Here is what I know about Ford steering problems I work on a lot of them. First you need to determain the main soruce of the problem by elemantion proces. 1. seperate the tie rod from the pitman arm, Start the truck and turn sterring left and right. is it hard to turn or smooth? If it is very hard steering then it is a steering gear problem but if it is smooth and esey we need to go to the next step ( reinstall tie rod on pitman arm torqe to spec. and install cotter key) 2. You need to jack up the front left side of truck so that the tire is off the ground, then seporate the left tie rod from steering knuckle, Let the tie rod hang down, Now you need to turn the sterring wheel all the way to the right. Now by hand turn the left wheel to the right and left is it hard to turn? or is it esey to turn? If it is hard to turn it is the ball joints and or the u-joints ( if it is a u-joint, As you turn the wheel it will be hard to turn but also as you get to the end of the turinng swing the axel shaft will thump) most of the time this is were the problems exsist. Repete the same procedure on the other side. I hope this will help. also the guy with the death wobble sometimes it is your u-joints that cause this because a very bad frozzen u-joint will not center itself, Also found that if u-joints are ok that a supper trail boss maid by MOOG works very well hope this will help.
