OT- vehicle steering question

What year F150

Dustmaker (Mike)

if you are talking the steering knuckle about mid way down the steering shaft. It is not hard to replace yourself. If you can get it aftermarket cheaper then I would do that. When replacing it the biggest thing to remember is set it where you can get to all the nuts and bolts. Mark it with tape grease pencil or something you can see. Lock the steering wheel into place. Then take out the knuckle and replace. I have done a few over the years and they are not hard to do.

They really are pretty easy to do just take your time and make sure nothing moves or you will need an alignment and someone to rest the steering.

Re: What year F150

Tom Norton

2011. The videos make it appear to be an easy repair.

2011

Dustmaker (Mike)

piece of cake. Again take your time and don't move anything while the joint is out. I always mark it in three different places to make sure.

Re: OT- vehicle steering question

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

I would definitely purchase the generic parts. Odds are they are made by the same manufacture as the "ford" parts. I was an Engineer at a plant where we made a lot of Automotive components. The OEM replacement parts (in the nice little branded box) cost more than 10 times the actual price we sold the component to the manufacturer.

Many of the aftermarket parts were made by us to the same spec as the original and sold for 50% or less than the OEM marked parts.

There is somewhat of a legitimate reason the OEM parts are so expensive. Some of the parts are required to be purchased and carried in stock by the dealers and many of these will never be sold by them until they are obsolete and the dealers then sell them in bulk at a loss. (or that is how it was done a few years ago). Thus the dealers try to make up for that loss with profit from the parts they do sell.

Re: OT- vehicle steering question

Tom Norton

After doing some research it appears all that is available is the OEM parts. Called NAPA and a couple of other local stores. Not available.

I am going to try lubing the u-joints before I go to the expense of replacing.

Re: OT- vehicle steering question *LINK*

Stuart Johnson

I've purchased parts from these folks a couple times. The have reasonable price and fast delivery plus they have hot to videos on many items showing specifics about replacing with their product rather than some guy on Youtube.


1AAuto

If it is starting to bind

Dustmaker (Mike)

you are better off replacing it now while the weather is good, also it will only get worse even with lubing it. I know this because I did the same thing on my 2004 and in the middle of Ohio winter it decided it did not want to turn any more. That was a cold day of working on the truck

Re: If it is starting to bind

Tom Norton

It is only an occasional ""tightness". But your point is well taken Dustmaker

Just did a little digging

Dustmaker (Mike)

I am a member of F150forum.com, so I did a little digging in the 09-14 section on the steering linkage. It seems Ford changed the lower shaft from the 2004 model. Yours looks to be grease able. There is also a spline'd shaft that needs to be greased. If there are zerk fittings then you are set. I doubt there are so Seafoam lube should get into them enough to lube then. white lithium grease for the shaft.

Rock Auto sells the lower shaft, they are out of stock right now. This tells me it is a common problem.

Have fun

Re: Just did a little digging

Tom Norton

No zerks. I sprayed a bit of litium grease on the slathered grease in and around the Universal's. Will go back and do the shaft.