78 f150 4X4, 36" tires, no chassis lift. I had the radius arm bushings, all "C" bushings and a couple of smaller bushings replaced with poly today (all were original rubber bushings and all were shot). It's a little firmer feeling now but the steering is still "sloppy." A lot of play in the steering wheel. Rag joint is OK, everything looks OK. Any advice as to what to look at next?

Thanks

Stan

 

Could be a few things, if the tierod and drag link have never been replaces, could be time for that, also, your steering box could be out it's way out.

 

Thanks, I'll check.

 

If you can tell the difference in the "play" it might help to isolate the problem. If the tires seem to wobble and wander, it may be the drag link and tie rods. If it seems like the tires ride smooth and straight, but the steering wheel feels "sloppy", then it can be the gearbox or the shaft. You can adjust the gearbox setscrew to tighten it up (1/4 turn), but take a closer look at the rag joint. It may look fine, but watch it for slop as someone turns the steering wheel side to side.

 

On a 78 4x4 with 36 inch tires I would check ball joints and wheel bearings first. On the ball joints with big tires, the upper usually goes first. Bad ball joints give sloppy steering and kind of a death wobble if they are really bad.

With the bigger tires it gets harder to check the joints and stuff in the normal way, so
considering the weight and size of the tires, here is how I would check.

Get the front end completely off the ground, about two inches under the tires. Get a four+ foot pry bar, slide it under the tire front to back and then side to side while you are under the truck. Pry up and down while watching the ball joints.

The other way is to hook a tire iron on the top of the tire, while pushing on it from the bottom with your foot, while looking at the joints, with your other hand hanging on the drag link for support.