Ford Super Duty (1999-2016) :: Steering Is Pretty Tight / Ball Joint Break In Period?
Aug 30, 2006
Took my truck in to get the wheel bearings replaced (driver's side was singing pretty loud). Decided to have the ball joints replaced at the same time since they were still original at 133,000. Got the truck back and the steering is just not right. At high speeds it acts like an old F100 wandering back and forth and the steering is pretty tight when you try to correct the wandering. I have taken it back to Ford and had the alignment checked twice.
They adjusted it slightly and "loosened" the stearing gear box. Truck is better at low speeds but still not right at highway speeds. Ford is telling me there is a "break-in" period for the ball-joints. I don't remember my friends F350 having a break-in period when he replaced his ball joints. Truck tracked fine before the work was done. Tie-rod ends also checked out. Truck is a 99 350 CC SRW 8ft bed.
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My 2004 f250 ball and u joint replacement job is at a bit of a stand still. Tore it down, brought the knuckle and axle shafts to an ex mechanic I know, because he has a 20 ton Harbor freight shop press. He mostly used a hammer, bashed out the old ball joints (I already had removed the u joints). U joint turned out fine.
I did notice the upper ball joint protruded a very slight bit on one side in the knuckle, meaning you could feel with your finger on the underside of the joint and on the one side it is not exactly flush with the interior of the knuckle. I would say it protrudes no more than a thirty second or so.
I brought it home, installed the boots on the moog joints, (the bottom was unusually difficult to put on), greased the joints and hung the knuckle on the axle tube, by a few turns on the lower joints nut. I then inserted the camber sleeve on the top stud, torqued the bottom to 49 fp then the top to 67 and finally the bottom to 150. End result, very stiff movement on the knuckle. No tie rod attached, and it takes to hands to move it from the "stopped" position,(turned all the way). I am sure it is stiffer than when I did the other side.
I tried loosening the nuts completely, same stiffness. I redid the torque sequence, no change. Tried hammering the ears around where the joints seat no improvement. The fellow who installed into the knuckle came and took a look. He agreed the knuckle was stiffer than you would hope, but, he suggested Putting it all together, as he believed they would loosen up before too long. I am not sure whether to try that, or remove the knuckle now, and redo with new joints. Pros and cons to either approach.
My question is : Does a knuckle become more sketchy by the time it is dealing with the pressing of a third set of ball joints? If I finish the install now, will a stiff knuckle action lead to other mechanical wear within a thousand miles or so, while I wait to see if they loosen up?
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After 240,000 miles I had to get the ball joints on my 02 f250 2 wheel drive replaced and the alignment set. I notice that the steering is really tight. In fact that it will not attempt to return to center on the highway. The guy that did the work has 30 years experience doing this sort of thing and he says I just need to drive it and it will loosen up. Interested in hearing from others that have replaced ball joints; Is this normal? How long do they take to loosen up?
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I need to do both lower ball joints. is there a write up or process to do it? do I have to remove the whole hub assembly/knuckle thing or can I do it with all that stuff in place?
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OK, I've done a lot of things over the years on cars and trucks but never messed with ball joints on a F250SD 4x4 with 160k miles. Found out today when getting new tires that the ball joints are shot. I trust the shop but know I can do this my self. So if I'm going to do this what should I replace? Since I'll be doing this I want to know from those with more time under the truck than me what else should I be replacing at the same time. I have done the front wheel bearings and of course shocks. Just what am I in for and what other parts and brands should I be using? Bushing kits for stabilizer bar? Replace stabilizer bar with heavier after market?
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I can't afford to replace it now and want to quiet the squealing that occurs only when I turn right. A mechanic sprayed something on there about a month ago that caused the squealing to stop for about a week, but don't remember what it was. It's a 2002 S.D....
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I have replaced my ball joints and now putting everything back together. I am having trouble tightening the nut on the lower ball joint, the joint turns with the nut as soon as it starts to get tight.
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I just replaced the ball joints on my 99 F250 SD 4x4. Driver side was a bit stiff to turn the knuckle. Passenger side is very hard to turn. The upper stud wanted to turn in the sleeve after torquing to spec. I had to lean on it to lock it into place. I have to check today to see if parts store is open to get a new set. The brand name is "Drive Works". I have installed ball joints in this vehicle previously, and in another Ford truck with the same style. I have the proper tools to do the job. I have to determine if both joints are tight or just the upper. I won't buy the same brand again.
