Funky Steering help 2004 f150
#1
09-26-2011, 11:00 AM
Funky Steering help 2004 f150
Hey everyone,
This has gotten worse over time I think. I've had the truck nearly 3 years (Feb) and it's annoying. My steering wheel has some play in it. I can wiggle it back and forth and not move the wheels. The truck also drifts to the side of the road or in a dip - it pulls towards the direction. The steering wheel turns wheel it does this. I also think it takes more effort that required to keep the wheel straight and this makes it tougher than normal (I'm used to it) on the highway as the truck drifts ever so slightly. I have that play in the wheel so the truck wanders more than normal before I correct it. Also, when I brake, if the road dips as I get slowed down to only a few mph, as I come tot he stop, I can turn the wheel and it turns towards the dip. It's bizarre. And if I go over a bad bump, the wheel has a jiggle and I feel it and hear a light clunk. I've noticed that when I turn onto a road after I'm stopped or leave the driveway, the steering shaft ( I think) makes a odd sound, almost like a knuckle having play, it's a slight clunk sound. I know MJB did a writeup on this which could be part of the problem:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...t-04-08-a.html
And to add to all this, after having my front brakes done, I was in NH for the Cup race yesterday and on the ride up (only a few miles to go on a main road) I heard a rubbing and it sounded like my front brakes. It only did it at low speeds. Then coming home hours later, I heard it again slowing down for a toll booth and my buddy heard it and he said he felt a vibration under him when it occurred. It continued to do it until I got up to speed. While taking a exit ramp and turning the wheel to the right, it did it again the entire time the wheel was turned. I'm nervous I have a dragging caliper again... one side was already replaced and now I wonder if something up yet again
Sorry if this is a long jumbled post, just so many things happening to this truck at once, I can't afford to fix this stuff for a few weeks with how much I've had to drop on it the past month
This has gotten worse over time I think. I've had the truck nearly 3 years (Feb) and it's annoying. My steering wheel has some play in it. I can wiggle it back and forth and not move the wheels. The truck also drifts to the side of the road or in a dip - it pulls towards the direction. The steering wheel turns wheel it does this. I also think it takes more effort that required to keep the wheel straight and this makes it tougher than normal (I'm used to it) on the highway as the truck drifts ever so slightly. I have that play in the wheel so the truck wanders more than normal before I correct it. Also, when I brake, if the road dips as I get slowed down to only a few mph, as I come tot he stop, I can turn the wheel and it turns towards the dip. It's bizarre. And if I go over a bad bump, the wheel has a jiggle and I feel it and hear a light clunk. I've noticed that when I turn onto a road after I'm stopped or leave the driveway, the steering shaft ( I think) makes a odd sound, almost like a knuckle having play, it's a slight clunk sound. I know MJB did a writeup on this which could be part of the problem:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...t-04-08-a.html
And to add to all this, after having my front brakes done, I was in NH for the Cup race yesterday and on the ride up (only a few miles to go on a main road) I heard a rubbing and it sounded like my front brakes. It only did it at low speeds. Then coming home hours later, I heard it again slowing down for a toll booth and my buddy heard it and he said he felt a vibration under him when it occurred. It continued to do it until I got up to speed. While taking a exit ramp and turning the wheel to the right, it did it again the entire time the wheel was turned. I'm nervous I have a dragging caliper again... one side was already replaced and now I wonder if something up yet again
Sorry if this is a long jumbled post, just so many things happening to this truck at once, I can't afford to fix this stuff for a few weeks with how much I've had to drop on it the past month
#5
09-26-2011, 10:59 PM
take a fairly close up shot of each tire's tread straight on, post them. The vibration thing sounds more like a tire wear issue, especially since you said its getting progressively worse.
brakes dragging you can check real quick after a 10 minute drive, just put your hand on each center cap of the wheel area and if one corner is much much hotter then the other side then you have excessive heat building from the brakes dragging. Same thing can be observed for dragging bearings.
sounds like you might have wearing tie rods, how many miles on the truck?
brakes dragging you can check real quick after a 10 minute drive, just put your hand on each center cap of the wheel area and if one corner is much much hotter then the other side then you have excessive heat building from the brakes dragging. Same thing can be observed for dragging bearings.
sounds like you might have wearing tie rods, how many miles on the truck?
#6
09-27-2011, 09:31 AM
It's done it on all my tires Pat, since I got the truck. Does it on my stockers and Roush's... tire wear seems fine. I did the wheel trick yesterday and they were not hot. I haven't heard it since Sunday so I'm baffled. I'm thinking it might be tie rods, but I'm no mechanic. And fyi, the tires have about 5k on them and the stock ones I had replaced when I got the truck so it's not those. The stock tires have about 25k on them, that's it.
Truck has 692xx on her now
Truck has 692xx on her now
#7
09-27-2011, 01:13 PM
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#8
09-27-2011, 11:24 PM
#9
10-05-2011, 11:10 AM
Just to update:
I dropped the truck of at my dealer I use for service Rodman Ford in Foxborough, Ma for the clunk and the intermittent noise on Monday for service for Tuesday. The couldn't trace the noise I had heard in NH but the steering clunk was something I expected. I actually thought of this because of how the noise was. It was a loose bolt in the steering shaft. They took care of it and instead of charging 98 bucks an hour plus the fix, they just charged my $50.50 and sent me on my way. Another good service at Rodman. My service writer even said there's no sense in charging you more than a half hours labor for something that minor. He said they didn't think it needed to be replaced yet, so just to keep an eye on it in case the play come back. But the wheel is tight, clunk it gone, and no more play in the wheel
I said I'd call them if I hear the other noise. Next up, rear brakes when I save up more for them.
