Interest in Adjustable Drag Link

[Brazel's RV Performance]

Hi guys and gals,

We are looking at having adjustable drag links produced for the 2008-2017 F53 so that the steering wheel can be adjusted after ride height or caster is adjusted. Just wanted to put feelers out there to see how much interest there might be in a product such as this?

[RDG]

I would be interested if it fit a 2000 20,500 chassis.
Bob

[wackymac]

How much would it cost?

[Mel556180]

Yes, cost would definitely determine interest for me.

[Brazel's RV Performance]

What price range do you feel would be “worth it”?

The reason I ask is that due to clearances and the size of the stud that is required, it can only be machined from OEM Ford drag links which makes the end user price somewhere north of $500 all said and done.

[House Husband]

Good idea but with the ease of centering the F53 steering wheel by removing the steering wheel or removing the coupling on the steering box, I doubt if you will see much interest at the suggested price structure.

Richard

[TeJay]

I'll have to agree with RLS7201. I've read some posts where the alignment shop technician didn't know how to center the SW (Steering Wheel) and just sent the customer down the road.

I've also read that some were charged an additional fee to make the adjustment when it should be part of the alignment.

On the normal/standard dual tie rod system the steering wheel is first centered then locked into place. Then the toe angle is adjusted on both sides keeping the SW centered.

Even if one were charged a small fee of less than $50 I doubt you'd see much interest in a fix if it's in the range north of $500. I do thank you for your interest in seeking a solution for this. Ford should alter their design.

As a former auto shop instructor (35 years) it's amazing that Ford has stuck with this single tie rod system all these years. Why have they not at least offered a written TSB outlining exactly how simple it is to correct the off-center SW following an adjustment of the toe angle??

Then again why has Ford (since 1999) put two hole on both sides of the REAR and FRONT (SB) stabilizer bars (anti-sway bars) and provided no written or dealer information that the inner hole is there to allow for SB SWAY adjustments??

[twinboat]

There are 2, Ford published, service bullitens for correcting offset steering wheels.

The first is for early models where the steering wheel could be re-indexed. TBS Q 59

The second one, seen below, addresses the later models and explains how to correct it.

BCM 5818 – F53 And F59 Steering Clear Vision Adjustment

Some F53 Motorhome and F59 Commercial chassis vehicles may exhibit steering system clear vision concerns.

Clear vision concerns can be corrected by re-indexing the steering shaft to steering gear connection. Refer to the

steering column shift – Motorhome procedure workshop manual section 211-04 steering system. Other steering

or suspension concern should be addressed using the workshop manual.

[429CV23]

Originally Posted by Ultra RV Tech

What price range do you feel would be “worth it”?

The reason I ask is that due to clearances and the size of the stud that is required, it can only be machined from OEM Ford drag links which makes the end user price somewhere north of $500 all said and done.

The same was said for my former '78 GMC Royale. I searched the books for the correct diameter, taper, length, etc tie rods, then had a 4x4 shop make the adjustment sleeve out of DOM tubing. Cost me $125 total.

[Gene1]

As a Union Truck Mechanic....I have a question, for anyone that knows about machining steering worm gears..When, we adjusted play out of worm gear, by adjustment screw & lock nut, we always had to adjust at center of travel..anywhere else, would really cause a bind, once centered....I had good instructors, from WW2, that said worm gears, were milled, to have wider teeth, at center of travel, to help hold the truck in a straight forward position..This was before power steering. ( I was only mechanic, that was willing to take a short class on Alternators and transistor ing., I was told, they've never last...so much, for us old mechanics...)

If today's worm gears, have these wider teeth, at center of steering, and the steering wheel is off side, then, in order to correct things, is find that centering spot, then aline wheels to go straight down the road and if I remember right, years ago, I read where bending the drag link, was only way to do this on a Ford..Again, there was much talk about buying a high priced bender..So, as the orginial post suggested was to make an adjustable drag link, then everything would be made simple...

[AITG]

Originally Posted by Gene1

As a Union Truck Mechanic....I have a question, for anyone that knows about machining steering worm gears..When, we adjusted play out of worm gear, by adjustment screw & lock nut, we always had to adjust at center of travel..anywhere else, would really cause a bind, once centered....I had good instructors, from WW2, that said worm gears, were milled, to have wider teeth, at center of travel, to help hold the truck in a straight forward position..This was before power steering. ( I was only mechanic, that was willing to take a short class on Alternators and transistor ing., I was told, they've never last...so much, for us old mechanics...)

If today's worm gears, have these wider teeth, at center of steering, and the steering wheel is off side, then, in order to correct things, is find that centering spot, then aline wheels to go straight down the road and if I remember right, years ago, I read where bending the drag link, was only way to do this on a Ford..Again, there was much talk about buying a high priced bender..So, as the orginial post suggested was to make an adjustable drag link, then everything would be made simple...

I have the same reservation. TRW gearboxes have a straight-ahead position referred to as "high point". The gear has the minimum amount of internal play at that point. Changing the straight-ahead point in the gear by a spline or two probably won't change much but beyond that you can create tracking/wandering problems. Then again, my experience has been on larger TRW gears (Class 8 trucks) so maybe there is an internal change in the 40 series box.