GEN 1 Steering rack DIY

[BenBB]

Thought I would write up a quick DIY for replacing the steering rack on a Gen 1, recently did mine and couldn't find another thread on here so hope it helps someone. Parental advisory I'm not a certified or otherwise endorsed mechanic! This is as much a "what not to do" as it is just entertainment. Procedure is probably pretty similar for Gen 2/3 but instead of hydraulic lines you have electrical connectors (and possibly dealer programming? HellifIknow).

First find said steering rack appropriate to your truck, unless of course you can have yours rebuilt. There's a different part number for SCAB and SCREW (slightly fewer turns lock to lock for the SCAB or 133" wheelbase version versus the SCREW or 145" wheelbase); as of this writing new ones aren't readily available online anymore but you might happen upon NOS (New Old Stock) squirreled away at a dealership somewhere (and yes capitalist swine you could probably snap it up and double your money on ebay if you did). And I couldn't find any seal kits available or any information on rebuilding your own so that leaves rebuilt. Motorcraft offers a reman with a 24 month/unlimited mileage warranty, and other sources are available like Cardone reman from rockauto.com with a 36 month/36,000 mile warranty. I went with the Cardone instead of the Motorcraft from rockauto or Tasca along with all new power steering lines (note the aftermarket pressure line I got for the rack to the pump was crap and I returned it for a Motorcraft part, YMMV but I generally recommend going with Motorcraft where possible, depending on availability and price).

Next you'll need some Power Steering fluid (Mercon LV, a couple quarts is more than enough), two new o-rings for where the pressure lines enter the rack (these should come with your rack if you bought new/reman) and a few tools:

10mm Socket and ratchet/wrench, or even better a Gearwrench type ratchet wrench and skinny hands due to clearance (if you use the hamfist socket approach you might need a 10" or so extension and a universal joint)

21mm Deep socket for outer tie rod end nuts and lug nuts (an impact is helpful too)

1" Socket and big-ass torque wrench capable of 325 ft-lbs (big-ass isn't a requirement but it helps with leverage if you're not a powerlifter when you get into torque values well beyond your own body weight, as is my case. I use a 600 ft-lb that's about 4' long from Summit for about $200, well worth it especially if you ever remove your front shocks)

Regular-ass torque wrench (0-250 ft-lb) for tie rod nuts, etc.

Large-ish pipe wrench; I used a 24", this is to hold the nuts on the back of the rack that aren't really nuts as much as about 2" diameter round things with two flats machined in 'em

Hammer of some kind

Large flat blade screwdriver

Large crescent wrench

Couple ratchet straps or something to keep the steering wheel from moving once the column is disconnected (like maybe a Club? Are those still a thing?) or else the clockspring will have to be recentered.

Lastly, if you follow Ford's official instructions, you'll need 2 new mounting bolts for the rack, a new pinch bolt for the column where it attaches to the rack, and a new bolt for the mounting flange for the pressure lines. I didn't. I had those huge steering bolts off and reused them with blue Loctite about 5 years and 50,000 miles ago when I put on a frame-cut front bumper so...I use blue Loctite for most things I don't want coming out and Anti-seize for things (like the taper on the outer tie rods) I do, but that's just me.

Here's the service manual overview:




And the actual process is pretty much just as straightforward, although in practice they omit a few subtle details. Anyway, first lift the front end and support it on jackstands, remove the front wheels, center the steering wheel and strap it so it can't turn, pull the front and engine skidplates:


Break loose the outer tie rod end backup nuts (this is just way easier now than after the rack is out):

 

[BenBB]

Remove the outer tie rod nuts at the spindle (21mm, an impact will usually spin 'em off but you might need to use a wrench on the nut and a 10mm on the shaft if it decides to spin), once the nut is off smack the spindle with a hammer where the tie rod end connects until it pops loose:


Remove the steering column shaft to rack pinch bolt (10mm). I didn't get a good picture of this one but on mine with the steering wheel centered it was oriented perpendicular to the engine so left to right with the head on the right, or passenger side, of the steering column u-joint yoke facing the engine (thinking that will be the same on all but can't confirm). I couldn't even see it from below so removed from above after scraping all the dirty filthy grunge from my leaking rack off and actually finding the damn thing. Once the bolt is out drive a flat blade screwdriver into the gap of the yoke that the pinch bolt squeezes shut and slip the yoke off the rack, just let it hang there it shouldn't fall out. At this point I didn't have very good access to the pressure lines so instead of removing that bolt next I loosened the two rack mounting bolts using the big-ass torque wrench and the pipe wrench on the nut things, backed up against the LCA:


Once both rack bolts were loose and the driver's side removed, I had relatively easy access to the pressure line flange bolt (10mm) from the driver's side wheelwell. As stated earlier I replaced all the lines so had already drained the reservoir and removed them, so not real sure at this point how much fluid you'll get dumping out of those lines...probably most of it heh. Better have a drain pan and/or a couple rubber/plastic caps somewhere between 1/4" and 3/8" to stick on the machined o-ringed ends of those two lines. Ideally though I would recommed just draining as much as you can and going back with fresh fluid, and/or flushing the system beforehand to get as much contaminants out of the system prior to breaking any lines loose. Fordtechmakuloco has a good Youtube video covering this but his method involves unplugging the crankshaft position sensor to prevent the engine from firing up and I'm certainly not going to spend all day pulling the intake manifold just to get to THAT. Anyway at this point you can just shove the rack out through the driver's side wheelwell:


Another thing the Ford manual doesn't mention is centering the new rack, this might not even be an issue with a Motorcraft new/reman unit but mine wasn't. I found a Youtube video but it's just a matter of spinning the steering column shaft all the way to one side and marking the housing and shaft, spinning the opposite direction and marking the housing again at the shaft mark, then going back halfway (3+ full turns lock to lock so go back 1.5 turns) and centering the shaft mark between the housing marks, the notch for the pinch bolt orientation should match the column yoke.

