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1988 F150 Sloppy Steering

The play in my steering wheel was about 3-4 inches on each side of center. I replaced the steering gear with a rebuilt from Advanced and now the play is about 1 inch on each side of center. I was expecting it to be like factory new after replacing the steering box but was disappointed. Does anybody know where other common sources of play might be that I can inspect fro and correct. Also, when the trucks were new, were they tight or were they always a little loose. I can't imagine anybody buying a truck new with loose steering.

Thanks,

88Ford
Reply to
david.h.zimmermann
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Are you sure th4e gearbox was correctly centered when you installed it. If the steering is off center, it will have more slack. Anothe common problem is the flex joint in the column shaft or, if it has a tilt column, the play may be in the upper joint which is also common. The tilt joint requires a special tool which is not too awful hard to find. Be sure to check your Pittman arm and idler which can have a big effect. If you have a 4x4, make sure you check the frame for cracking and the condition of the crossmember rivits which were both an occasional problem. Loose worn axle bushings are also a common problems with 4x4's.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

I thought all fords were like that before 1997, all trucks and crown vics anyway :)

Do the big floppy.

Reply to
Picasso

I went thru the same drill with an 86 Caprice. The rebuilt box helped a lot but there are still a lot of other wear points that all provide some amount of play, the ball joints, idler arm, tie rod ends, and rubber bushings. It will never be like new unless all those parts are replaced with new parts.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

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