Help do I need Ball joints?

Worn front wheel bearings?, or misalinged steering compoments?. good luck

Hello all,

I have a 1987 F250 Custom with 351/auto. and a Western 8' Plow on front. Noticed yesterday that the driver wheel was at a 'strange' angle when I parked after plowing. Hoping that I just parked on a rock or something I drove it around with my wife looking at the wheel.

Yep, didn't look right. Thought the ball joints might be bad so I took the plow off and dropped it off and a local garage. He says ball joints look OK?

What could be causing this problem? BTW: Without the plow on the wheel still looks cocked, just not as bad.

Really need to get this truck back on the road, but need to know that I can continue to plow with no problems.

Any help would be appreciated!

My guess is it's a spring but why didn't the guy that actually looked at it, not find it? :/ Did you pay him anything? :/

Something's bent or loose or the spring is weak, get under it and figure it out. :) Might have to get under a friend's or neighbor's for a comparison tho. :/

Get yourself some big sheets of free cardboard from Costco. ;)

Alvin in AZ

Tony, Don't bring your own diagnosis to a shop, just ask them to find out why your wheel isn't right. Let them diagnose why, that's what they do. It could be one of a number of things, having a competent mechanic look at it is your best shot. Good luck.

Try looking at your radius arm bushings. Mine went bad and my steering wheel was out of line.

If your truck has the IFS (Independent Front Suspension) your springs are shot. I had to replace both springs on my F-150 as the front was "knock-kneed" and eating tires. Cost was about $600 at the shop. Got heavy duty springs, and new hardware.

-Dave

Anth> Hello all,

I will resist, I will resist, I will resist.

Resist what? Resist telling him he could have got the springs from a wrecking yard for $75 a pair? Or what? :/

(hints: use a caliper that reads to .001" to find your new springs, get the heaviest you can find, they won't be too stiff)

Alvin in AZ

Thanks for all the posts to my question. I picked up the truck on Saturday and the mechanic gave it a clean bill of health. He said that the steering box was almost ready to fall off and the the pitman arm bolts needed to be tightened.

Also mentioned that it is IFS (I thought is was a Dana 50) and thats just the way they get when you add weight. Maybe I don't have enough ballast in the back (only about 300Lbs, 3 chimmey blocks, couple bags of fozen sand)

The driver side wheel does look much better when I mounted the plow. Still aliitle cocked , but No way as extreme as before.

I did look under the truck and did not notice any broken or bent parts. It has front leaf springs not coil springs, the U clamps and bolts look OK, alittle rusty but could not see any cracks or breaks.

Does this make sense?