my truck won't steer properly, and I've changed everything!

[kaufydawg]

Hey everyone,

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated!

1970 F-100 long bed, 302, 3 speed on the column.

I have replaced everything on my truck (suspension) and still am having problems.

Replaced:
King pins, all bushing, tie rod, drag link, center link, coil springs, rear leaf springs, put on a steering stabilizer, wheel bearings, shocks, rag joint.

Replaced the manual steering with 2 rebuilt boxes and then went to the Bendix box (side note: my steering wheel came up about 5/8") don't understand why? When all the posts say it is a direct swap.

So!!! I am completely frustrated and ready to give up. I have taken it to 3 different alignment shops, and it aligns perfectly, well way within tolerances anyway. I have also had many of my friends look at it and well everyone says the work is good and the new parts installed are tight and working correctly. But I still have a lot of play and the truck wanders (dangerously at times) on the open road.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated!

[Wes]

Wow, this is tuff one. Now having 3 different shops align a 1970's truck, personally if the technician isn't 30 plus years old and learned to align w/ string a tape measure. I don't trust them. This wander you describe, is random occurrence or can you repete the symptoms. What condition are the front tires in ? Tread type ? load range and air pressure ?

Not to familiar with manual steering swaps The Bendix Power steering is supposed to fit w/ manual collum. Check your cab mounts they may be bad or sagging.
Hope this helps some

1 other thing has the truck been aligned w/ same load/s that you experience the wander with.

[bluef250]

Are the brakes adjusted properly? Shoes correct? Front and back shoes swapped?

[kaufydawg]

The tires are new Michelin XLT load range C. Bought the best of the best. The last alignment was done by an old guru in my area and he even bent the I beams to get the caster just right. Brakes are also new and in good working order.

I am trying to figure out what to do next and was thinking about going for front and rear sway bars, but have no experience at all. Any suggestions? Also, i am thinking it may be a lot of body roll. I noticed some posting discussing the frame being much thinner on the F100's and thought maybe my rivets were giving me troubles. Any body know how to test or eliminate these issues???

Thanks again!

[kaptnkaos]

Hey kaufydawg...

I know you said you replaced everything... how about shocks, bearings?
How about the steering rag joint ?
If it is worn or slipping, it will cause the tightest front ends to wander.
Did you change pitman arms when you swapped steering boxes?

Did you have problems with it wondering with the stock steering?
The reason I ask is, I had an uncle that was having a lot of problems with his truck handling right.
He found out that the rear end had shifted just enough that it wasn't tracking right and caused the front end to wander.

Just a thought 'cause it sounds like you've pretty much checked everything else...

Good luck...

KaptnKA S

[kaufydawg]

Hey KaptnKA's,

Thanks for the info I should check into the Pitman Arm for sure. I got a pitman arm with the Bendix box when i bought it on Ebay, but it is exactly the same as the stock one. I saw a couple posts in this section saying it should be different.?????????????????

The rag joint is brand new, the wheel bearings are new, and new shocks as well.

I will also check into the rear end shifting like you said, because there are new leaf springs back there as well and something could have shifted. although the alignment is right on????????

Thanks for your help

[kaptnkaos]

Hey kaufydawg...

I'm pretty sure that the pitman arm should say power steering on it, but I'm not sure on one for a bendix...
I'd shoot Keith a PM to confirm that for sure.
When checking the alignment, they are only checking the front wheels since the rear ones are stationary.
But if they aren't tracking right, they can push you one direction more than the other making it easy to turn one direction and difficult to turn the other.
When driving straight, it will be trying to push to one side or the other.

KaptnKA S

[bluef250]

When did the steering problem start? After switching to the Bendix PS box? It is a PS box?

[flyboy2610]

How do the bushings at the back of the radius arms look?
If they're worn out, the suspension could be moving back and forth under load just enough to throw things off.

[FORDification]

That's what I was going to suggest...bad radius arm bushings will definitely cause the problem you're describing. You did say you changed all the bushings, but didn't specifically mention the radius arm bushings.

[ezernut9mm]

and look at the brackets that hold the radius arm bushings. i have seen them crack, not on these specific models, but on 90's models and they are basically the same set up.