Loose steering in my old work truck

[HardDrive]

I just bought a 1993 F-150 for making dump runs. It cost me a cool $1000. Rough but runs well.

The steering is loose. Where do I start? There is no clunking or jerky movements, its just very unresponsive, even more than one would expect from an old truck. Power steering works fine.

Any thoughts?

[Eric 951]

steering stabilizer, tie rod ends, upper and lower ball joints.

in that order.

[BlueSideUp]

I'm not familiar with the F150 other than I learned to drive in one with a granny 1st and four on the floor. If it uses a Saginaw steering box like MOPAR trucks there is an adjustment on the top to adjust the height of the pitman shaft inside the box. If it's never been adjusted it might be worn out by now but the adjustment is easy.



Try this one out.

http://www.monte-list.nu/tech/boxmesh.shtml

or this

http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=259494

Here's one about a 1993 F150 with sloppy steering

http://autorepair.about.com/library/faqs/bl136h.htm

[azasadny]

Yep, ball joints! I just had the ball joints replaced on my '74 911 and the difference is simply amazing!

[legion]

Lower ball joints. The first thing I did on my '97 F150.

[oldE]

Sorry guys, his older F-150 has kingpins on the ends of Ford's 'Twin I-beam suspension'.

HardDrive, if you haven't already crawled under the front of that thing and given the idler arms and tie rod ends a good shake, that's where I'd start.

Good luck,
Les

[Laneco]

When I'm examining suspension on any vehicles, I do it with someone in the vehicle moving the steering while I look (parking brake on yada yada). You don't need the full steering range, start with the steering centered and go about 90 degrees each way for a total of 180 degrees of travel (9 o'clock to 3 o'clock). That should easily let you see the workings of all suspension points on this truck.

Look for movement other than rotational, especially a movement of one part that does not correspond with the attaching part. Movement in the vertical direction is also bad but on certain types of suspension, you can tighten the castle nut and remove the play. Some play, acceptable even normal, too much is bad.

If you cannot get steering movement with 90 degrees of movement in the wheel, do the adjustment first, then recheck the suspension.

You may be very surprised at how much play you take out of the front end by adjusting the steering box. Carefully examine the rotational movement of the steering box even after adjustment. If you witness the steering box output shaft moving in and out - get rid of the box. Its shot.

angela

[johnco]

check drag link/center link. just changed one on my f350 and one on the 64 tbird. got tired of floating around the highway. That and I've had them break 2 different times at 70mph years ago. now that's fun.