So I lately have noticed a bit of a clunk when I was going slow over little bumps.

Checked all my steering components and my suspension up front to make sure all was torqued and tight. Ball joints tie rods etc.

Got my wife to turn the steering wheel back and forth quickly and noticed the clunking noise. Not my tie rods or inners. That's all solid. So the sound seems to be coming from where the steering knuckle enters the rack.


Any ideas gents?? Is this normal and I've just never noticed it before? Or is my rack internally dying? No slop in knuckles or linkage either.

 

Did you unplug the EPAs or disconnect the battery before installing your levling kit?

 

Not sure. What could that cause?? How could electricity make a mechanical rack fail?

I've had the 2" lift in for close to 10,000 km.

 

I have the same noise! Stealership says it's "not an issue". lol.
Where are you getting that view from, up top or from under the truck? Are the tires off the ground?
Please let me know if you find a fix!!

 

The view was from the top down looking right at the top of the steering box and intermediate shaft on the rack.

Watched a few videos on the you tube and most point to the lower U joint on the intermediate shaft failing. I will have to look at mine closer and hope it's that and not internal in the rack. Like I said not sure if it was unplugged when the lift pucks went in. But I doubt leaving an electrical connection causing what sounds like a mechanical clunk or failure.

 

Mine makes the same noise with no leveling kit or anything. You can really feel it in the steering wheel if you hold one hand on the bottom while driving. If you go over uneven pavement or a dirt road it is real bad. 1st dealership said they could not duplicate, 2nd said it's normal. If it's like this now, what's it going to be like at 100,000 miles? Mine is about to go out of warranty, but EVERY single thing I bring up is "normal", "they all do that", or "we could not duplicate."

 

Winchested and nascar99ford,

Let me help. Send me a PM with your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and dealer info. I'll see what I can do.

Ashley

 

Thanks Ashley however my Basic warranty is now up and steering components are not covered under the powertrain warranty. I'll live with it until it gets real bad.

I dug into it deeper when I had the wheels off and I held the shaft at the rack and tried seeing if the play was in the Intermediate shaft and it didn't seem like it was any play in that. In fact I can actually turn the lower shaft on the rack itself and it sounds like there is play in the gear inside so sounds like new rack will likely be needed in the future. I was told by another fellow these EPAS racks are toss away junk and cost around $1000 bucks. Too bad ya can't add the P/S pump and put on a longer belt and run the rack from the 6.2L.

 

You can if you have the 5 liter. Ford racing sells a P/S pump bracket kit for 5.0 swaps into vehicles w/o epas. But by the time you get everything you need to swap it over it might be cheaper to just replace the epas rack.

 

I'm in an EB so won't workout.

 

The rack in my 2004 was going bad when I got my new 2014 and that was hydraulic of course. Whether I pay $1,000 for an electric rack or or over $1,000 to replace a hydralic rack, makes no difference to me. I'd just assume have the electric power assist. I like it better than my old truck's system with the pump, etc. One less fluid to deal with.

 

Is there any way to do a reset on these epas racks? I now no the rack wasn't in plugged when the lift went in. But other than being out of position which it isn't how could it hurt it?

 

Just thought I'd update. I recently put some LT Tires on my rig and it seems this slop in the rack and feedback in the steering wheel is at a non existent to a minimum. My guess is that the stock tires (20" P rated Michelin.) were just to soft and provided too much slop/ feedback.

I drove a horrible rutted road (looks like an excavator drove down it a couple hundred times) and didn't even feel anything in the steering.