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I've got an 04 f250 4x4 crew cab. I just replaced the upper and lower ball joints on both sides and also the drag link. My alignment was off from the bad ball joints so I had it aligned after I did all of this. Now the steering is really weird. Its like something is to tight. I can barely keep the truck straight because every time I barely move the wheel I seem to be going one way or another and getting it straight is nearly impossible to the point I look like a drunk driver. I can turn the wheel to go around a curve and let go of it and it will stay that way until I turn it back. It won't return itself. I'm kind of lost.
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99 F250 super duty 7.3
Had new ball joints installed and alignment. Steering does not return to center. Returns a little on a tight turn like in town but difficult when just changing lanes in town or not. Took it to another shop and they said the ball joints were too tight. right side pretty tight and left side really tight. Moog ball joints. First mechanic says they will get better with a few miles on them. Second mechanic says not so.
Also, have new shocks but get a bouncing in the front when at 45 mph and goes away at almost 50 mph.
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2001 F250, 5.4, Replaced the clockspring and now my steering wheel feels very tight. After cornering, it doesn't come back on it's own, like something is rubbing. The face of the clockspring is slightly different than what was there.
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I've got a 2003 F350 dually and wanna add more power that won't break the bank. What are some cheap things to do.
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6.2L F250 truck is just shy of 60k runs good however on cold startup there's now a pretty loud ticking noise for a short period (30 seconds) until it warms up then it slowly goes away. Once its warmed up there isn't much of anything.
Did these have exhaust manifold gasket problems like the 5.4? Hoping that's it if not, any other common problems that would make that ticking noise and then go away quickly once the engine is warmed up.
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On my 2004 s-cab the steering is starting go 'notchy'?
I have considered, tight upper or lower ball joints, pump, rack or even a sticking rear diff, but not carried out any checks yet except oil level
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On my 03 F350 4x4 SC 5.4L auto, I have to replace the tie rod end off the pitman arm, figured as long as I have it in the air, I'd check the ball joints because the tires are starting to wear in the inside. Hoping it's just a camber adjustment but my luck, it'll be ball joints, SO, with that said. I'm looking at Motorcraft, moog and driveworks brands, which are better? Are there other brands that would be better than these 3? Talking to my local mechanic he wants to put in moog brand, so I guess I'll be doing it myself if they're bad.
Any tips or tricks about installation procedure?
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I need to replace the ball joints on my truck, and it looks like a fairly formidable job. I replaced a brake rotor and a caliper the other day, so I'm not afraid to get in there - just not sure what I'm really getting myself into without a bit of guidance from you fine FTE folks.
What do I need to consider while I'm in there?
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Is there a more recent write up with pictures, special tool list and/or part numbers?
Early 1999 needs ball joints on drivers side. Should I just do both sides?
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I have a 2001 Ford Excursion. I had all 4 ball joints replaced and now I am experiencing poor steering and drivability. While driving in town and on the freeway I am constantly having to correct the steering. The car wants to dart to the right and then dart to the left. It will not drive straight for very long. Constant steering correction is very tiring, especially on long trips. Need to understand what is happening to my vehicle. What can I do to remedy the problem? The steering was not near as bad before the ball joint replacement.
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Rear-most connection before pumpkin, need to replace the U-Joint. I got the four bolts out at the flange but the shaft won't drop. I beat on the connection a bit, not enough to hurt though. What am I missing? How the heck do I get this apart and drop the shaft to replace the U-Joint???
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I have a 2006 f-250 with 5.4L 3valve engine. I was worried about my variable valve timing system because my engine sounds pretty rough and I hear a lot of valve chatter. I know that low oil pressure can be a big problem on these engines. Here is a pic of my oil pressure gauge. This was taken while the truck was warm while parked.
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06' CC F-250... Manual rear sliding glass is pretty rough to open and close, other than cleaning out that track, is there a good spot to put a drop of white lithium grease? Do you have to yank off the rear interior panel to clean it out all the way or would a shop vac with a sharp tip do the trick?
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