Play in steering wheel

[hagan525]

I recently put on a lift on my 2011f250 after an alignment I am having enough play in my steering wheel to annoy me! My question is what can I do to fix this? Will a steering stabilizer fix this?

Also every once in awhile I get pedal hop when driving down the road what causes this? Is it something that can be fixed or does it have to go to a shop?

Thanks in advance

 

[Dzchey21]

did you notice the slop before the lift?

Check and make sure the pitman arm isnt loose on the steering box

no a steering stabilizer wont fix that

what do you mean pedal hop?

 

[hagan525]

I just tightened up the nut on the pitman arm I got about 1-1.5 turns out of it! Whys the point I a steering stabilizer?

On the wheel hop when I'm driving every so often I'll feel a vibration in the gas pedal! Thinking it's from the ABS system but I'm no mechanic! My anti traction light comes on often also maybe that has something to do with it!

 

[hagan525]

What's the point of a steering stabilizer? I seem to fat finger my phone a lot! Sorry about the confusion

 

[WoodBoy]

The point of a steering stabilizer is to reduce kickback ,from bumps, potholes, rocks, etc., through the steering system. It reduces shock and jerking and helps prolong components such as the ball joints also. It does the same thing that your shocks do pretty much

 

[hagan525]

Okay so that doesn't sound like something I need! I'm hoping tightening the pitman arm nut helps a ton! If not I'm lost!

 

[hagan525]

Well I tightened the nut on the pitman arm and it's great again! Steering wheel is cocked a little bit but I'm thinking another alignment will fix that since the one ford dealership screwed it up the first time! Oh well 80 bucks is better than a few hundred in repairs

 

[superduty4x4]

You can adjust the steering wheel center yourself, FYI. But if you just had it aligned you should have 30 days or so to get it tweaked for free if needed.

 

[hagan525]

Definitely don't have 30 days they wouldn't touch it again they say it's fine. How do you fix it yourself

 

[WoodBoy]

Pull straight onto a surface with your steering wheel in the cocked position that it is when you are traveling straight down the road. Get under the front of your truck and you will see the drag link which connects from your pitman arm to your tie rod end. There is a piece about 2/3 of the way down the drag link that is left hand thread on one end and right hand thread on the other. Loosen the two bolts so that you can turn it and take the safety device (1 bolt piece that holds a piece of metal sticking through a gap on the adjustment piece) out of the way. If you have someone that can sit in the truck and watch the steering wheel it would be very helpful and save you some up and down trips as the steering wheel moves with just a little bit of a turn.

 

[Dan]

Yeah those pitman arms want to come loos quite regularly!

I put lock right on mine and cranked on it as right as I could get it and haven't had an issue...

The stabilizers will reduce wear on your steering box and in my opinion is a very good investment, I didn't put one on mine and am already tightening the adjusting but on my box to keep it tight...

Also stabilizers will reduce "wobble" in your front end when going over railroad tracks that are on a diagonal to the road...

The joys of a lifted truck! Hahaha it's never ending man! Hahaha

 

[hagan525]

Alright thanks fellas I'll get to it ASAP! I may invest in a steering stabilizer just because! I tightened the pitman arm yesterday and it's so much nicer! My steering is cocked just a little bit but sometimes it is straight it's weird but it's not nearly as bad as it was yesterday! I'll get under there this weekend and play with it heading to Michigan in the morning to do some pheasant hunting for my buddies bachelor party!