Steering still loose, help!
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New User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13
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Steering still loose, help!
Hello, i have a 1985 f250 with the 300-6, i have brand new ball joints, brand new steering box, and new alignment, and my truck still wanders around the road all the time and has about a half inch of loose play in the steering wheel.
Thanks, any help will be appreciated
Thanks, any help will be appreciated
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
I would think that the play your feeling in steering wheel is normal. But have you changed steering coupler, idler arm, tie-rods, center-link. Remember vehicle should still track straight. Loose wheel bearings will make it wander. Tires (pressure & sizes). Suspension components can make it wander also. I wouldn't touch steering box unless you have tried everything else first. Especially since you changed it and still have the "wandering" condition. Good luck.
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 320
Likes: 1
I have all-new EVERYTHING on the front-end of my '83 F250HD 4x4, and it still wanders like crazy.
I own a tire/gen auto repair establishment, and my techs are excellent. We've got the truck perfectly aligned, and everything adjusted properly. I've come to the conclusion that these trucks simply wander more than other vehicles, so now I'm not worrying about it.
It does take some practice to learn to avoid over-correcting, but now my wife and I are pretty good at it when we drive this truck. Her '95 Explorer and my '76 C20 both have extremely precise steering and no tendency to wander, so the wandering of the F250 was definitely a concern at first.
These trucks don't seem to have a lot of caster, and thus, they have a very limited tendency to track straight without corrections to the steering.
I just pretend I'm driving an old-fashion truck and let it go at that
.
I own a tire/gen auto repair establishment, and my techs are excellent. We've got the truck perfectly aligned, and everything adjusted properly. I've come to the conclusion that these trucks simply wander more than other vehicles, so now I'm not worrying about it.
It does take some practice to learn to avoid over-correcting, but now my wife and I are pretty good at it when we drive this truck. Her '95 Explorer and my '76 C20 both have extremely precise steering and no tendency to wander, so the wandering of the F250 was definitely a concern at first.
These trucks don't seem to have a lot of caster, and thus, they have a very limited tendency to track straight without corrections to the steering.
I just pretend I'm driving an old-fashion truck and let it go at that
.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
Likes: 14
From: cape may county NJ
I have a 84 f 250 ext cab HD 4x4 and it has no play or wander in the steering and I have 33x12.50x16.5 tires on it your steering box is most likely worn out.I had a 82 f 250 4x2 that did that replaced everything in the front end and still drove like you were drunk all over the place.I never fixed it sold it and bought my 150
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 984
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From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Most people replace all the mechanical parts on the front end, but never the rubber parts.
Do some reading at this link, as it can explain it better than I can.
http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/cbush.html
If the old rubber parts are allowing to much movement, the front end will wander, especially with the added strain of over-sized tires.
Do some reading at this link, as it can explain it better than I can.
http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/cbush.html
If the old rubber parts are allowing to much movement, the front end will wander, especially with the added strain of over-sized tires.
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