steering slop
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 113
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From: Western NC
steering slop
I know these trucks aren't known for precise steering, but I feel mine has something wrong. When I turn or change lanes, I need to over correct to go back straight, then correct back again. It seems that when I turn a little bit the truck won't respond until it turns too much.
Last week I replaced the radius arm bushings and inspected all the ball joints and everything seemed tight. This weekend I got new tires and an alignment, with all this work the truck is better but still not where I would like it to be. What else should I check?
Last week I replaced the radius arm bushings and inspected all the ball joints and everything seemed tight. This weekend I got new tires and an alignment, with all this work the truck is better but still not where I would like it to be. What else should I check?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,375
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From: Mi'kma'ki
my old 96 steering did this at about 120,-130k miles.
my dads 95 now does the same thing when he hit this millage.
i never did look into why or searched here for it.
what comes up via a search for the reasons for this? no luck?
i'd be interested to know why as well.
my 85 and my dads 84 never had this trouble.
the newer ones got real,real sloppy.like you say,have to keep over-correcting to go down the road.
i always just figured they had poor steering boxes and weren't worth fixing probably so never looked further.
200k latter and now the 96 is parked for sale,i do wish i had fixed this lol (didn't expect to take so long getting into a f250,but you know how it goes sometimes.)
p.s. sorry i couldn't help you there Andy.some one will be along shortly who knows im sure.
my dads 95 now does the same thing when he hit this millage.
i never did look into why or searched here for it.
what comes up via a search for the reasons for this? no luck?
i'd be interested to know why as well.
my 85 and my dads 84 never had this trouble.
the newer ones got real,real sloppy.like you say,have to keep over-correcting to go down the road.
i always just figured they had poor steering boxes and weren't worth fixing probably so never looked further.
200k latter and now the 96 is parked for sale,i do wish i had fixed this lol (didn't expect to take so long getting into a f250,but you know how it goes sometimes.)
p.s. sorry i couldn't help you there Andy.some one will be along shortly who knows im sure.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 212
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From: Cumming, Ga
The first thing I would do is check the air pressure in your tires and adjust accordingly. Secondly, there is an adjustment nut on the steering box that can be tightened to help take up some of the slop. Do a search on steering box adjustments and you should come up with the instructions.
Good luck, Scott
Good luck, Scott
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 228
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have you checked the steering coupler? it is a rubber disk located just above where the steering linkage goes from the firewall into the steering gearbox. most times it lasts as long as the rest of the truck.sometimes you get a powersteering leak and it wets this rubber disk and makes it soft, allowing it to flex too much. maybe not enuff to cause alot of play but enuff to make you crap your pants when it keeps going left when you just nudged it right. i had to replace mine, at that time not one aftermarket company made one for my truck, so i had to make one myself out of an old piece of bia ply tire. it was stiff enuff and re-inforced to do the job and was still there going strong last month when i sold the old girl.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 269
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From: Saukville WI
have you checked the steering coupler? it is a rubber disk located just above where the steering linkage goes from the firewall into the steering gearbox. most times it lasts as long as the rest of the truck.sometimes you get a powersteering leak and it wets this rubber disk and makes it soft, allowing it to flex too much. maybe not enuff to cause alot of play but enuff to make you crap your pants when it keeps going left when you just nudged it right. i had to replace mine, at that time not one aftermarket company made one for my truck, so i had to make one myself out of an old piece of bia ply tire. it was stiff enuff and re-inforced to do the job and was still there going strong last month when i sold the old girl.
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
And another check to do after replacing the coupler, have someone sit in the truck with it running. Have them turn the wheel, and see how far the steering wheel turns before the steering knuckle starts to move. There should not be much more than an eighth of a turn on the wheel, before the gear box starts moving the output of the steering box. If all the components are tight in regards to the steering, then the play can be found at the steering box.
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,558
Likes: 5,590
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
besides the steering coupler, or rag joint, there in a teflon bushing in the steering column itself that sometimes falls out. it is in between the upper and lower column, about half way between the firewall and the steering box.this is easy to tell if it is missing. just grab the upper and lower column shafts ands see if there is any play in them.
the bad part is, you can not buy just the bushing if it is missing. you will need to change the whole column.
the bad part is, you can not buy just the bushing if it is missing. you will need to change the whole column.
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