The verdict is in. And it is the power steering rack. It needs to be replaced. Of course, they didn't have one in stock, so it has to be ordered. But the good news is that they found the problem and are going to fix it without hassle.

Also got the oil changed and tires rotated. And the tires are wearing just fine, so there are not any alignment or balance issues.

 

I also have a vibration felt on my steering wheel between 40-50 MPH. I had my tires re-balanced last week and this took care of the steering wheel shimmy at 70 MPH but not the steering vibration at 45 MPH.

I scheduled an appointment with the mechanic for tomorrow. He and I will be riding together so I can show and have him feel the vibration. I hope we can find a solution to the problem.

I also have that same shudder-taking place that I have read about when starting from a dead stop. I love this truck, it is so quiet but it's a moving vibrator.

 

UPDATE: The new steering rack finally came in. It is being replaced this very second. I'll let you know if all is well after I get it back.

It figures it's today too. It's a super nice day outside today in southern NJ. And instead of cruising around in my 2004 F-150, I'm cruising around in the 2004 Chevy Impala they gave me as a rental. What a piece of crap.

 

ALL FIXED! New power steering rack installed. Of course, it took them the equivalent of two days to do. No recurrence of the rubbing to this point. I'm assuming that when they do this, they take off your steering wheel and cover over the steering column, etc. Can anyone confirm? If they do, it appears to have been put back on slightly off kilter. Nothing I'm going to take it back for, we're talking like a couple millimeter tilt, and it drives straight. But I don't know if there was a slight tilt beforehand or not. Don't rip me, it's just my **** way of wanting everything P-E-R-F-E-C-T. I can tell it's tilted because the horizon of the cover is not perfectly parallel with the horizon of the gauge cluster. The left side of the cover is slightly higher.

Oh and if any of you remember, when I bought the truck, the driver's door had a few chips on the shiny black piece of molding that runs along the side, by the window. They were going to order me a new piece of molding. Since then, they have ordered me two different ones and both have arrived damaged, as well. So I'm in my 4th month of waiting for this one stupid piece of molding. And now it's on backorder. As long as I get it by the time the warm weather hits, I'll be happy.

 

UN-FU#%ING REAL! The rubbing is back! And I think even a little worse! So they ripped apart my steering rack and it wasn't the problem! I'm so hot right now!

 

I called my service advisor this morning and left a message telling them I wanted to bring it back in so that the tech could drive it again to feel that it's back. They called me back about an hour ago and told me to not bring it in so they could feel the same thing. Said it would be a waste of time. They said they were going to see someone on lunch who they could discuss the problem with and they'd get back to me.

I told them that it's just annoying because I haven't really been able to enjoy the truck yet. I say that because it's been in and out of the Service shop for a few little things, since day one. This being the biggest. The truck has not been in perfect condition since I bought it. And they said to me, "Well to say you can't enjoy the truck because of this is a little much, because it's still drivable. I can understand if you were broken down and it wasn't running. But this is still drivable."

Well what's so enjoyable about taking it in to get something fixed every few weeks?! Sure it's drivable, but I'm reminded of the problem every time I turn the f%#king wheel! And last time I checked, I kind of need to do that...EVERY TIME I DRIVE!

 

Guigster,

I have the same rubbing problem, and was doing a forum search on it, and stumbled on this thread.

Do you have an update on the resolution of your rubbing problem?

My dealer has told me that my truck already has the updated steering rack, and as you found out, it's not the problem anyway. He also has an idea that it could be a bushing somewhere, but the truck isn't going back in until I can get hard evidence on the problem.

- Justin

 

jmvdigital,

I have no resolution yet. The initial diagnosis from my tech the first time I took it in was a bushing. However, when he took everything apart, he determined that wasn't the problem. Then after I got back from my last trip there, I started this new thread based off the information a different guy gave me.

Bottom line is, I still have the problem off and on. Usually worse after I've been driving for a while. I figure I'll wait a couple of oil changes before I take it back in. Hopefully by then it will either work itself out, or they will find a cure. I also notice it a little more when the outside temperature is cold. Perhaps it's something rubber that is expanding when the temperature drops, thus causing the rubbing sensation.

 

Getting the same rubbing in the steering along with vibration and steering wheel nibble. Any solution to for you guys yet?

 

No, nothing yet. I have been hoping that Ford would come up with something so that my tech doesn't have to spend days tearing apart my truck.

- Justin

 

Guigster... anyone?

Anyone found a solution to this annoying steering rub? Mine seems to come and go in noticeabilty. Seems less annoying now that the weather has turned warmer. Not fixed though.

- Justin

 

I've got the same problem and after reading the other posts I checked the build date (09/03 Built in Canada). Could it still be an earlier rack or is it more likely to be the steering bush.

I'm quite worried because I have the truck as an import in the UK and there's no service network for me to use here. When I had my first service done I mentioned it to the machanic (an American car specialist) who told me that it was the nature of the truck. I told him that I had never experianced it in the last four F150's I had owned and that I thought it was a problem with the bushes, he just told me that they could not find any problem with it.

If I go back there I'm going to need some hard evidence that this is by the looks of it a common fault and that there is a fix to be done.

I will keep monitoring this post but from what I can see there is two seperate problems, one being the rack and the second is the bushes or is one causing the other?

 

dcee,
My service mechanic also mentioned something about a hunch on the bushing being the problem. He already checked the rack and pinion, and my truck has the updated version already. Others in the post said the dealer had replaced their rack and pinion and it did not fix this problem.

- Justin

 

wow, I was just going to say a bushing.

I drove from Orlando to Tampa yesterday and I think I experienced intermittent vibrations.

It felt to me like either bad tire, weak side wall or a bushing. It definitely goes away once things settle down, but, occurs when you hit a bump at speed.

Replacing the steering rack is probably the right solution, but, I bet it's a bushing or bushing system that is really the culprit.

I had Steeda Bushings in my 1997 Cobra and I can remember having the same sort of vibrations in the stock from bushings. They were really sucky.

It could also be a strut or strut mount or bushing. The guy above mentioning Hotchkis is on the right track IMHO after feeling what I think might be what others experienced.

I only have 300 miles even now, so I'm not even broken in yet.

I also had the aluminum driveshaft installed in the Cobra and nothing I felt seemed like a driveshaft in the F150. However, I don't doubt many did have such problems. The stock driveshafts have always sucked. I remember Ford telling me the lash could have 6" of slack on an 8" shaft. Ford just doesn't get it and has always liked SLOPPY driveshafts.

OTOH there's no way I'm spending $5k on suspension and driveline upgrades on an F150 as I did with the Cobra.

 

I have no update on this situation, other than I haven't felt it since the weather has been consistently above freezing. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to wait until November to see if it rears it's ugly head again. Hopefully it won't.