Steering box replacement

[RichardT]

How hard is it to change out the steering box? whats involed in conquering this feat? anything special before i jump on this project? aNY SPECIAL tools required? any thing special i need to be aware of before hand?????

[PGreenSVT]

You have to be able to take the ball joint out of the pitman arm, or at least pull the pitman arm off of the steering box. You will need some kind of puller for that. My ball joint puller would work for either. Then it is just hoses, unbolt the linkage and unbolt the box from the frame.

[RichardT]

I HAVE A ball joint puller Its the "c" clamp looking kind> would that do? I really haven't given it a good look yet. Changing out my trac bar tomorrow and the steering box is next.

[PGreenSVT]

Originally Posted by RichardT

I HAVE A ball joint puller Its the "c" clamp looking kind> would that do? I really haven't given it a good look yet. Changing out my trac bar tomorrow and the steering box is next.

Yeah that should work for you. You'll need a 30mm socket I believe it is for the frame mount of the track bar. It is torqued to over 400 ft/lbs so a 3/4" setup with a 3'-4' cheater on a breaker bar will definitely be your friend for this job. Good luck to you.

Are you going with a Redhead steering box or changing to hydraulic?

[RichardT]

400 LBS!!! HOLY CRAP. trac bar did n't look to difficukt to change out but 400 ft. lbs is a lot. 3o mm that about 1-3/16" ? i guess i better get the wrench. AS far as the steering box I dunno. wha to get I was planning another trip to the Ford place for that. Whats the hydrulics you are talking about? I know nothing about any of that. Like i said Ford has them for bout $240

[2raud4u]

I broke the sector shaft on my steering box last spring on my 99. Pretty easy to replace just make sure you have something to catch the fluid. Also they have a tool that pulls the pitman arm off. It's called a pitman arm puller and they sell them at any auto parts store for $20 or so.

[PGreenSVT]

Originally Posted by RichardT

400 LBS!!! HOLY CRAP. trac bar did n't look to difficukt to change out but 400 ft. lbs is a lot. 3o mm that about 1-3/16" ? i guess i better get the wrench. AS far as the steering box I dunno. wha to get I was planning another trip to the Ford place for that. Whats the hydrulics you are talking about? I know nothing about any of that. Like i said Ford has them for bout $240

Not being familiar with your truck I was just trying to find out if you were upgrading your steering system. A hydraulic changes your steering box out for a new one that directs hydraulic fluid to a ram that ties into the tie rod to move the wheels left or right. It eliminates the drag link and pitman arm. Usually done by guys with big lifts and big tires.

The Redhead steering box is a rebuilt to higher specs version of the stock box.
www dot redheadsteeringgears dot com

Anytime I have to replace something I try to upgrade it while I'm at it

Originally Posted by 2raud4u

I broke the sector shaft on my steering box last spring on my 99. Pretty easy to replace just make sure you have something to catch the fluid. Also they have a tool that pulls the pitman arm off. It's called a pitman arm puller and they sell them at any auto parts store for $20 or so.

Good point. Autozone and Advance will loan you the puller for a refundable deposit too.

[choff1212]

When I was doing my lift I bought the $20 pitman arm puller and it didnt fit right so i heat it up and bent it out with my floor jack, just an fyi. Heat and lite taps on the pitman arm also help to pull it off.

[RichardT]

I look at it like this, Since my stock box worked for over 200,000 why not replace it with another stock part? Seems like sometimes when you get aftermarket parts things are excalty the same. I had that problem with Front wheel bearings. So is the Redhead going to last 200k and what makes it better than stock?? Just questions not being a smart a$$ or anything. No not going to hydraulics, Sounds costly

[PGreenSVT]

Read the writeup on what Redhead does when they rebuild a box. If I was replacing my steering box with a stock type that what I would use. It's just a better box.