I am still trying to figure out/solve my overly sensitive/scary/unsafe steering woes. I have done a lot of research on this board and on xpedition.com... and have found a lot of Expy owners feeling the same way I do (the steering in too sensitive, does not provide good feedbad/feel of the road and wanders all over the road... a very unsafe feel). I keep hearing resolutions from alignment to getting rid of the EVO pump. One post stated that Ford stopped using the Electroning Variable Orifice steering pump mid-year in 2001 (2001 is my year)... but when I called the dealer they show the same part number for the entire year. Also, it was the same for 02.

The thing that bugs me most is how a modern-day vehicle can handle so poorly. I know a larger vehicle will be more succeptible (sp?) to cross-winds... but my god, this thing is down-right scary. I am taking it in to the dealer next week to have things checked out... but I have my doubts on whether they will find anything wrong.

The other thing that troubles me is the talk on this an the xpedition.com boards is owners replacing the steering pump with one from an F-150. My first thought is great (I would do that also if it fixed the problem... even though it is sad to do on a brand new vehicle)... but I can't help but think, what does 'super power steering' have to do with the handling? Just because I can turn the steering wheel with greater ease doesn't mean the truck should wander all over the road... does it? I don't like the super sensitive feel... but I could live with it if it went down the road straight when I hold the steering when in one spot. Another user said it best (not exact quote) "the Expy changes lanes when I sneeze...".

Another question I have is do all Expy's handle this bad or is it just my year? I see a lot of hatred on this subject... but haven't paid attention to the years... yet.

I have driven A LOT of vehicles over the years (right now I also own a Dakota 4x4... and it handles like a sports car compared to the Expy) and this has got to be the worst handling one yet.

This issue has me so upset/angry. I just blew 37k on a vehicle that I HATE to drive. I also bought it (aside from the looks... I LOVE the Expy in general) to feel safer when my wife drives it with our newborn. You can imagine what I think now...

 

I have heard about this before, and read about poor driving characteristics online before. I have a '98 4x4 5.4 and it handles just fine. I read also that the Expy has a lack of 'on center' feel while on the freeway (the comfortable dead center cruising spot), something else that I have found untrue in my vehicle. Amy I lucky? Hmm.. . . .Do you have the air suspension? I do not, perhaps that is giving a lot of rear 'wag' in the drive. I do a lot of freeway and off roading in the Las Vegas valley, and don't seem to recall any bad handling even in moderate cross winds.

Good luck,

Greg Blakeney

 

I also have a 98 that handles fine. I have the 16" tires and I have heard about the handling problem from many owners. I wonder if this problem is more common with the 17" tires.

 

I know EXACTLY where you're coming from. My wife's '01 Expy is terrible. No center feeling, changes lanes on its own, super mushy ride. Her truck was built one month prior to the elimination of the EVO steering. I've driven brand new Expys without the EVO and there is a considerable difference. I'm in a pissing contest with Ford right now to have my truck updated. I want this thing to drive like my '01 F150, not like a worn out Mustang. I attribute some of the handling characteristics to the super soft supsension. Any deviation in the road causes your body to move thus providing input to the steering wheel. I can drive the same road in my F150 and not feel the road irregularities that I feel with the Expy. I'm realy sorry I didn't drive a Tahoe for comparison. I have some urethane bushings on order for the front swaybar, hopefully that will take care of some of the nose dive I experience while turning. If Ford doesn't do right by me, this will be my last Ford.

R

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 11-Oct-01 AT 10:55 AM (EST)[/font][p]In regards to the discontinued EVO... is there any proof of that? I called a Ford dealer and they show the same unit for 2001 (no split year) and 2002. I didn't check for prior to 2001.

Also, if the power steering pump is one of the major factors in this, I will replace the damn thing myself. But, what happends to the electrical wires/senders that fed the old one? Will the computer sense something is wrong?

 

Nevermind... I just called them back and found out that the pump is the same... but the gear box is different.

This is intriguing (sp?)... since the did not show any wires (sensors) on the gear box... but they did on the pump.

The dealer showed the non-EVO unit for $363 and the EVO unit for 340. I would have though the non-EVO unit would be cheaper...

 

I have 17" tires on my ride, and sad to say I have not been critical of the air pressure. I actually pulled the wheel in each direction at highway speeds to see what would happen and it returned to its center groove right away. I am begining to think I have a rare handling X.


