i changed out the rag joint. the little rubber disk in between my steering column and the steering pump. wow the difference is major. well worth the headaches. my steering is so rediculously tight. no slop anymore whatsoever. got it for 10 bucks at napa.

 

Yup, it don't take much slop to make steering feel really loose. The rag might "look" okay, but if you look at the safety pin area you'll notice rub marks from them hitting. That means the joint is loose and needs replaced.

Been there, done that.

 

yeah unfortunately though it doesnt seem very strong the way its mounted. like you only actively have 2 mounting points and not 4. 2 bolts are just there and the other 2 bolts are actually holding it snug and doing all the work. i wish it was mounted on there at all 4 points like a champ. also i believe the #1 common cause of these things to get worn out are parkin lots or trying to reef on the wheel without being in motion. i know my power steering pump is not strong enough for certain situations and i probly used to put alot of pressure on that rag joint. but not anymore, i take it easy on her because it feels amazing to hit a bump and not get tossed into the next lane.

 

If it was mounted with 4 points...it wouldn't flex. I'm sure it could be done, but the overall size would have to be increased and I'm sure they've worked out the logistics and figure it's ok enough. If it does break, it has the opposing two safety tabs to keep steering possible(enough). That is unless the cab is way outta whack which screws with the alignment.

 

Hey Dave, would you care to do a step by step tutorial for those of us that are clueless? I think my old truck could use something like that.

 

It's so simple the steps would be this:

1. Remove old Rag joint.
2. Install new Rag joint.

 

well its not that simple. i thought i could just pop out the old rag joint and slide the new one in but i had to pull the steering column to have enough room. beware of the 7/16 12 point pinch bolt thats on the spline. when greasy it appears to be just a rounded off normal bolt and 5 different 6 point sockets will not fit, needs to be the star 12 point. and then if the studs on the coupling are original and factory pressed in you have to take an angle grinder to them and then put in a vice and use a punch to get them out. the job was not fun but now the results made it all worth it.

 

you need:
six pack of beer
7/16 12 point socket
proper sized new rag joint
pry bar or tire iron
1/2" socket with different extensions for tight places
9/16" regular wrench
3/8" socket
new clip for your shift linkage after you break it off

jack the truck up if you need better access to the bolts that way you can turn the wheel and get to them

1. undo the 2 bolts on the rag joint that are undo-able
2. the other 2 bolts are probly not removable and mushroomed on there
3. remove the pinch bolt from the coupling on the spline on the power steering pump
4. dont touch the pinch bolt on the steering column
5. undo shift linkage
6. undo collar near firewall
7. undo the plate on the firewall
8. now you can see a humungous hole
9. go inside the cab and peel back the carpeting
10. undo the bracket for the steering column
11. undo the 2 bolts as well holding the column up.
12. slide it back without hurting your wiring harness or shift linkage.
13. rest the column on the seat.
14. put the new rag joint in and put it in the same way if you want your steering wheel to be straight, if its stock and you care, i personally dont cause mines aftermarket.
15. use some type of object to hold the steering column at the appropriate angle or have a friend do this while you are hooking everything back up.
16. enjoy
17. from now on dont try to ever turn the wheel if the truck is off or if you are sitting still.

 

what if you custom built your own rag joint out of solid steel? talk about some tight steering!

 

Probably destroy the bearings in either the box or steering column with the lack of mobility.

 

Thanks, Dave. Gives me something to look forward to when this heat breaks about the end of October.

 

Dang, looks like I was way off on the steps. Can't believe I left out the beer. I now remember why I thought it was so easy. My steering column was trashed when I got it. The cab mounts had rotted and the weight of the cab wore out the column bearings and the steering shaft had wore through from something rubbing on it. The PO welded the shaft back together but that was it. It took me a day to fix it. I had to figure it out on my own by finding decen parts in the junk yard. I had removed the entire column and all I remember about the rag joint was that I just took it off and put it back on. I guess the memory fades once you hit 40.

Just don't forget the 6-pack.

 

The column bearings are still available from Ford, I just got a set a month back, spent under $6 for the bearing and spacer.

 

how much of a difference did you notice when you did that?
do you have to pack those with grease?

 

They come packed with lithium grease already, so I left it at that. The biggest difference I got was that my steering wheel is now in the right spot in relation to the column, instead of being popped up and as a result my turn signals are once again self-canceling. I can't say too much about any other difference, since I did this as part of a power steering swap.
Very easy to fix the bearing, though, just take the nut off the top, pull the wheel then pull the shaft out the bottom, change the bearing, and put it all back together.