steering
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steering
I have a 02 f350 with 69,000 miles.The steering has about 2 inches of play.It wasn't always like that.I went under the truck everything is tight.It look like the shaft coming out of the steering box looks like it was moving side to side a little.Do i try adjusting the box or does it need to be replace.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Central Coast of CA
Excursions suffer from a lot of steering wander, so tightening the steering box is very common for us Ex owners.
Though less common, the F250's do have their fair share of steering problems, and in fact, a popular upgrade is to swap out the OEM steering box for a Red-Head steering box.
There's a pretty long thread in this forum discussing steering problems people have encountered with their truck. A quick search should locate it for you.
Here are the instructions for tightening your steering box to eliminate the slop and play.
Locate the allen bolt and locknut on top of the steering box. It’s close to the radiator. The locknut should be a 5/8". Mark the allen bolt so you’re oriented and know where the start point is, then loosen the locknut.
Turn the allen bolt clockwise a quarter turn to tighten the gear mesh. Tighten the locknut and road test your vehicle.
Be careful not to over-tighten the allen bolt. If you do, the steering may become too tight and get extremely stiff during a tight turn, possibly causing you to drive off the roadway.
Keep repeating the sequence, turning the allen bolt a ¼ turn at a time, followed by a test drive, until you're satisfied with the performance. If you over-tighten the allen bolt, turn the allen bolt back a quarter turn, counter-clockwise.
There is a risk of over tightening the box and causing it to wear out prematurely, so I suggest you tighten it to the point where the slop is gone, and no further.
From what I’ve read on the forums, most people will turn the allen bolt three-quarters of a rotation to one and one half rotations before they’re happy with the results.
Stewart
Though less common, the F250's do have their fair share of steering problems, and in fact, a popular upgrade is to swap out the OEM steering box for a Red-Head steering box.
There's a pretty long thread in this forum discussing steering problems people have encountered with their truck. A quick search should locate it for you.
Here are the instructions for tightening your steering box to eliminate the slop and play.
Locate the allen bolt and locknut on top of the steering box. It’s close to the radiator. The locknut should be a 5/8". Mark the allen bolt so you’re oriented and know where the start point is, then loosen the locknut.
Turn the allen bolt clockwise a quarter turn to tighten the gear mesh. Tighten the locknut and road test your vehicle.
Be careful not to over-tighten the allen bolt. If you do, the steering may become too tight and get extremely stiff during a tight turn, possibly causing you to drive off the roadway.
Keep repeating the sequence, turning the allen bolt a ¼ turn at a time, followed by a test drive, until you're satisfied with the performance. If you over-tighten the allen bolt, turn the allen bolt back a quarter turn, counter-clockwise.
There is a risk of over tightening the box and causing it to wear out prematurely, so I suggest you tighten it to the point where the slop is gone, and no further.
From what I’ve read on the forums, most people will turn the allen bolt three-quarters of a rotation to one and one half rotations before they’re happy with the results.
Stewart
