Why does my Ford Econoline steering feel loose?
Why does my Ford Econoline steering feel loose?
When I started the van was downright dangerous to drive at high speed and hit a bump. The steering wheel would feel loose and sloppy and it would feel as if the van was lifting off the road surface. As you can see twin I-beam Ford suspensions have been around for a very long time.
What kind of steering does a Ford Econoline have?
I have a 1998 Ford Econoline e350 van that had horrible steering when I got it. It was a bit of a big headache and I wanted to share with you guys what I found that fixed my wandering steering.
Why does my steering wheel move back and forth?
Inspect all the steering components and make sure there is no significant play in anything. Replace parts as needed. When these go bad they can cause the wheel to literally move forward and back during braking or accelerating. It can cause all kinds of weird feelings in the car, and should be replaced.
What to do about wandering steering in Econoline van?
The idea is pretty simple, you install a steering dampener (which is basically like adding a shock absorber) to your steering drive. This makes it feel stiffer and reduces the jerkiness (or touchiness) of your steering. I did this on my van (1998 Ford Econoline e350) and while it helped it was not the ultimate fix to my wandering steering problem.
How to check for looseness in Ford Econoline?
Check each tire at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock for any play in the system ( watch this video to see this test) Use a pry bar and a helper to check ball joints for looseness or play (check everything well, on heavy-duty trucks sometimes play will only show up when using pry bars correctly to test each ball joint separately). How to video here.
How much does it cost to fix steering on Ford Econoline?
Little do you know that if you started with the steering gear box adjustment your van may drive 100x times better and only cost like $150. Ok, this is another item that often comes up when people discuss steering problems on their Ford Econoline, trucks, and other twin I-beam style cars.
Can a front end alignment help with wandering steering?
The problem is an alignment may help your wandering steering issue, but if you don’t fix the underlying issue it will never make the van drive as it should. There are tons of posts of people adding as much caster to the front end alignment as possible to help with freeway driveability on these Ford twin I-beam suspension Econoline/trucks.
