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Improving f250 steering

ANGELO

ANGELO

Red Numb Skull
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
453
Messages
716
Loc
BRADENTON FL
I would like to improve the steering on my 92 f250. This past year I feel it's just been really wandering around at highway speeds. I've owned and daily drove this truck for 6 years and a 95 bronco before this as my first car. So I'm used to sloppy steering, and it's never bothered me up until this last year. I'm really not sure if it's the truck, or just me.
It's has a d60 front end. Past 6 months I have installed cerrick customers heavy duty tie rod and drag link. Replaced my trac bar bushings. Blue top 4 bolt steering box. Borgson shaft. My ball joints and front wheel bearings are probably a year old. Couple year old bilsteins shocks. It has month old nitto terra grapplers.
So everything in the front should be tighter then it's ever been, but it's been bothering me more then ever.
Could it be worn out leafs? I'm not really sold on stabilizers, but would they help in this situation?
 
Could worn out leafs do it also? The leaf bushing have 100k miles on them. But I took a look at the shackle bushings and they aren't looking to good.
 
the leaf bushings are 3-3.5" wide they dont dont see a whole lot of lean. That shackle bushing is only about 1.5" wide and the shackle eye doesnt even fully wrap it.
 
TrailTamer said:
Have you look under while someone rock the steering wheel?

Most likely the tie rod rolls, causing your wander issue.
Click to expand...
That steering kit stops the roll. I need to look under it again. And make sure one of the new parts isn't bad
 
I was doing hi steer on my bronco with a 99-04 Dana 60 and looking for worn parts, interference, etc.

I had a friend turn the wheel as I looked and the steering box bolts were all hand loose.. tightened them up and wandering went away. Since you replaced your box, it wouldn’t hurt to throw a wrench on the bolts
 
Check the steering box preload/meshload.

Worn leaf and shackle bushings will allow some side-to-side movement under load that could be a contributor. Unless the springs are completely sacked out, the leaves themselves are probably fine.

Do you have a tilt column? They can develop play in the column universal joint. Or even in the collapsible steering shaft splines.
 
Yotota said:
Do you have a tilt column? They can develop play in the column universal joint. Or even in the collapsible steering shaft splines.
Click to expand...
The normal column has the joint too so that should be checked either way.
 
I don't want to mess with the preload, it's a new blue top. If I mess with it that would probably not warranty it.
It's a non tilt.
I have the shackles ordered, going to re torque the box, and borgson shaft.
 
ANGELO said:
I don't think I have the print out, a friend at a tire shop did it after hours. I did ask him about it thou, because my adjusters are stuck. He said the angle was fine.
Click to expand...
Casters are adjustable. They’re adjusted by bushings your upper ball joints goes into.

They shouldn’t be stuck if you had it out when you put new ball joints in last year.
 
TrailTamer said:
Casters are adjustable. They’re adjusted by bushings your upper ball joints goes into.

They shouldn’t be stuck if you had it out when you put new ball joints in last year.
Click to expand...
The bushings never came out. Didn't think of it when I did ball joints. I don't remember the number, but both sides were within specs
 
Maybe rotate tires? See if it changes. A bad tire can have you chasing your alignment forever.
 
Caster is self centering and prevents wandering even with worn out components.

Suggest checking caster yourself with simple angle gauge on bottom of knuckle. quick and easy to do.

spec may be as low as 1* which may not drive well. 3 is minimum for a lifted truck IMO.
 
Ill see if i still have my angle gauge and check it this weekend
Its also stock high 4x4 btw. It has the 250 lift blocks in the rear, and the f350 leafs front
 
My new borgson shaft has slop in it... No wonder it feels the same way it felt before that shaft. Calling on Monday for warranty.
The axle also moves side by side, lower trac bar bushings has some give and the front shackles.
I did moog trac bar bushings like 6 months ago. What would make it wear out so fast? Maybe the shackles?
 
I don't think mine last at long as they should either, I just attribute it to 35s on a tow rig and deal with it. It's always the lower bushing that goes first.

Honestly I think mine handles pretty good, but it's got a shackle reversal. Redhead box with a rebuilt stock steering shaft. I would consider the shackle reversal; IMO the stock suspension leaves a lot to be desired, and with the shackle in front the tracbar is working a lot harder than if it was in the back. And the stock shackles are a pretty dumb design.
 
reptillikus said:
I don't think mine last at long as they should either, I just attribute it to 35s on a tow rig and deal with it. It's always the lower bushing that goes first.

Honestly I think mine handles pretty good, but it's got a shackle reversal. Redhead box with a rebuilt stock steering shaft. I would consider the shackle reversal; IMO the stock suspension leaves a lot to be desired, and with the shackle in front the tracbar is working a lot harder than if it was in the back. And the stock shackles are a pretty dumb design.
Click to expand...
I don't want it taller then stock. I consider the shackle reverse when I did the d60 and decided not to because of the hight.
 
Fair enough. I feel like a 2" lift night be obtainable, but I doubt you could get it to work at stock height without considerable work. It might be worth designing a better tracbar tho, and maybe a better shackle too. I think Ford made that weird A-shaped shackle because they didn't want to redesign the frame horn, but I'm guessing it doesn't have the lateral support it needs to handle the load the suspension sees, and the tracbar gets abused as a result.
 
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ANGELO said:
I don't want it taller then stock. I consider the shackle reverse when I did the d60 and decided not to because of the hight.
Click to expand...

That's what was stopping me from doing it to my 96. It's a tow rig and I don't want/need it any higher than it is now.

But..... I've been strongly considering buying all the brackets from Sky's Off Road and swapping in a complete late model F350 axle/suspension setup to get rid of the shit ride.
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
That's what was stopping me from doing it to my 96. It's a tow rig and I don't want/need it any higher than it is now.

But..... I've been strongly considering buying all the brackets from Sky's Off Road and swapping in a complete late model F350 axle/suspension setup to get rid of the shit ride.
Click to expand...
I've always thought my ride was pretty good. I don't notice much of a difference to my dad's excursion, and it's better then a friend's newer 2500 Chevy. It's just the slop in the steering, and constantly having to correct. Especially while pulling a trailer.
 
ANGELO said:
The axle also moves side by side, lower trac bar bushings has some give and the front shackles.
I did moog trac bar bushings like 6 months ago. What would make it wear out so fast? Maybe the shackles?
Click to expand...
How much of movement are we talking about? You detected this while the truck isn’t moving?

Side to side load on track bar is very low while moving at speed, which to my understanding is when the wandering occur. FWIW
 
The joint under the column is also new, that comes with the borgson shaft

I just replaced the joint at the box under warranty. The isolator was shot. That appears to have brought my steering slop back to where it should be.
I also threw on a single shock steering dampener. I like the feel with that dampener, doesn't pull the wheel on rutted roads or big puddles.
 
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