Greg Blakeney

 

RJKobbeman-
I know exactly where you are coming from - my '99 Expy has no road feel whatsoever, and I wholeheartedly agree with the "change lanes when I sneeze" quote. I don't think the steering is "sloppy," but there is so little resistance in the steering wheel that I can move it without even knowing. I recently got the chance to drive my buddy's 2001 Expedition, and there was no comparison. His Expy handled like a Dodge (sorry!) - good road feel and resistance in the wheel. I couldn't believe how much nicer it was to drive. This ordeal prompted me to call Ford customer service, and after about 15 minutes of me complaining about the safety issues, the cust serv rep informed me that this was completely normal and there were no TSB's or recalls on the steering unit. He didn't know if there was a design change or not somewhere between the 1999 and 2001 models, but he claimed that the "super-duper power assist" in the Expeditions is the way they were designed. This makes it easier to park. I let him know that I thought they overdesigned the system, and that I think my design is very unsafe - and i also told him that they must have had enough negative feedback to warrant a design change in 2001, especially with the SUV rollover crisis going on. The conversation wasn't going anywhere, so I just accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do.

Time passes....

About a week later, I get a call from the service manager at the local Ford dealership, and he informed me that Ford has authorized them to replace my steering gear with the redesigned model that came out in mid-2000. After I overcame the shock I made an appointment, and I will have a new steering gear by next Tuesday. The verdict isn't in whether or not this will correct the problem, but I for one am very impressed with Ford Motor Company right now. If this works, I will truly have the perfect vehicle (almost perfect - it just needs a lightning motor).
Jerm

 

Jerm,

No problem with the Dodge reference. I own a 2000 Dakota and it handles AWESOME. It is rock steady.

Anyway, PLEASE keep me updated with your replacement. I am so close at replacing this myself... but would much rather have the dealer do (and pay for) it.

Can you give me the number you called so I can start down the same path as you? I have an appointment on Monday to have my Expy looked at... but near as I can tell, nothing will be resolved. Everything points to the non-EVO steering gear box.

 

RJ-
I just callled the regular customer service line @ 1-800-392-FORD. I will be sure to post an update after the new part is in. Like I stated before, they gave me no indication on the phone that there was anything they could do. The call from the Ford garage was a welcome surprise. Good luck on Monday!
Jerm

 

Jerm,

Thanks for the info.

Also, when your Expy is finished... can you let us know what the dealer did with the wiring/sensors for the EVO? I'm not sure exactly what inputs the steering pump and/or the gear-box receive... but they must do something with them when the non-EVO unit is installed (i.e. disable it or something). I can't imagine the new gear gets installed without doing something with the wiring in the pump. Unless the new, non-EVO units also receive signals for the pump... and the gear box is just different. This would imply a psuedo-EVO setup.

From what the dealer tells me, the power steering pumps are the same... but the dealer also says that the pump is what the EVO wires go to. (This doesn't make much sense.)

Rob

 

For the record, there is a sales bulletin that was published that says that the EVO steering has been discontinued on all Expys since April 8, 2001 but is still used on Navigator. The EVO affects the pump, not the gear. I looked under an Expy built in June this year and the wiring to the pump is gone. The pump looks the same, but probably has a different pressure regulator. I also suspect the gear is different somewhat. I drove this vehicle and it handles like my F150. There was a change in the gear in 1999, but my truck has that gear and it handles like crap.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-Oct-01 AT 11:10 AM (EST)[/font][p]rob_nc

That is what I was thinking... but Ford says the pump is the same and the gear-box is different. Doesn't make sense.

When you call Ford to check on the pump, there is no differentiation (sp?) between EVO or non-EVO (early or late year). But, when you check on the gear-box, they ask if you have EVO or non-EVO.

Does this make sense to ANYONE?

The EVO must tell the pump to do something... but must default to some setting when there are no signals present (i.e., no EVO). The gear-box must also have had some massaging even though the EVO does not directly affect it.

So... it sounds like the non-EVO setup is a combination of no variation in the pump and a different gear.

Does anyone know if an F-150 gear is the same as the non-EVO gear?

 

I haven't looked into the differences between F150 gears and non-EVO gears, but there is a difference between EVO gears and F150. The way EVO works is the pressure output from the pump is controlled by a variable orifice depending on road speed, engine rpm, and steering wheel input. I suspect the non-EVO gears have a different ratio to compensate for the lower pump pressures of the non-EVO pump.

Has anyone else started conversations with Ford regarding this matter? I have, but am getting nowhere.

R

 

All of that makes perfect sense... except your reference to the non-EVO pump. Ford says the pumps are the same (EVO vs non-EVO). Ford makes no distinction between EVO power-steering pumps and NON-EVO power-steering pumps. I called them and priced the pump... and they do not show a difference. Only in the gear do they need to know EVO or non-EVO.