Hey everybody, this is my first post on this site. I just bought a 99' F250 Super Duty. It's my first diesel and I love it. It's got a lot done to it. 4" lift with 365s, new Garret turbo with a Banks waste gate. Edge Attitude system and a whole host of other goodies. I've got it in the shop right to take care of a little bit of loose steering. It has almost 190k miles but still goes strong with no rattles. My mechanic found an issue with the steering though, unrelated to the loose steering problem. The truck steers more to the right then to the left. You can make 2 1/4 revolutions to the right but only 1 1/2 to the left. There is a bracket that was installed with the 4" Donahoe lift that looks like it might be in the way of the drop pitman arm. But the steering stops about a 1/4 inch away from the bracket. So the pitman arm never actually makes contact with the bracket. i'm not sure if the steering was adjusted like that on purpose or what. If u-turns are difficult in stock form, this makes them totally impossible. Let me know if this is just something that comes with the lift or if there is something that I can do about it. Thanks guys and i'm stoked to be a diesel owner now.

Brian

 

A big Welcome to the Forum... I sure someone will help you with your steering question..

 

Welcome to FTE Brian.

I have no idea what the problem is if there is one. I don't have a lift on my truck. This should get you back to the top, so more people will come in here to give you a hand with this. You will love this place. Stick around and learn.

 

Any chance you could get some pictures? You can open a free account at Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket or Webshots - Photo Sharing, Free Wallpaper and Free Screensavers, load your pictures there and then link to them here (since you are too new as yet to have a gallery here).

 

Here is my guess,when you put the new drop pitman arm on you did not center the steer box before you put the new pit arm back on. You have to make sure of this even though the steering box should have an index slot.

 

I didn't put the lift on but I think that this is a really good possability. I will post back on if it worked or not.

 

I'm not a front end guy, But I can play one on TV.

if the tie rod ends aren't more or less centered on their bars, L to R, you'll get this also. someone said also that there is a centering adjustment on the joint near the pittman arm.

probably the fastest way to get this resolved it to take it to a GOOD front end guy, and whine a bit during an alignment. I had a guy in bakersfield, but he retired.