stearing wheel
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From: northern Maine
stearing wheel
is all trucks like this? when going down the road let say 50mph,straight road, i have to correct the stearing wheel left to right every 3 seconds, my wife car is not like that, the stearing box is no play, ball joints good and frount end just been allined. this truck has been doing this since i bought it 2 years ago. let say my hand is at 12 pm I have to corect to 11am to 1 pm every about 3 seconds, to stay in the middle of the laine. the arm gets very tired after 3 hours of this. has anyone else notice this, or is it normal for 96f350, My 83 f250 gasser is not like that.
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From: West Texas
I figure the difference you have between the 96 F350 and the 83 F250 is that the 96 F350 has a much more slower gear box that will stand up to a lot more abuse. The slack you have is about right more or less. What I would check for slack is with the truck off and on the drive way turn the key on to unlock the helm. Just don't start the PSD, then move the wheel back and forth to see how much slack you have like that. I do know that my 95 F350 does have a much slower gear box on it and its been really stout for steering heavy duty rough roads and helps control bad tires much better than the other trucks I have had over the years. The only problem I have had is in the parking lots that are a little too small and have really tight turning needs to move around and through them, this ain't what you need there LOL...
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Originally Posted by shendoa
is all trucks like this? when going down the road let say 50mph,straight road, i have to correct the stearing wheel left to right every 3 seconds, my wife car is not like that, the stearing box is no play, ball joints good and frount end just been allined. this truck has been doing this since i bought it 2 years ago. let say my hand is at 12 pm I have to corect to 11am to 1 pm every about 3 seconds, to stay in the middle of the laine. the arm gets very tired after 3 hours of this. has anyone else notice this, or is it normal for 96f350, My 83 f250 gasser is not like that.
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From: northern Maine
yes i have no play anywhere, you would think that these trucks would be able to drive in a straight line without correcting every 2 seconds, my son in law has a f250 1993 idi diesel, it don't do that. it drives like a car not much correcting, and he has bad ball joints. go figure
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From: West Texas
Guys, I really think its the slower gear ratio gear box on the steering, this will mean that for a little steering wheel input you would move the tires less with the slower gear box. So with the higher speed gear box the input to the wheel to keep the same truck moving down the road straight, would be less. Which is better for highway driving, but with bigger heavier tires and with more weight in or on the truck the higher speed gear box will be more likely to get slack beat in them quicker than the more heavy duty slower gear box.
Some tires would make this even worse for sure. You get the Goodyear Mud T's and these are a directional treat pattern which have been the worst driving tires I have ever used on the road. Great when you go off road though. Getting a more smooth street tread would probably help somewhat, or change the gear box out for the faster one.
I know what you guys are saying though as my 95 does all the same things as you guys have listed here LOL. Following the ruts that are worn in the road by heavy truck traffic will keep you awake for sure or in the ditch LOL...So far I just have been lucky to be bigger than what was in the ditch when I ran off the road LOL. I am not driving drunk either, I just like to look around a lot while driving LOL...
Some tires would make this even worse for sure. You get the Goodyear Mud T's and these are a directional treat pattern which have been the worst driving tires I have ever used on the road. Great when you go off road though. Getting a more smooth street tread would probably help somewhat, or change the gear box out for the faster one.
I know what you guys are saying though as my 95 does all the same things as you guys have listed here LOL. Following the ruts that are worn in the road by heavy truck traffic will keep you awake for sure or in the ditch LOL...So far I just have been lucky to be bigger than what was in the ditch when I ran off the road LOL. I am not driving drunk either, I just like to look around a lot while driving LOL...
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From: Perkins, OK
[QUOTE=shendoa]is all trucks like this? when going down the road let say 50mph,straight road, i have to correct the stearing wheel left to right every 3 seconds, ....]
I've noticed the same thing on my 97 F350 CC 4WD LB PSD, and I just had the ball joints replaced and front end aligned by a dealer. It's not bad, but noticeable. I'm thinkin' it might have to do with the straight front axle (Ford calls it a Monobeam). I don't think they drive as well as one with independent front suspension. I had a Jeep CJ7 that was the same way, only worse since its wheel base was about half of the PSD. Tires probably play a big part, too.
I've noticed the same thing on my 97 F350 CC 4WD LB PSD, and I just had the ball joints replaced and front end aligned by a dealer. It's not bad, but noticeable. I'm thinkin' it might have to do with the straight front axle (Ford calls it a Monobeam). I don't think they drive as well as one with independent front suspension. I had a Jeep CJ7 that was the same way, only worse since its wheel base was about half of the PSD. Tires probably play a big part, too.
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From: northern Maine
I guess you are corect, my son in law 93 f250 diesel has the two piece frount end, and it tracks very good. guess on the f350 it the what you said monobeam doing that not tracking,
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