I had an alignment a week ago and had same handling issues you mentioned. I went back to the shop and was told I needed new steering box - $570. The adjustment solution you provided corrected the poor handling. My other issue is steering column upper bearing is bad. Thank you so very much
Watch this first: WATCH FIRST!! How To Properly Adjust Steering Gear Box: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC Car Or Truck ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.html
I think my 02 might need a little tightening. Thanks for the reminder. Way back in 1972 mainly to have something to work on I bought 59 Chevy Impala 4drhardtop that had 112k miles on it for $100. The steering wheel had about a half turn of play. I tightened the box as far as it could be tightened and it had an inch or two of play. The reason I got it so cheap was it was smoking like a coal burning train. The PO said he couldn't get the valve covers to stop leaking. I removed the valve covers and oil gushed out. He said he had run non-detergent oil for about 50k miles and then switched back to detergent. There was so much sludge in that engine that the oil drain holes in the heads were almost completely plugged and the oil level in the valve covers was getting above the valve guides and running down the valve stems into the cylinders. I scooped a bucket of sludge from the heads and from under the intake manifold of that 283 V8. It didn't smoke at all afterwards.
very cool story! I had a friend in college with a Ford LTD... a 70's model. He finally decided to change the oil and when I removed the drain plug, it came out like soft peanut butter! I couldn't believe it was still running!
Great video and info! I love my Led light thanks to you for letting me know about it. I have already used it several times. Nice not having a cord to pull around. 😎
Going to try this, replaced all my ball joints and got a alignment on my 99 f150. But when I’m driving I feel as if I cannot control my own truck lol even after replacing all of that. I know it sounds crazy but my hand is all over the place when I’m just driving in a straight line at times.
In my 52 years of driving and fixing cars, I've found that the toe-in amount is very sensitive. Back in the day we'de use a tape measure on them solid axles to check it. Besides, who wants to drive 60 miles on a dirt road just to pay somebody for something you can do yourself? If you have a loose or worn steering linkage or if the tires are toe'd out you will feel the truck pull to either side once the steering is past center. It will do that both directions each time. Bad or loose components will feel similar sometimes only one direction sometimes only on certain types of roads, especially paved.
@@lloydthegreat7851 good comment. I did a lot of suspension work on my mustang and needed to do a home alignment before putting back on road: How To Do Front End Alignment: '79-'93 Fox Chassis Mustang & '84-'86 SVO Mustang: Part 1 ruclips.net/video/UhCibd1NoXY/видео.html & Using a Bubble Tool to Set Caster at Home: 1979 through 1993 Fox Mustang Part 2: ruclips.net/video/pE9RkeFNgWw/видео.html
Have you considered installing a rear sway bar? I thought my FX4 cornered ok for a truck until I rode in the new F150 rental that my son rented when he flew in to visit last July. That new truck cornered like a car.
I did add sway bars to both my '02 F150's and it was a major improvement, especially with '02 Harley Davidson F150... that truck should have come from the factory with a rear sway bar.
@@DrivingIntelligence Years ago I bought Addco sway bars for my 70 Mustang. They came with a booklet explaining how to check for understeer/oversteer. If you can find a large parking lot and drive around in a circle maintaining the same speed and steering wheel position that is the test. If the circle gets larger the vehicle is understeering. If the circle gets smaller, the vehicle is oversteering. You don't have to go fast to do this test. My Mustang that only came with a 5/8" front bar oversteered dangerously after both bars were installed. I bought 428 Mustang springs for the front to stiffen the front and it steered neutral. Of course I had to hack saw 3/4 of a coil to get the front end down.
I see he made a video on the rear sway bar: How To Improve 10th Gen F150 Suspension Handling: Sway Bar & End Link Install Harley Davidson & XLT ruclips.net/video/B9U_EH8Sxm8/видео.html
My 99 f150 is way tight, very touchy steering and doesn't center well. I'm hoping this will work in reverse to give a small amount of play. When I got the truck it's tie rods were shot so I replaced upper and lower ball joints along with inner and outer tie rods. I have no clue if it steered proper before that. Got an alignment twice and that didn't help. My 2003 f150 steers like a dream and will practically drive you home by itself. Not sure why a gearbox would be too tight. Pulled the tie rods off to test how freely the knuckles were and everything was smooth.
This vid might help: WATCH FIRST!! How To Properly Adjust Steering Gear Box: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC Car Or Truck ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.html
@@405SVT the kit I bought had lots of problems with the wiring harness and kept blowing out relays. I don't like recommending parts that have a failure history. Flex-a-lite is a good product. I will be doing an install video for a 2004 Doidge Ram 1500 using Flex-a-lite and the results are very impressive.
