Hey Guys,


You know how your truck's steering felt when it was brand new?
That firm solid feel when you drove over bumps, holes or even when you were cornering?

Well it seems that I have lost that steering firmness and I want to get it back! (after all, the trucks only done 3000 miles!).

I feel a slight shudder, not directly in the steering wheel, but somehow it seems to be coming from the front end, whenever I go over any roughness in the road.

It's like something is loose somewhere in front!.

Of course I have checked, but I can't seem to ascertain what it could be and it's driving me crazy!!


Has anyone had this problem?

I have explained it as best I could and would welcome any kind of help.


Thanks,



Baj

 

The front suspension should feel it's tightest when new, but should not feel substantially different after only 3K miles. For the shudder, you could first try rotating the tires and evaluating if it's still there. As you rotate, you should examine the tires for wear patterns and do a complete front end component check. If the suspension is okay/tight, I would check tire balance, shock condition, and alignment.

 

Thanks for the advice Max!


I will rotate the tires this weekend and do a thorough front end check during the course of this week when I take it in for a service check.


I will let you know how things go.




Baj.

 

You're Welcome, good luck.

 

I had a similar problem after I went out in the woods to drive my truck like a prerunner for about 50 miles. It turned out that a bolt on the steering column worked it's way loose. I took it to the dealer for it's regular service at 9K and they fixed it.

Mitch

 

I have the same feel, have you made any progress? I just installed edelbrock ias shocks, helped the feel a lot, also just had the 2ond idler arm installed. Still have the loose thing going, I now have 19k miles on. thanks.

 

In the time since my last post on this topic, I have also upgraded my shocks to the Rancho 9000 shocks, changed my tires/wheels from stock to 285/60/18 on 18/9 rims.

The loose feeling is not as pronounced as it once was but it is still there!

Some days are worse than others (must have something to do with the atmospheric pressure , I don't know), but I get the impression that it is something I am going to have to live with.




Baj

 

thanks for the reply, Mine seems worse sometimes also. I knocked the tire pressure down to 30 in the front, seems ok. Was wondering if a steering stabilizer would help. Just seems like the "whole rack" is loose underneath sometimes, you can feel a loose kind of shake, doesnt seem to throw the truck. ..I have checked most everything suspension wise and cant see any loose parts. I will check the column bolts asap.....

 

So others have this annoying shakey feeling as well?

For several months, I have noticed this same type of shakiness to the front end when I hit a bump...some days worse than others. The accompanying slight rattle sounds to be from the left front. Do any others have a rattle to their shudder as well?

I have been under the truck numerous times and cannot find anything that would rattle when I shook, pounded or rocked the truck. The best lead yet has been the bolt on the steering column...I'll be checking that next to see if that might be loose.

Had it to my mechanic for yearly inspection and he didn't find anything to be grossly out of whack.

I've had new BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A tires put on, installed a steering stabilizer , put on new gas shocks, and a Helwig rear antisway bar. Still has that shake to it. Probably has something to do with the ozone levels.

Could this also be related somehow to the infamous "death wobble"? (not the ozone...the shaking!)

 

I know exactly what you guys are talking about. Mine always felt that way, loose and not as firm as my bothers newer (less miles) 98. After I added a steering stablizer, shocks and new hub assemblies on both sides. My truck feels a lot tighter but I still notice some of that shakey feeling when going over the rough stuff. I am used to it though as I had an S10 with bad shocks that would darn near go sideways when you hit a bump in a curve. My 97 F150 thee is a little bump and then she settles right in and keeps going. I did notice today that with my RS9000's on setting 2 that one stretch of road the truck seemed to bounce after a dip , as if the shocks were bad. I stopped and cranked them up to 3 and stopped the bounce but the ride is a little rough. Anyways enough blabbering, hope someone finds a sure fire cure for this problem, all I can do is slow it down and hide it a little.

 

I also had this problem with my other vehicle which is a Toyota Mark 2 ( the model below the Avalon on the ol' totem pole) and the loosy , shakey feel got progressively worse over a period of two years until it became a persistent rattle over rough and mildly rough road surfaces.

I took it in to the dealers a couple weeks ago and they replaced the tie rod ends and the rack ends (i think), along with some work on the boots.

The car now drives like a BMW. Just a solidity and firmness in the steering that is very reassuring to feel whilst driving.

I guess it will take something like that to get to the bottom of this problem with the F150!




Baj:o

 

Might be interesting to do a search on "steering shaft", I have been going pretty good with guy21 on troubleshooting this problem. I have a play in the lower steering shaft, gives the loose feeling, rattle, play in the steering wheel. Taking it in saturday to get it checked. There is a tsb on this for some years.

 

I recently replaced the lower ball joints on my truck & that restored the "new" steering feel, but I have a 97 w/ 76,000 miles