shaft by looking at it while you move the steering wheel back and forth. You watch to see how much the upper portion moves before turning the lower portion. If all the movement in the wheel is there, then tightening the steering box won't help. That check is simpler and way easier than adjusting the box. You don't even need to get any tools out.
Kinda figured all of it wouldn’t go away, unless something got replaced. I’ll check the steering shaft before I mess with anything.
I’ll look into those brands for steering boxes to.
I probably won’t touch the screw myself, I’ll probably have a tech look at that when I get it aligned.
Mine also has this issue (as I'm sure all of them by now)...can you even get a Ford replacement part now or is it only by the aftermarket (Dorman, et all) ?
I would bet if it's a true motorcraft rebuild, it has a new gear set inside. Dealerships can't afford to have customers comeback with sloppy steering after the service department changes their steering box.
Well it is your dollars but what happens if you get a reman and it is only a little better than the one in the truck and in 6 months has more play than yours?
If it is your labor then you eat that but if paying someone you are now paying 2 times for the same job.
I will tell you I am the first to say I am lazy and cheap but there are some places it just dose not pay to be either and the steering box was one of them for me.
The other is the brake system.
Mine has been on the road 3+ years now and I am sure has over 10K on it and still as tight as the day I put it in.
Dave ----
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