@Driving Intelligence oh I agree, flex a lite makes a good kit. I have used them a lot. I was hoping you had found a cheaper better alternative lol but no worries I appreciate the heads up.
@@DrivingIntelligence I just adjusted mine by about half a turn the steering is a lot tighter at center but it pulls to the right more now. Do you need to get the tow adjusted after doing this? I have unlimited alignment and can bring the truck in no problem. It also turns just fine on its own after doing a u turn.
@@chriss4365 As I wrote with your comment on my other video: "That's the problem with overtightening that screw. It will cause the vehicle to pull or feel off center. Watch the video again and I suggest you loosen your screw to get the control you need. This adjustment will have nothing to do with alignment. "
@DrivingIntelligence Thanks for the help. The truck had a pull to the right before that the shop never fixed or explained what was causing it. I'll mess with it again.
Doesn't remove slop in the box, just tightens the feel at the wheel. So if you have to correct left to right for play, this adjustment makes it harder to drive lol. You need a new or rebuilt box
@@DrivingIntelligence Justin; you're only half right. "Slop in the box" obviously translates to 'play' at the steering wheel. the tightening decrees the internal tolerance of the recirculating 'ball-bearings -to-race', which can (and often is) the source of play... by 'definition' in my book: "slop in the box." (minuscule 'over-tightening' and these balls/race wears out QUCKLY).
Great video Barry. I'll try this soon
Thanks Mark... I'll also put together a video replacing the power steering fluid some time in the future.
I had an alignment a week ago and had same handling issues you mentioned. I went back to the shop and was told I needed new steering box - $570.
The adjustment solution you provided corrected the poor handling. My other issue is steering column upper bearing is bad.
Thank you so very much
Very happy to have helped!
My 2010 Ford Expedition with 220k miles is doing the same thing.
Thanks for posting your video ! It helped me a lot and most likely will help others !
Glad it helped!
I have replaced every suspension and steering linkage component on my 99 expedition and it still is pretty sloppy. Gonna try this now
Watch this first: WATCH FIRST!! How To Properly Adjust Steering Gear Box: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC Car Or Truck
ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.html
@@DrivingIntelligence I just did a 1/4 turn on my steering box. Will watch this video now so far it’s better but I may try another 1/4 turn
I think my 02 might need a little tightening. Thanks for the reminder.
Way back in 1972 mainly to have something to work on I bought 59 Chevy Impala 4drhardtop that had 112k miles on it for $100. The steering wheel had about a half turn of play. I tightened the box as far as it could be tightened and it had an inch or two of play.
The reason I got it so cheap was it was smoking like a coal burning train. The PO said he couldn't get the valve covers to stop leaking. I removed the valve covers and oil gushed out. He said he had run non-detergent oil for about 50k miles and then switched back to detergent. There was so much sludge in that engine that the oil drain holes in the heads were almost completely plugged and the oil level in the valve covers was getting above the valve guides and running down the valve stems into the cylinders. I scooped a bucket of sludge from the heads and from under the intake manifold of that 283 V8. It didn't smoke at all afterwards.
very cool story! I had a friend in college with a Ford LTD... a 70's model. He finally decided to change the oil and when I removed the drain plug, it came out like soft peanut butter! I couldn't believe it was still running!
Appreciate the tip from my old ride
you're welcom
Great video and info! I love my Led light thanks to you for letting me know about it. I have already used it several times. Nice not having a cord to pull around. 😎
Thanks for watching... that light sure comes in handy!
Going to try this, replaced all my ball joints and got a alignment on my 99 f150. But when I’m driving I feel as if I cannot control my own truck lol even after replacing all of that. I know it sounds crazy but my hand is all over the place when I’m just driving in a straight line at times.
Does it feel like the steering is loose or has a lot of play when sitting still with engine off?
In my 52 years of driving and fixing cars, I've found that the toe-in amount is very sensitive. Back in the day we'de use a tape measure on them solid axles to check it. Besides, who wants to drive 60 miles on a dirt road just to pay somebody for something you can do yourself? If you have a loose or worn steering linkage or if the tires are toe'd out you will feel the truck pull to either side once the steering is past center. It will do that both directions each time. Bad or loose components will feel similar sometimes only one direction sometimes only on certain types of roads, especially paved.
