I first started feeling a binding in what felt like the upper area of the steering wheel/column. Then noticed for the first time some side to side and up and down play in the wheel itself.
There has been for the year I have owned the truck, some play in the steering that I could not get out by adjusting the PS box and thought that was in the parts of the tube that slide together. I have read that you can pinch tighter, just haven't done that yet.
The binding has gotten to the point I will not drive it anymore and I'm tearing into it today (Sat).
I just want to make sure that I'm thinking right in that I'm assuming that it is the steering column bushing, at least the top one, gone out.
I'm going to first put the front end up on jack stands and try the steering to try to eliminate in my mind the chance of anything else binding. The truck doesn't wander or pull. It stops straight. and just makes the usual noises going though bumps, potholes and curbs.
I've got the instructions from the manual on how to remove the steering column and looked through the treads here.
Any thoughts, ideas, links, pictures or kicks in the head would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe I've missed something.
Thanks, Scott

PS This gradually got worse over the last 6-8 months and about 3-4k miles




'97 F350 PSD
2Wheel drive, E40D, XLT, Crew cab, SRW, 175K

 

Well, the question of whether the problem is in the column or not is solved.
I removed the u-joint on the steering under the dash and the wheel spins around over and over, but if you turn one way 2 0r 3 turns and then the other it will bind or tighten up. Now... it feels looser than when it was attached, but I attribute that to not having any resistance from the linkage and the ground.
So now I will go about the process of removing the wheel etc.

Wish me luck.

 

Good luck. Sorry I don't have much info for you I have not been in the wheel column yet.

 

Be careful about spinning that steering wheel around so that you don't break the clockspring.

 

Well folks, I had family come in from out of town unexpectedly on Sat and I didn't get any farther on my tear down of the column. Maybe was a good thing as my new job is not going to give me much time to work on it and I don't want to leave my wife without a vehicle for too many days. This project is going to take some time as I haven't gone there before.
My local yards want $150 and up for a used column with no warranty which was my first plan to get on the road fast. Then I would rebuild my original as I had time.
I called the local dealer today and they said they could do both top and bottom bearings for $425 plus tax.
I'm thinking that it may be a swallow-able price to pay.
What say you?

 

Pull out the column & see if one of the guys at the Ford dealer can fix it on the side for around $100 plus parts. I used to fix stuff like that all of the time. If you want, send it to me in Georgia & I can fix it.

 

Well tbone, I really wish I had seen your post before I dropped my truck off at the dealer last night. I also wish I had gone with my first instinct and gone to the junk yard and bought a used one. I got the call today at work from the dealer that the "technician" had pulled the column apart and found that not only the bearings were gone, but the shaft and the housing were ruined and the $425 quote was no longer valid. It would now take $900 to fix it.
Now I am not going to say they are lying about the damage or the price it will take to fix it. They have liability issues to deal with in working on the steering.
I just might have been able to fix it to "MY" specs a bit cheaper, even if it would have taken a long time.
Anyways, I told them to go ahead. I don't have the time to get it towed from them so I'm bent over and taking it.
Just hope that others faced with this repair will have a heads up on what the costs could be.
Once it's done, if they do a good job, It should be done for the life of the truck.
Scott