steering gear broke

[dbfraley]

Hello all, This is my first post here I usually just lurk and take in all the info and I must thank you all for the info and entertainment.
So here is something for your info or entertainment.
Last sat morning after a 60 mile trip the night before my wife hopped in the pick up to run up town. She backed out of the driveway and the pitman arm and steering rods fell of the steering gear box. I went out to look and the out put shaft ,the one with 36 splines was sheered off above the pitman arm. It look like it had been fatigued over a few years. This could have been really ugly you know ditches, barbwire, tow trucks. So take note as the position of your steering wheel if it is not as centered as you once thougth it was check out your steering box and pitman arm. I may save you from having to mend someones fence.

[460+]

Was the truck ever hit in the front or curbed really hard?
What year is the truck? Ive seen alot of trucks pass through our shop
and never seen that.Glad it happened at home though.

[NOVAJOE105]

OMG...she was lucky. That is the first time Ihave heard of that without something else causing it. Glad to hear there was no fence mending involved.

[SMKSTAX]

Lucky that happened in the driveway and not doing 70 on the highway!! Wonder what could have caused them to sheer like that?

[dbfraley]

The truck is a 01 f350 crew cab 4x4 7.3 6" lift 35 bfgs on weld wheels it has about 80,000 miles on it and has not been in any wrecks. I think the shop that put the lift on may have heated the old pitman arm to remove it.That with the bigger tires may have had some thing to do with it.

[todd]

my wifes truck did the exact same thing but only she was driving it down the road at the time !! a 1.5 lane gravel road by our house and she ended up in the ditch with my 6mo old daughter completely stock never wreaked owned it since new 00 f250 ps did this with 65000 miles on it seen another on in the ford shop that did the same as well raised hell with dealer they fixed it at no charge but would not accept any responcibility and would not cover the body damage i searched the web and found the site for the hiway saftey board i think it was and they had numerous complaints on the same thing and were in talks with ford on it ive never heard anymore on it that was a couple years ago i dont have the sites anymore but do some checking may at least get a free repair its not as rare a problem as you may think bad heat treating in my opinion