@@lloydthegreat7851 good comment. I did a lot of suspension work on my mustang and needed to do a home alignment before putting back on road: How To Do Front End Alignment: '79-'93 Fox Chassis Mustang & '84-'86 SVO Mustang: Part 1
ruclips.net/video/UhCibd1NoXY/видео.html & Using a Bubble Tool to Set Caster at Home: 1979 through 1993 Fox Mustang Part 2:
ruclips.net/video/pE9RkeFNgWw/видео.html
Have you considered installing a rear sway bar? I thought my FX4 cornered ok for a truck until I rode in the new F150 rental that my son rented when he flew in to visit last July. That new truck cornered like a car.
I did add sway bars to both my '02 F150's and it was a major improvement, especially with '02 Harley Davidson F150... that truck should have come from the factory with a rear sway bar.
@@DrivingIntelligence Years ago I bought Addco sway bars for my 70 Mustang. They came with a booklet explaining how to check for understeer/oversteer. If you can find a large parking lot and drive around in a circle maintaining the same speed and steering wheel position that is the test. If the circle gets larger the vehicle is understeering. If the circle gets smaller, the vehicle is oversteering. You don't have to go fast to do this test. My Mustang that only came with a 5/8" front bar oversteered dangerously after both bars were installed. I bought 428 Mustang springs for the front to stiffen the front and it steered neutral. Of course I had to hack saw 3/4 of a coil to get the front end down.
@@williamwhite9767 I remember that ADDCO booklet!
I see he made a video on the rear sway bar: How To Improve 10th Gen F150 Suspension Handling: Sway Bar & End Link Install Harley Davidson & XLT
ruclips.net/video/B9U_EH8Sxm8/видео.html
@CuttinH2O thank you
My 99 f150 is way tight, very touchy steering and doesn't center well. I'm hoping this will work in reverse to give a small amount of play. When I got the truck it's tie rods were shot so I replaced upper and lower ball joints along with inner and outer tie rods. I have no clue if it steered proper before that. Got an alignment twice and that didn't help. My 2003 f150 steers like a dream and will practically drive you home by itself. Not sure why a gearbox would be too tight. Pulled the tie rods off to test how freely the knuckles were and everything was smooth.
This vid might help: WATCH FIRST!! How To Properly Adjust Steering Gear Box: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC Car Or Truck
ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.html
I'm just curious how you are running a factory fan shroud with that flex a lite kit 270?
It’s not a Flex-a-lite kit, it’s a custom setup with a ford electric fan mounted to the stock fan shroud
@Driving Intelligence what kit is it? all I can find a flex a lite 270 at 5 hundred bucks lol
@@405SVT the kit I bought had lots of problems with the wiring harness and kept blowing out relays. I don't like recommending parts that have a failure history. Flex-a-lite is a good product. I will be doing an install video for a 2004 Doidge Ram 1500 using Flex-a-lite and the results are very impressive.
@Driving Intelligence oh I agree, flex a lite makes a good kit. I have used them a lot. I was hoping you had found a cheaper better alternative lol but no worries I appreciate the heads up.
@@405SVT Actually, the price of the kit I bought is the same price as the Flex-A-Lite... :)
What year and engine is your F-150.
2002 5.4 2v
Watch First! How To Properly Adjust Steering Gear Box: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, GMC Car Or Truck
ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.html
@@DrivingIntelligence I just adjusted mine by about half a turn the steering is a lot tighter at center but it pulls to the right more now. Do you need to get the tow adjusted after doing this? I have unlimited alignment and can bring the truck in no problem. It also turns just fine on its own after doing a u turn.
@@chriss4365 As I wrote with your comment on my other video: "That's the problem with overtightening that screw. It will cause the vehicle to pull or feel off center. Watch the video again and I suggest you loosen your screw to get the control you need. This adjustment will have nothing to do with alignment.
"
@DrivingIntelligence Thanks for the help. The truck had a pull to the right before that the shop never fixed or explained what was causing it. I'll mess with it again.
Thank you !! 👊😎👍
very welcome!
make sure you also watch this video: ruclips.net/video/ScuZWqEENYQ/видео.htmlsi=1quDZR0-wb4U57R2
Wonderful
thank you
Just fyi you can adjust this on the ground without removing all the stuff I got mine done in 5 min today.
Nice work!
Doesn't remove slop in the box, just tightens the feel at the wheel. So if you have to correct left to right for play, this adjustment makes it harder to drive lol. You need a new or rebuilt box
Interesting comment. Can you further explain?
@@DrivingIntelligence Justin; you're only half right. "Slop in the box" obviously translates to 'play' at the steering wheel. the tightening decrees the internal tolerance of the recirculating 'ball-bearings -to-race', which can (and often is) the source of play... by 'definition' in my book: "slop in the box." (minuscule 'over-tightening' and these balls/race wears out QUCKLY).
Gonna try this… thx
Right on