If any of you guys are local and need a good dealer, I've had nothing but good experience with Rodman. They're honest and after that trip, they were not looking to screw me.
I dropped the truck of at my dealer I use for service Rodman Ford in Foxborough, Ma for the clunk and the intermittent noise on Monday for service for Tuesday. The couldn't trace the noise I had heard in NH but the steering clunk was something I expected. I actually thought of this because of how the noise was. It was a loose bolt in the steering shaft. They took care of it and instead of charging 98 bucks an hour plus the fix, they just charged my $50.50 and sent me on my way. Another good service at Rodman. My service writer even said there's no sense in charging you more than a half hours labor for something that minor. He said they didn't think it needed to be replaced yet, so just to keep an eye on it in case the play come back. But the wheel is tight, clunk it gone, and no more play in the wheel
I said I'd call them if I hear the other noise. Next up, rear brakes when I save up more for them.If any of you guys are local and need a good dealer, I've had nothing but good experience with Rodman. They're honest and after that trip, they were not looking to screw me.
#10
10-05-2011, 11:24 AM
Just to update:
I dropped the truck of at my dealer I use for service Rodman Ford in Foxborough, Ma for the clunk and the intermittent noise on Monday for service for Tuesday. The couldn't trace the noise I had heard in NH but the steering clunk was something I expected. I actually thought of this because of how the noise was. It was a loose bolt in the steering shaft. They took care of it and instead of charging 98 bucks an hour plus the fix, they just charged my $50.50 and sent me on my way. Another good service at Rodman. My service writer even said there's no sense in charging you more than a half hours labor for something that minor. He said they didn't think it needed to be replaced yet, so just to keep an eye on it in case the play come back. But the wheel is tight, clunk it gone, and no more play in the wheel I said I'd call them if I hear the other noise. Next up, rear brakes when I save up more for them.
If any of you guys are local and need a good dealer, I've had nothing but good experience with Rodman. They're honest and after that trip, they were not looking to screw me.
I dropped the truck of at my dealer I use for service Rodman Ford in Foxborough, Ma for the clunk and the intermittent noise on Monday for service for Tuesday. The couldn't trace the noise I had heard in NH but the steering clunk was something I expected. I actually thought of this because of how the noise was. It was a loose bolt in the steering shaft. They took care of it and instead of charging 98 bucks an hour plus the fix, they just charged my $50.50 and sent me on my way. Another good service at Rodman. My service writer even said there's no sense in charging you more than a half hours labor for something that minor. He said they didn't think it needed to be replaced yet, so just to keep an eye on it in case the play come back. But the wheel is tight, clunk it gone, and no more play in the wheel
I said I'd call them if I hear the other noise. Next up, rear brakes when I save up more for them.If any of you guys are local and need a good dealer, I've had nothing but good experience with Rodman. They're honest and after that trip, they were not looking to screw me.
If you would've looked closer and longer you would've found it....
#11
10-07-2011, 07:29 PM
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Funny the steering issue, though...I seem to be having a very similar issue. The truck's steering wheel has been a little lose for a while, and it pulls hard to the right, like if I let go of the wheel, it will go off road in seconds, it seems like it takes more effort than it should to keep in centered. But I also have a terrible sound coming from the steering and don't know if it's related. If I'm pulling into a parking spot, or taking a tight turn very slow, the sound is bad, hard to describe...almost like a straining mechanical sound. It happened before and the dealer said the steering stops needed grease, they did whatever and the sound kinda went away. Well it's back now and out of warranty, and I'll be more than pissed if they tell me the steering rack is going to hell. The other thing was my blend door actuator (a common issue I guess on our trucks) went bad so they replaced it. Well I am not getting anything on fan setting 1, and set it on hot or cold, and the temp isn't that different....having not so great luck at dealers!
#12
10-09-2011, 02:33 PM
I can post a link for you on the fan issue, I think I have a feeling what that issue is. Easy fix from what I see.
Also, it's not fixed. The kink is gone when I turn, but the truck still pulls towards dips in the road and I have to keep it centered still, just no play anymore. Just going to live with it for a while, I can't keep giving up my truck. When it goes in for brakes in a few weeks, I'll take the tech that usually works on my truck for a ride. And I'm not sure if this is common place or not, but at Rodman, my service write told me the same tech works on the truck so they know the vehicle.
Also, it's not fixed. The kink is gone when I turn, but the truck still pulls towards dips in the road and I have to keep it centered still, just no play anymore. Just going to live with it for a while, I can't keep giving up my truck. When it goes in for brakes in a few weeks, I'll take the tech that usually works on my truck for a ride. And I'm not sure if this is common place or not, but at Rodman, my service write told me the same tech works on the truck so they know the vehicle.
#14
10-10-2011, 09:21 PM
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