Play in Ford E350 steering - Page 2

carringb · 07-11-2019, 09:54 AM

Those caster numbers looked good.

Might not hurt to get actual scale weights. 80 psi in the rear is likely too high as well. 80 psi = 6,000 pounds rear axle weight, and if you removed all the heavy stuff, and aren't carrying 15 people, you are probably closer to 4,000 pounds on the rear axle.

One thing I just thought of... makes sure all the linkages ball joints etc have good grease. Old grease (or no grease!) will cause stiction, that causes too-much movement when it finally moves

happycampingcouple · 07-11-2019, 10:42 AM

Just returned from Harbor Freight with a new set of shims. I did the two person method previously and felt a tiny bit of slop... When I removed the shaft the first time, I could feel a little movement while twisting each end... My mechanic didnt agree... I know I am probably over sensitive to the play that I am feeling, but I wanna make sure I have done all I can do before accepting the result...

I guess we will find out if this shaft can be shimmed!!

Thanks again Mike T.

PS, CarringB, I reduced my tire PSI to about 52 front and 64 rear. drove streets and highway. I didnt notice any better handling, just felt more of the bumps on the road. But, we will see! Thank you!!

I will report back later today.

Mike B

happycampingcouple · 07-11-2019, 02:37 PM

Soooo...

I removed the steering shaft and I couldn't separate the telescoping pieces... They are round, one goes into the other and there is some kind of stopper inside the shaft...

I moved the steering wheel back and forth before I started and held the shaft in my other hand (no funny comments please!) I could feel and hear a small knock, but could not locate where the sound is coming from.

I took the airbag off and wrenched down on the bolt that holds the steering wheel. I "think" I felt it tighten or it was just my harbor freight torx driver groan??

I think I am gonna call it good till I can spend a couple hundred on a new steering shaft and the ujoint under the steering wheel... then I will replace and see if anything changed...

Carringb, Maybe I will jump down there again with my grease gun, who knows the mechanic could had forgotten to add the grease?? Glad the caster degrees are to your liking. I am hoping to start with a Helwig rear sway bar, then maybe the Weldtec stabilizer and finish it off with a rear sway bar...

Thanks again Mike T and CarringB!

carringb · 07-11-2019, 03:28 PM

The Hellwig rear sway bar is a nice upgrade for handling. I don't think it will affect the play you have now, but I certainly recommend them.

IMO, the Hellwig front sway bar is overkill on anything smaller than a motorhome, with the exception of maybe a van with a forward weight bias and heavy roof loads. The EB vans tend to stay mostly rear-weight-biased especially once built out, and I like to keep roll-stiffness-bias approximately equivalent to weight-bias, to keep the tires planted on the opposite end.

happycampingcouple · 07-11-2019, 05:24 PM

Carringb, Thanks for your help. I greased all the fittings on the front end and did notice a little improvement... Yep, Im gonna call it a success... its not perfect, but its seems better...

Now to start looking into the Helwig rear bar!

86Scotty · 07-12-2019, 10:08 PM

I strongly recommend you stop throwing money and time at this and accept that it’s tires and pressure. You’ve done everything else and then more. You should definitely feel LESS bumps and road feedback with less pressure, not more. Tires are a huge part of your suspension.

E-series vans are absolutely scary to drive with bad tires and too much air pressure. I recommend 50F/55R. What tires are you running?

Also, the other problem is that you’re expecting a van designed in the late 80’s (or earlier) to drive like your Murano. It’s not going to happen EVER. E series are old and they are heavy duty trucks. Go drive a Transit or Sprinter and you’ll probably be trading within a week.

This is not popular advice here among a primarily E series crowd but it is all true and tested many vans over by me and others. Most here know me and know I’m not knocking the E series. I’ve had 6 or more. You simply can’t match the advancement of technology with so old a design.

Good luck to you, you’re running out of options and hopefully will find a cure or just upgrade the van.

arctictraveller · 07-12-2019, 10:59 PM

After several years, I finally got my van (2001 E250 4wd) driving acceptably. I've replaced most all the front end componants except the ball joints, including adding a Redhead box. Interestingly, the box was delivered adjusted too tightly, and upon the advice of Redhead, I had to loosen the adjustment to get the steering to self center. So, don't discount the box just because it's new (to you). Everything I did seemed to help a little, but I still had to chase the wheel to go straight down the road. Finally, a few weeks ago I installed new tires for my Alaska trip even though my Duratracs had adequate tread. The Cooper Discover ATs were a shocking improvement. They made me realize my old tires weren't round, and just as good, they were much smoother and quieter. Then I removed my steering damper. It was the final piece of the puzzle. With the damper on, a slight wheel correction did little, so more correction would result in the van heading off and needing a counter correction which always seemed too much resulting in see sawing down the road. Now, a slight correction moves the van just a little and a slight counter correction moves it back with little drama, so a damper is not always the answer.

happycampingcouple · 07-13-2019, 08:37 AM

Thanks for the info 86scotty and artictraveller.

I think I am finally feeling better about this... I will still throw on a rear sway bar...

We are hoping to travel full time again in 2020 and will be towing a small camp trailer. I will be replacing all 4 tires with Michelins. When I purchased the van, it came with a mix of Firestones and another brand. I have replaced one rear with a Michelin and put the Matching Firestones in front. When I do replace all 4, I will use my existing Michelin as a spare. I am also thinking of upgrading to 16x8 wheels... If the boss lady says yes!!

Thanks again for all your input!

86Scotty · 07-13-2019, 09:08 AM

I think you're on to something. Crappy tires will definitely make for a crappy ride on these vans. I would go E-rated and something that has been well reviewed on these vans. Can't go wrong with Michelins usually but I don't know many here that run them.

Lots of tire threads here for your perusing enjoyment....

ibike · 07-13-2019, 02:43 PM

I've been working on getting the last bit of slop and 65mph shimmy out of my front end as well. So far I've done all four ball joints, set preload on wheel bearings/axle nut, all Energy suspension bushings (sway bar, radius arms and i-beams). I haven't gotten into the steering box or column yet, but I did stumble across this. In theory it makes sense that it could fix/lessen the issue. Unfortunately, they only make them for Jeep and GM steering setups. I wonder if it could be modified to work with Fords components. I found a guy who made a set custom for his van on IG, I sent him a message but never got a reply.

https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/R1768.html