1990 e350 steering gear

[maxermack]

when i purchased the van about a year and half ago, the steering had some serious wander. could be pretty terrifying to drive at times. after checking out things out, it seemed pretty clear the problem was in the gear. so i replaced it with a rebuilt one.

things improved some (i like to think), but never seemed to get anywhere near what i would consider truly steady.

recently i had all new tires put on, balanced, and had the van aligned on a machine. i expected something miraculous. nothing close. and so i'm still stuck with looking like the only guy on the highway getting hit with strong crosswinds when i change lanes or just try to keep straight.

i stopped by the shop my friend takes his truck to, and the guy said everything looked fine including the rag joint. whatever the problem was HAD to be in the box.

i've adjusted the screw on the top of the box, and while this will increase the resistance i get when turning the steering wheel, it doesn't seem to tie the steering any tighter to the wheels--if that makes any sense. one thing i also don't get is a strong return with the steering wheel--in that if i'm parked with the van on, and turn the wheel one way of the other, it doesn't swing back to center with a lot of force.

with nasty roads on the horizon, i'm really hoping to figure this out soon. any help or advice would greatly appreciated. and if there's anything i can clarify please let me know.

thanks.

[Davescort97]

The steering gear probably is overtightened on the adjustment. This would cause the steering not to return to center or straight ahead after making a turn. Loosen up the adjustment and start over again. If it's in a bind it's in too far. You can get more accuracy out of the adjustment if you get the front wheels off the ground.