Front End "Wander"

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Feb 20, 2010 | 11:03 AM

nut1605

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Jul 2006

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Front End "Wander"

My truck seems to have a little front end "wander" in a turn (for lack of a better term). While I am in a turn, I feel I am having to make little adjustments throughout the turn, and there seems to be a little play in the steering wheel, like it isn't instantly responsive when I make a correction. Then, sometimes, it seems to fight me...like the steering is "Sticky", and the wheel doesn't want to move smoothly. I have tires on it that are about a year old, and just put on a set of Bilstein shocks. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

2007 F-350, PSD, 4WD

Feb 20, 2010 | 01:04 PM

rb48f6

Senior User

Joined: Jul 2007

Posts: 410

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From: SE / NWL MI

How's the ps fluid level? How many miles on the truck? On pavement, on dirt, on all road surfaces?

Feb 21, 2010 | 01:17 AM

nut1605

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Jul 2006

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PS Fluid level is good. It's got about 42,000 miles on it, and it seems to do it on all road surfaces

Feb 21, 2010 | 01:56 AM

2danglong

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 207

Likes: 1

From: Desert, Arizona.

Past experience: immediately check the splined connection coming out if the steering gear box where it attaches to the pitman arm. I had the same symptoms and was driving with a half broken spline for 6 months. spline finally broke in the parking lot of IHOP. If it had broken going down I-8, I would have stacked it up !

ALSO: if you're new to Ford SD's. get used to crappy front ends, bump steer, "weird" steering, weak parts, unserviceable hubs and bearings, hard to align or keep aligned, bad grease seals, etc.,. etc. etc.

Feb 21, 2010 | 01:57 AM

2danglong

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 207

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From: Desert, Arizona.

ALSO- make sure your hubs are unlocked.

Feb 22, 2010 | 12:23 AM

ke6zmy

Senior User

Joined: Feb 2009

Posts: 391

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If you go to a decent front end shop they should be able to check out the front end components when they align it.

Ask them up front to check out the spline and the rest of the system.

Make sure the hubs are fullly in the unlocked (Free or Auto depending on manual or ESOF) position.

If its a ESOF 4X4 you may want to consider the system not fully engaged, or disengaged, depending on how you like to look at things. (You know, half full or half empty.) It seems as though the vacumm lines get a crack in them now and then and then they do/do not lock/unlock completely. I suppose different weather conditions can effect the system differently in the various locations around the country.

Though I suspect that with only 42K miles on it you may just need a new steering damper.