F150online Forums - Binding steering repair question.

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Binding steering repair question.

I'm going to finally replace the lower steering shaft assembly but can't find the torque specs for the 2 bolts that hold it in place. I could use German torque...gudentite :) but I read one post where a guy snapped the head off his lower bolt...yikes for him.

Does anyone have a haynes or chiltons manual that covers this? Would you be so kind as to look it up and reply to this plead?

I've been searching forums for about an hour now and have found almost every torque spec there is EXCEPT this one. PITA

Lastly if this is the wrong place to post this question it's because it doesn't seem to fit any category. I got as close as I could

Just tighten it, don’t worry, your not gonna hurt it. If that guy snapped it, he must’ve been standing on the other end of the wrench trying to crank it down. It’s almost impossible to to tourque it down that much, especially the bottom screw, you can barely get to it. Before you start you might want to bungee cord the steering wheel to keep it from moving and unraveling the spring inside the steering column. Other than that, use a little blue thread locker, tighten it down till it’s tight, and then crack open a beer for a job well done.

So I watched a few videos on the repair to get as many tips as I can. You have to watch 2-3 different ones because guys all have different ways they do things and I steal every idea I can! Top bolt is 35 ft lbs and the lower is 22. My caliper bolts are also 22 and that seems like the right amount of torque for these shaft bolts with/without blue thread locker. One thing I did not see in any thread or video is a simple method to loosen the rusty bolt on the bottom. By removing the plastic air filter housing assembly (easy peasy) and turning the steering wheel while the front is on jack stands you can turn the lower bolt upwards and make it much easier to get a socket on and break it loose. Just crack it loose but don't remove it yet. Give it a half turn back and forth a few times and snug it with your fingers. Spray some PB blaster, WD40 etc and TAP with a hammer a bit. Don't whale away obviously. While it sits soaking, turn the wheels again to align the top nut the same way which is Mucho simple to get to. Now when you go to remove the lower bolt you can still turn the tires to get a better angle and it should come right out since you cracked it loose and doused it with your choice of penetration fluid. Using the spray the night before is also a good idea as well but I have been spraying mine every couple of months now as a quick lazy fix so mine is ready to pop right off. I also have to reuse the bolts so I want to make damn sure they come out as easy as possible and more importantly go back in just as easy. I will be doing the deed this week once the part gets here and will post back if my brilliant idea actually works.:think: