Slop in steering at 40k miles

chaselee

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My 2012 now has 40k on it. I've had it since 22k and it's been lifted for probly 10k now. I've been noticing lately that I'm starting to get slop in the steering wheel. I'm not sure if this is related to the lift or what. Is there a fix? Will it just keep getting worse? Any experience is helpful.
 

Jomax

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My 2012 now has 40k on it. I've had it since 22k and it's been lifted for probly 10k now. I've been noticing lately that I'm starting to get slop in the steering wheel. I'm not sure if this is related to the lift or what. Is there a fix? Will it just keep getting worse? Any experience is helpful.


What size tires?


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chaselee

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Just had it aligned yesterday.

Tires are 35" toyo m/t. Which have been on the truck since before the lift.
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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Did you reuse your Sector Shaft Nut (holds Pitman Arm on steering gearbox shaft) or get a new one? Those nuts are a one time torque nut and can/will back themselves off if reused. I had that issue on my '14. I put new nuts on (use one as a stop nut for insurance *shrug* lol), added LocTite, and over torqued them just a little & it solved that part of it. I also used a sharpie to make a line from nut to nut (lol) to keep an eye on alignment. Then, I realized my Track Bar Drop Bracket was not tight enough. It turns out I need more of a compressor to support my IR Thunder Gun's total CFM draw under load ('bout 24 CFM). I turned up the line PSI to get close to the gun's 90 PSI max while under load (about 110 PSI not under load), tightened the five bolts on the bracket and have been good since. Well, that's not counting that I had to replace all steering components around, I think, 72k mi except Tie Rod Ends. That's all my experience so far.

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid" - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

chaselee

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Yes that big ass nut that holds the pitman arm on was reused. I wasn't aware you were supposed to change it. If lifted many trucks and that's the first I've heard of that.
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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Yeah, I feel ya. I lifted my ol 7.3 and it was okay to reuse it. But, I think it was fordparts.com or a dealership that agreed with what alldatadiy.com told me; that it has to be replaced. Idk why that's the case this time around other than obviously a lil extra money back to Ford. Oh, & they come in bags of I think three...of course right. Anyway, replacing the nut cured the problem I had with the original walking its way off.

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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Yeah, I feel ya. I lifted my ol 7.3 and it was okay to reuse it. But, I think it was fordparts.com or a dealership that agreed with what alldatadiy.com told me; that it has to be replaced. Idk why that's the case this time around other than obviously a lil extra money back to Ford. Oh, & they come in bags of I think three...of course, right. Anyway, replacing the nut cured the problem I had with the original walking its way off. Then, I was on to the next lesson of the bracket.

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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What I always do when I have any slop in my steering is get a friend to turn the steering wheel back and forth to load/apply tension to and unload the steering linkages' joints. You don't have to move it much. But, having someone else do that, while parked obviously, & you looking at the links & joints of the system usually will make it possible for you to see what's going/gone out.

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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What size tires?


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Are you thinking steering stabilizers or something else?

Chaselee, you might need new ones or two if you have just the factory one. That'll help with pot holes & bumps moving your wheels & tires and in turn moving your steering wheel; if that's what you're experiencing. I know that's the basics but, sometimes the basics get overlooked and the more complicated accidentally gets focused on first. I've done it *shrug*

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 
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chaselee

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Thanks for the replies fellas. I do have the RC dual steering stabilizers so I don't believe that's the issue, plus I've gotten no wobble after a pothole or bump. Just this dang steering slop. Which the weirdest thing to me about it, is that it quite a bit worse tto the right than to the left. I will try to round up some help soon and try what your saying.
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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Gotchya, np, good luck!

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

Jomax

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Are you thinking steering stabilizers or something else?

Chaselee, you might need new ones or two if you have just the factory one. That'll help with pot holes & bumps moving your wheels & tires and in turn moving your steering wheel; if that's what you're experiencing. I know that's the basics but, sometimes the basics get overlooked and the more complicated accidentally gets focused on first. I've done it *shrug*

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol


Wider tires make it more sloppy. Bet you'd fix your issue with a redhead box.


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Platinum250Scorpion

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Wider tires make it more sloppy. Bet you'd fix your issue with a redhead box.


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Oh yeah, for sure, I hear ya... What's a redhead box?

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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Well, that's cool, learn somethin every day

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

chaselee

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Hell I hope I don't next a new steering box already. I've spent enough mo ey on this truck lately. Lol. I'm hoping honestly that my pitman arm nut is backing off.
 

Platinum250Scorpion

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I'm with ya there, especially with only 40k.

- from farm to Air Force, from 7.3 to 6.7, still fairly new to PSA, diesel junky ever learning... "Life's hard, it's harder when you're stupid." - John Wayne ... I might screw that up once in a while, sorry if I do but, life happens lol
 

chaselee

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Well fellas I finally got a chance to get a buddy to help me yesterday look at the steering components. It was definitely the drop pitman arm nut. The freaking thing was almost hand tight!! we tightened it back up and put some Loctite on it. It drives like a new truck again. That was def the problem. Only problem now is that my steering wheel is way off to the right.
 
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