Getting front alignment & tire balance - Sightseer 30B F53

[Gary RVRoamer]

Most any truck alignment shop will have the capability to bend a solid front axle to adjust camber. Hyders Safety Serive in Westefield , Mass can do it. I think I paid only about $75 but that was in 2003. I recall that balancing the front wheels and aligning, incuding bending for camber adjustment, was a little over $100, including tax.

[tderonne]

No F53 chassis have airbags. Empty cavity in there. Recent E350/450 do have airbags, but that's it.

(I have a leather wrapped steering wheel on mine, from a higher trim level F150, the old wheel popped off without a puller.)

[RPagington]

Tderonne is right, no air bag in the steering wheel on a F-53. I pulled the center today and fixed mine. Takes a large size thorx (might not have spelled that right) to remove the center bolt and you need a jaw type steering wheel puller to remove it. Takes about 15 mins to do it.

[Don-Savannah, GA]

When I read the 2 previous posts I was dumbfounded, the center of my wheel says "Air bag". I called Ford Motorhome and confirmed that there is absolutely no air bag! I was also told the steering wheel could be rotated.

Six years of driving with a crooked steering wheel is about to come to an end!

Thanks guys............

[Hikerdogs]

Don: Just make sure after you straighten the wheel you don't try to drive down the road holding it in the same position you have for the last 6 years. It could be an exciting drive for you and everyone else on the road.

[tderonne]

I'll have to look at my mom's '99, I wonder if hers says "airbag". I'm pretty certain mine doesn't. I'm kind of drawing a blank on why I knew there was no airbag. I was thinking the non-airbag cover is unique, but maybe not. Gotta look closer.

[Don-Savannah, GA]

I stand corrected, the wheel does not state it has an airbag, however, there is a sticker on the sun visor warning about the hazard of accidental deploying.

For those interested, there are 2 pop off plugs on the bottom of the wheel spokes, under the plugs are 2 screws removed with an 8mm socket which allows removal of the horn assembly. The wheel is secured with a Torx bolt which is removed using a T5 tool. A 2 legged gear puller is required to remove the wheel.
Nuttin to it!

[JD Allen]

I finally got around repositioning my steering wheel. It took me about a half hour to gather the tools and do the job.

I had moved the radio control so I could see the dashboard instruments. I moved the radio control back to its factory position. I plan to go fishing in about three weeks and I'm looking forward to driving with the steering wheel centered, or nearly so.

Thanks to all the people on this board and the information that's available here.

Update: I just got back from my first trip since I repositioned my steering wheel. I can now see all of my dash instruments while driving straight down the road. The wheel is still clocked slightly to the left. As I understand the situation the splines on the steering wheel shaft are each 9 degrees so there is a chance for a steering wheel to be off by as much as 4.5 degrees. This is much better than it was as before I repositioned my steering wheel. Now I can see all of the dash instruments.