2013+ steering gearbox in older trucks

Kedstrokin · Apr 8, 2017

I've seen where people put 05+ steering boxes in a obs. They say bolt holes are the same just the hose fittings are different. If the 16 bolts in a 05 then the obs should be achievable. I might have to look into this a little further since I'll be doing a 05+ axle swap soon.

dsberman94 · Apr 8, 2017

I didn't have time to do this. I have a longer distance to drive for work now and I just needed to get it done.

BravoZulu81 · Apr 27, 2017

OK, so it appears there are a number of different variations of this gearbox... I'm not exactly sure what the differences are. STG-285, STG-425, STG-427, STG-428 .... these are the results on ford parts website when you don't put in a specific VIN. Using the VIN provided comes up with the STG-425. Anyone know if it makes a difference? I was looking at reman units and seems price swings greatly. Want to make sure I'm getting the right part. My steering is horrible with my 37's.

PrecisionEngine · Apr 27, 2017

BravoZulu81 said:
OK, so it appears there are a number of different variations of this gearbox... I'm not exactly sure what the differences are. STG-285, STG-425, STG-427, STG-428 .... these are the results on ford parts website when you don't put in a specific VIN. Using the VIN provided comes up with the STG-425. Anyone know if it makes a difference? I was looking at reman units and seems price swings greatly. Want to make sure I'm getting the right part. My steering is horrible with my 37's.

Not sure, man. I just used one from the VIN I provided.

co04cobra · May 15, 2017

Ok, I poked around the parts yard today as I was working on swapping a 12 box into my 06.

This looks like it would be a direct swap in a 08 truck.

In 07 back trucks, the shaft, bolts, bolt holes, and the plate at the firewall where the shaft goes through are different.

07 back trucks have 1 piece shafts. The only other thing It seems, I am finding is some early 08 trucks have splines on the boxes, but they still have 2 pieces shafts.

Jomax · May 15, 2017

Yeah. It's harder for the 2007 pre trucks.

I do have a 2007 box from ford that is an updated box. Has 50miles on it I'll be selling.

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BravoZulu81 · Jun 6, 2017

co04cobra said:
Ok, I poked around the parts yard today as I was working on swapping a 12 box into my 06.

This looks like it would be a direct swap in a 08 truck.

In 07 back trucks, the shaft, bolts, bolt holes, and the plate at the firewall where the shaft goes through are different.

07 back trucks have 1 piece shafts. The only other thing It seems, I am finding is some early 08 trucks have splines on the boxes, but they still have 2 pieces shafts.

Any good deals on a low mile 11-16 box from you? lol

Countrycar · Jun 12, 2017

opcorn:

Charles · Oct 25, 2018

Resurrection time...

Right now I have a 2016 box from the VIN posted here hanging off the frame on my 02. So far I can tell you the input shaft is obviously different, I plan to grind the rivets out of the old "rag joint" and install the new end from the 2016 lower shaft onto my old shaft unless someone can tell me a direct drop in shaft that will connect my 02 steering column to this box.

As for bolting it up.... I drilled the frame holes (which are identically spaced) with a 21/32" bit and installed M16-2 x 5.2" bolts from an LS7 dry dump harmonic balancer. The factory frame on the 2016 is not as large as the frame on the 2002 superduty, so the factory bolts are too short from the 2016. The chevy HB bolts are perfect and also grade 10.9. I just cut the washers off the LS7 bolts.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/meyG9djfy2LHXwWo9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6X91P7S8Bu69LTMd8

I got a line for hydroboost to box for a 2016 that I will try this weekend, but my main question right now is what did you people running a 2005+ box in a pre 2005 truck do about steering linkages? The pitman arm has a larger taper for the drag link on 05+ than pre 05. My 2002 drag link rod end just falls right through. I got the specs from Moog on 2005 and 2002 and they are very different in size, but I can't find a rod end with the 2005 taper and the 2002 thread.

How the *** did you connect the pitman arm to the axle???

Jomax · Oct 27, 2018

No one loves you Charles. Forums are dying. Here’s a free bump.

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MeTo · Oct 27, 2018

I was taught how to "marry" things by my father long ago. Position wheels straight ahead and steering wheel in it's center position. The adjuster on the drag link should be at its mid point also. Find a drag link that fits the pitman arm, cut it and the existing drag link, source a tube with an I.D. slightly larger than the o.d. of the drag link shafts and about a foot long. Slip the drag links into the tube, clock them appropriately and weld that best together.

Charles · Oct 27, 2018

MeTo said:
I was taught how to "marry" things by my father long ago. Position wheels straight ahead and steering wheel in it's center position. The adjuster on the drag link should be at its mid point also. Find a drag link that fits the pitman arm, cut it and the existing drag link, source a tube with an I.D. slightly larger than the o.d. of the drag link shafts and about a foot long. Slip the drag links into the tube, clock them appropriately and weld that best together.

I would actually just re-thread the 05 "right outer tie rod" and use it at the pitman arm but it's a wear item, meaning that every time I want to replace it I would have to do machine work.

I also thought about machining the center out of both pitman arms (the 05 and 02) and pressing the 02 tapered piece into the 05 arm and then welding. The last option is to increase the taper size in the stock 02 "right outer tie rod" to accept the 05 drag link and using 05 "left" and "right inner tie rod" with coupler. Basically the entire drag link from an 05. I've only ever replaced one tie rod, they seem to last better than the drag links.

The homerun would be an off-the-shelf combo. I have a 7 degree tapered reamer on the way...

co04cobra · Oct 27, 2018

Charles said:
I would actually just re-thread the 05 "right outer tie rod" and use it at the pitman arm but it's a wear item, meaning that every time I want to replace it I would have to do machine work.

I also thought about machining the center out of both pitman arms (the 05 and 02) and pressing the 02 tapered piece into the 05 arm and then welding. The last option is to increase the taper size in the stock 02 "right outer tie rod" to accept the 05 drag link and using 05 "left" and "right inner tie rod" with coupler. Basically the entire drag link from an 05. I've only ever replaced one tie rod, they seem to last better than the drag links.

The homerun would be an off-the-shelf combo. I have a 7 degree tapered reamer on the way...

I had thought of doing very similar things as to what you were thinking but am looking for a “off the shelf” solution also.

Haven’t had time to go through the parts yard doing some test fitting yet.

Keep us posted on what you find and I will post back with a combo when I find one to.

6.0 Tech · Oct 27, 2018

Stupid question, but what about running 05 knuckles and all 05 steering components?

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Charles · Oct 28, 2018

6.0 Tech said:
Stupid question, but what about running 05 knuckles and all 05 steering components?

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Leafsprings....

6.0 Tech · Oct 28, 2018

Charles said:
Leafsprings....

Will the knucles interfere? Might have to run wheel spacers or something, but either way the springs are inside the knuckle, so the knuckle doesnt have anything to do with spring mounts.

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dsberman94 · Oct 28, 2018

6.0 Tech said:
Will the knucles interfere? Might have to run wheel spacers or something, but either way the springs are inside the knuckle, so the knuckle doesnt have anything to do with spring mounts.

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You’d have to weld a stop block onto it so you couldn’t turn the tire into the spring while moving. That would be interesting I’m sure.

6.0 Tech · Oct 28, 2018

dsberman94 said:
You’d have to weld a stop block onto it so you couldn’t turn the tire into the spring while moving. That would be interesting I’m sure.

Gotcha. Not much of a suspension guy, and never really looked at em side by side

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