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My steering box is loose. Internally not the bolts. I’m gonna tighten the adjuster but in case I need a new one I seem to have three choices. Well five if you do reman/factory new. Truck is a 2001 F350 4x 165,000 miles.
Bluetop
Redtop
Redneck Ram?
PSC
I heard redtop isn’t as customer friendly anymore. I’ve been thinking Redneck Ram or PSC but I haven’t talked to those guys yet. It’s gonna run about $600/1200 bucks depending on where I buy and what system
If you're talking about Redhead, https://redheadsteeringgears.com/ I bought one for my 83 F-250 a while back, and in a year and a half and about 10,000 miles it was sloppier than the old box it replaced. I replaced it with one from NAPA, and it's been fine for 5-6 years now. One thing that made a big difference for mine was replacing the factory steering shaft with one from Borgeson. It replaces the rag joint with a needle bearing U-Joint, and you can get them with a vibration dampener that works well. Borgeson Universal Company :: Ford Truck 1970-04
If you're talking about Redhead, https://redheadsteeringgears.com/ I bought one for my 83 F-250 a while back, and in a year and a half and about 10,000 miles it was sloppier than the old box it replaced. I replaced it with one from NAPA, and it's been fine for 5-6 years now. One thing that made a big difference for mine was replacing the factory steering shaft with one from Borgeson. It replaces the rag joint with a needle bearing U-Joint, and you can get them with a vibration dampener that works well. Borgeson Universal Company :: Ford Truck 1970-04
Yeah that was the company I was talking about. Lots of guys on Ford forums said they are not as good anymore. My steering shaft is good. I just disconnected everything no play at all.. All tie rods are good absolutely no movement when prying. I’ll have to get my wife in the car and get it on a lift and have her saw the wheel back and forth. I’m not looking at getting a rebuilt box. I can have mine rebuilt I guess or buy a rebuild kit. I may go Redneck Ram. PSC would be the other choice.
I have a performance rebuild for my '68 Mustang that is highly regarded by the community; The builder is Flaming River. I'd guess they make a full line of tight, long-performing boxes for other Fords.
I have a performance rebuild for my '68 Mustang that is highly regarded by the community; The builder is Flaming River. I'd guess they make a full line of tight, long-performing boxes for other Fords.
I looked at their website. They don’t cover my model year. I’m gonna try adjusting it next weeekend see what happens
I was driving it this weekend to get some tile and it was all over the place. And I was just going there no weight in the bed. It was like driving a boat.
If this is the typical recirculating ball system most Ford trucks I know anything about have, be careful on adjusting, don't over-adjust it or you will have binding when you steer straight ahead.
Sometimes you can find a good used one in a yard. In a You-Pull outfit, you can wiggle the steering wheel on the wrecked truck, verify that the box is tight or at least tighter than the old one.
If this is the typical recirculating ball system most Ford trucks I know anything about have, be careful on adjusting, don't over-adjust it or you will have binding when you steer straight ahead.
Sometimes you can find a good used one in a yard. In a You-Pull outfit, you can wiggle the steering wheel on the wrecked truck, verify that the box is tight or at least tighter than the old one.
Yup M3 you’re right it’s the typical recirc ball steering. I was only gonna do about 1/8 inch adjustment, but with 165,000 miles I figured if it needs adjusting it will need it again and again. But yeah I already did the over adjusting on a truck a long time ago and learned how not to do it.
The pita is Ford changed steering boxes a few times. I talked to the guys at Texas off road who do the redneck ram steering. I’ll just take all the measurements they want and send my box in for rebuild and modification to ram steering and they’re gonna send a complete rebuild kit. They said the turn around seems to be about 1.5-2 weeks.
Yup M3 you’re right it’s the typical recirc ball steering. I was only gonna do about 1/8 inch adjustment, but with 165,000 miles I figured if it needs adjusting it will need it again and again. But yeah I already did the over adjusting on a truck a long time ago and learned how not to do it.
The pita is Ford changed steering boxes a few times. I talked to the guys at Texas off road who do the redneck ram steering. I’ll just take all the measurements they want and send my box in for rebuild and modification to ram steering and they’re gonna send a complete rebuild kit. They said the turn around seems to be about 1.5-2 weeks.
My experience is once you get it adjusted right, it stays right at least for several tens of thousands of miles. Me, I would try the cheap and simple adjustment, and see if I couldn't get a satisfactory result, give it a couple of weekends, and then if not satisfied, I would go the rebuild or replace route.
Something that I try to do, and I know this is not always practical, but, to the extent it is practical, I make it a point to have my vehicle moving at least a little when making tight turns, parking, etc. and to avoid "reefing" on the steering wheel, be it power steering or manual. Once in a while, yeah, I have to reef, but only do it when I really have to.
Buddy was watching me maneuver the old F-350 (1975) around in an orchard where we were picking up some fire wood, he thought the truck did not have power steering because I moved the truck and did not "spin" the wheel, even though, yeah, I could. He tends to reef a lot and we ended up getting a NAPA rebuilt steering box for his 78 F-250.
I will say that the steering box for his truck weighs like 90#, it's heavier than I would expect.
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