Last Sunday evening, I checked my wheel bearings by jacking up both front tires. I grabbed the tire and pulled back and forth at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions and then at the 12:00 and 6:00 positions. ..............I had play!

Last night I replaced both the outter and inner front wheel bearings. Although, the bearings come with new races, you have to have a machine shop remove them. Therefore, I did not use the new races. Now, I have no play at all.

Apparently, you are suppose to repack the existing bearings at least when you change the brake pads. Didn't do it! ha! The last time I checked, I had no bearing play, however, now at 113,000 miles, I had a lot of play.

It improved my steering. Infact, my steering is VERY sensitive. In highwinds, I can now drive with my left arm resting on the door panel near the window and hold the steering wheel with only my left hand at the 9:00 o'clock position (highly technical test of good steering, since I am right handed ).

Its very close to my father's steering now. However, my steering wheel does not want to REMAIN at center as strongly as his steering wheel does. Also, the steering wheel still does not RETURN to center as strongly as it should.

I also found that, when you replace steering linkages, the wheels should be pointing straight and you should of course, only torque the connections within specs. If not, the linkages can bind and cause the wheel return to be weakened as well as, you can get "memory steer". However, when I did this, the wheels were turned and I went over factory specs.

I also found out that weak and or sagging rear leaf springs can affect steering. When I bought this used truck, it had under 40K miles. Yet, the rear leaf springs sagged. Infact, a rear 4 inch drop looked like a 4 and 1/2 to 5 inch drop. Right now, I have a 3/3 drop and it looks like a 3/4 drop. Therefore, my springs are too weak.

I am going to unbolt the steering linkages and re-torque them. I also need to decide on either additonal clamps or add-a-leafs or helper springs or salvaged set of stock leaf springs. If these two things do not make my steering "more stiff at center", then I will have my frame measured.

I also read that for the Expos at least, in 97 and 98, they recieved a stiffer valved/geared steering gear box, this changed in 99'. In 99' they went to an "easier steering" gear box. Maybe my father's truck got one of the stiffer gear boxes

 

IH,

Now that you have replaced almost if not all the front end parts return your alignment to stock and start from there. You have been aligning this thing over and over again trying to correct for worn parts. Now the parts are new but the alignment is set to correct for old ones.

JMC

 

Yeah, the last alignment still had the wornout wheel bearings although, I had already installed all the other parts before the last alignment.

I wanted a very high caster alignment . I got it. It was suppose to provide strong steering wheel return to center action. Now, I read that, extremely high caster (like mine) can actually cause poor steering wheel return to center action



.........also, concerning the hydraulic line that goes from the powersteering pump to the steering gear box:

On the end that screws into the steering gear box, there is a "ridge" near the end. It looks like a rubber O ring could slide on and stops at the ridge. I tried to screw the line into the steering gear box with a O ring on the metal line. I could not screw it in and the O ring would slide off. SO I LEFT IT OFF. I never saw one on it before the swap. However, on the other metal line that screws into the steering gear box and goes to the steering fluid cooler, I HAVE an O ring on the end that screws into the steering gear box.

Concerning the hydraulic line that goes from the powersteering pump to the steering gear box............do I need a rubber O ring on the end that screws into the steering gear box?

 

I have a '93 F150, with the straight 6. Great truck, about 162k on her. i only drive about a mile a day for work anymore, but have been experiencing some problems with steering. I know the entire truck will fall apart before the straight 6 dies, but i want the whole truck to last as long as possible. this past november my uncle and i did the upper and lower ball joints, took us 3 1/2 hours or so, he is a die hard Dodge man, everytime he helps with my ford, he gets more impressed with how easy they are to work on. Anyway, i had a lot less bounce for a few weeks with the new ball joints, then started to get more and more. A couple weeks ago i was going about 25 and the right outer tie rod broke. I reoplaced that, took all of 30 minutes after getting towed home. I am now really noticing a lot of wandering, and everytime I hit a bump, I get bucking in the front end, and have had that for months. I'm afraid of driving too much with my toddler in the truck, don't want another tie rod breaking, especially on the highway.

From what i have been reading here, i think i should replace the rest of the tie rod ends, inner and the other outer. but are there other recommendations? I have found the shops here in Cleveland are the most reliable for honesty, and can't keep throwing money to them to not fix the problem.

