Loose Steering
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Loose Steering
Went out today to check my steering shaft. Opened the hood and lightly pushed and pulled it, it had about a half an inch of play in it...meaning I could wiggle it back and forth.
My parents just got a 2000 Explorer so I went to compare...very tight, couldn't get it to budge at all.
To anyone who works on these trucks:
There is a small rubber "grommet" covering the shaft about half way up. Im guessing this is where the lower shaft connects to the upper shaft. Is there supposed to be some play in the shafts or should it be tight? The Explorer had a one piece unit, which might account for it being that tight.
My steering wheel doesn't shake while I'm on a bumpy road, but you can feel a slight jiggle every now and then. Im thinking this needs to be checked before it gets worse.
------------------
The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page
www.mindspring.com/~acbradley/index.html
<A HREF="https://www.alladvantage.com/joinsecure.asp?refid=LTM-954" TARGET=_blank>I made $450 surfing the web last month...you can too!
</A>
My parents just got a 2000 Explorer so I went to compare...very tight, couldn't get it to budge at all.
To anyone who works on these trucks:
There is a small rubber "grommet" covering the shaft about half way up. Im guessing this is where the lower shaft connects to the upper shaft. Is there supposed to be some play in the shafts or should it be tight? The Explorer had a one piece unit, which might account for it being that tight.
My steering wheel doesn't shake while I'm on a bumpy road, but you can feel a slight jiggle every now and then. Im thinking this needs to be checked before it gets worse.
------------------
The Truck: 1997 Black F-150 Flareside. Regular Cab ORP and Towing Package
The Mods: K&N Filter, Eurolid Hard Tonneau, Profile Windstream Side Deflectors and Lund X-Terminator Bug Deflector.
The Site:
Triton's 4.6 Liter Web Page
www.mindspring.com/~acbradley/index.html
<A HREF="https://www.alladvantage.com/joinsecure.asp?refid=LTM-954" TARGET=_blank>I made $450 surfing the web last month...you can too!
</A>
Member
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Cambridge, ON, Canada
I have taken my truck to two different mechanics to diagnose this steering wheel "jiggle". One mechanic did not have a clue, or even want to guess. I suggested to other one, after reading some posts on this site, that it may be the piece between the steering box and the steering column. He checked it and said that he could not feel any play that felt abnormal. Both mechanics could feel the "jiggle". The last mechanic went as far as saying that it might be the tires, but I can really feel it going over speed bumps and over rough roads. It is not apparent on the highway but I can feel it at slow speeds?
I am puzzled, on another post, someone said that they replaced the steering box and others said that they just replaced that steering arm between the steering box and column.
I am puzzled, why can no one diagnose what the hell this is! The wife says she can't fell it at all! (BUT SHE COULDN"T FEEL IF THE LUGNUTS WERE FALLING OFF!) It drives me bonkers! I want my truck to ride perfectly but I am not going to replace parts for the hell of it!
FORDFIXER......help!!!
------------------
97 F150, XLT, Flare-side, ext. cab, Pacific Green, 4.6L Triton V8.
I am puzzled, on another post, someone said that they replaced the steering box and others said that they just replaced that steering arm between the steering box and column.
I am puzzled, why can no one diagnose what the hell this is! The wife says she can't fell it at all! (BUT SHE COULDN"T FEEL IF THE LUGNUTS WERE FALLING OFF!) It drives me bonkers! I want my truck to ride perfectly but I am not going to replace parts for the hell of it!
FORDFIXER......help!!!
------------------
97 F150, XLT, Flare-side, ext. cab, Pacific Green, 4.6L Triton V8.