 

Holy Krappp Iron Horse sell that old worn out truck and just buy a new one.

Jeeezze

 

repo,

Sorry, but I nothing about 93' f150s. But, replacing all the tie rod ends can only help.

beardoge,

I have considered doing that many times. However, the 97-03 f150 supercab flareside body is one of my all time favorite truck body styles ( favorites are 1. late 40s to early 50s Studebaker; 2. 97-03 f150 supercab flareside; 3. late 60s to early 70s chevy single cab short narrow bed or long narrow bed-yeah they made them).

The new f150s look great, but the body design has too many "right angles" for my taste. Just like I like it with my "wimin", I like my vehicles to have some shapely curves.


..........can anyone think of what is causing my lack of "on center firmness" and weak steering wheel return to center, considering all that I have done so far????????????????????

 

Iron Horse I was not intending to Flame you just I don't see why your putting all of this effort into this truck.

I absolutely agree with you about the bodystyles I really dislike the looks of the 04's also to me they look like all of the bland square trucks of the mid 80's. I hear they made quite alot of improvements to the new trucks though apparently you can hang the truck from one of the bed bolts. (big deal) and the shocks are moved (whoa!) oh yeah and they gained about 600 pounds to erase the extra 40 horspower they gained....

But what I'm saying is at somepoint it becomes impractical to hang on to the past. And keep sinking money into a older vehicle.

You wouldn't be driving a model T or Studebaker or Any junk car from the 80's.. today would you?

Bear

 

iron horse,

How wide are your rims?

JMC

 

eardoge,

Your point is well taken. However, from an actual monetary, and personal satisfaction/taste standpoint, I am far ahead by keeping it and continuing to maintain, improve and customizing it. From a pure time cost, I am far behind. I guess I like the bodystyle far too much.


JMC,

Rims = 17x7.5 (custom triple chrome plated, yet stock, F150 "buzzsaw" rims)

Tires = 275/60/17 (Toyo Proxes)

I swapped my rims and tires for my fathers rims and tires for an afternoon of test driving. He has the stock F150 16x7.5 rims with the original and stock General 235/70/16 tires.

His narrow tires did improve my steering, HOWEVER, his truck continued to steer with a better "on center" firmness and his steering wheel continued to return to center, far better than mine, even with my wider tires on his truck

 

I'm all for keeping the older trucks. Nothing major wrong with my '93, just some adjusting here and there. if i wanted a new one, i'm not sure what i would go with. my dad has a '03 f350 crewcab dually for pulling the fifth wheel and a '04 ext cab f150 for regualr driving. The bed on mine may be showing soem rust, but hey, it ain't a show truck, never was. and driving less than a mile a day i can't justify a new truck. the occasional part here and there, and we are fine with paying a truck payment to the mortgage every month, or extra on the college loan or credit card.

at least it's a ford, so i can work on it, not a chevy or dodge

 

installed short helper leaf springs. I installed helper springs on the top rear and front portion of the rear leafsprings. Supposely, they are rated for over 1,500 pounds.

Helped alot. I have a stable suspension, alot less sway incross winds, my 3 inch rear drop looks like a 3 inch drop instead of a 4+ drop. I am also correcting steering less and have less oversteer. Good mod.

 

I had a leaf break a few years ago on the drivers side. I looked into replacing just that leaf, and all the other options available. I ended up having both leaf springs replaced at a truck dealer, can't remember what they were actually rated at, but I do remember that they were rated at 1500+, and were cheaper than going with OEM springs. Can't complain about the handling I have had since then, I just wish I had the time to get the front end finished, so I can take it off the stands.

 

.....was reading a list of possible causes for poor steering wheel recovery (return to center). What caught my eye, was the item, "Rear suspension problems will affect the LAST 180 degrees of steering wheel recovery" This is what my truck is doing. I am hoping that, if I can correct this, my steering will also be firmer at center.

After a turn, if I let go of the steering wheel, it will begin to return to center as expected. However, about about half way to returning to center, the wheel slows down and never makes it all the way back to center. On the other hand, my fathers f150 will easily make it back all the way to center in the same turns.

What could be the core problem? what could have four different suspension techs. overlooked? what rear suspension component could be causing this problem? or is it a front and or rear suspension problem

I will send a moneyorder to whomever can help me figure this out!

 

Is this after both a left or right handed turn? Or just one?

 

.........after both a right and left handed turn.