Also, the Ford manual doesn't really mention is that you need to swap over the outer tie rod ends and backup nuts, but that's pretty obvious heh. I took an overall measurement with a tape and counted the turns removing the outer tie rod ends, then installed the backup nuts and ends. New ones would be even better.


The Ford manual is accurate in that installation is the reverse of removal; shove it back through the driver's side wheelwell, secure the pressure lines to the rack (10mm wrench, 17ft-lb torque), tighten the gigantor steering rack bolts (1" socket, 325ft-lb torque, back up the round nut things with a pipe wrench), tighten the column yoke pinch bolt (10mm wrench, 22ft-lb torque), tighten the outer tie rod end nuts (21mm deep socket, 85ft-lb torque) and outer tie rod backup nuts, and refill the power steering reservoir. I used blue Loctite on all the threads, Anti-Seize on the tie rod end tapers, and paint pen witness marked the rack bolts and tie rod nuts. I also took my time getting the air out of the system; with the wheels still off and the truck on jackstands, roll the steering wheel lock to lock 10 times, check the reservoir fluid level, put the wheels back on, start her up and recheck the fluid level, repeat the lock to lock 10 times, if no horrific noises eminate from the engine bay no demon exorcism required (if they do and the reservoir is full, just grind through it heh, she should settle down as air works out of the system). The Ford manual advises a vacuum procedure, again I didn't find that necessary although I did let the truck sit overnight after the initial lock-to-lock so that could help.

Remember to get an alignment done, I eyeballed mine and used a tape measure as close as I could get to the front and rear of the tires to get it "close enough"; if you do need to adjust them, remember to unhook the bellows clamp on the inner tie rod end first, otherwise it may twist up and tear. Then just loosen/tighten the inner tie rod with a crescent on the flats, and secure the outer tie rod backup nut. Also, while the rack is out you have great access to the front diff so if you need to service it (I did) or anything, now's the time. And let me know if I missed anything or should have done it different!

 

[StangGT5]

Thanks for the indepth write-up. From what I understand, the power steering rack is not an "if" issue but a "when" issue. How may miles did you truck have on it and what symptoms did it have leading to replacement?

 

[BenBB]

Pretty much! My '13 already had a small leak at 152k miles when I got it, and the previous owner clearly rode it hard and put it up wet. It wasn't enough to even leave a drop of fluid under the truck while sitting but more of a seepage from the seals that the bellows contain (mostly) and the sector shaft (that dust cover doesn't do much), from there it just progressively got worse and I did the replacement at just over 200k just because I was doing other service like the differentials, and figured I might as well replace the lines as well. The pump seems to be much more prone to early failure, again depending on abuse, but I replaced that right after I got the truck and it's held up fine. I should note I drain the steering reservoir at every oil change and refill it (all of 1/4 of a quart or whatever it holds, it's very simple to just pull the return line at the reservoir) and so far I think that's helped prolong the life of the pump, and hopefully now the rebuilt rack too.

 

[StangGT5]

Pretty much! My '13 already had a small leak at 152k miles when I got it, and the previous owner clearly rode it hard and put it up wet. It wasn't enough to even leave a drop of fluid under the truck while sitting but more of a seepage from the seals that the bellows contain (mostly) and the sector shaft (that dust cover doesn't do much), from there it just progressively got worse and I did the replacement at just over 200k just because I was doing other service like the differentials, and figured I might as well replace the lines as well. The pump seems to be much more prone to early failure, again depending on abuse, but I replaced that right after I got the truck and it's held up fine. I should note I drain the steering reservoir at every oil change and refill it (all of 1/4 of a quart or whatever it holds, it's very simple to just pull the return line at the reservoir) and so far I think that's helped prolong the life of the pump, and hopefully now the rebuilt rack too.

Seems like regularly swapping the reservoir fluid is an easy preventative thing to do. Good to know the rack went that long though and was just leaking. My concern was that hard parts were damaged over time. Rebuilders will swap seals but rarely hard parts (gears) in my experience. Rebuilt versions of racks where hard parts fail are gamble, but it sounds like the F150 isn't one of those.

Guess I'll need to hunt down one of those regular-ass torque wrenches to keep in the tool box for when the time comes. I just have flat-ass and jiggly-ass torque wrenches

 

[Meat2022]

How long did this take you?

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

it took him 2 weeks and 6 bottles. 12 days of cussing and drinking 6 bottles of whiskey staring over the project before he took it in to a professional who had it done in 2 days.

 

[BenBB]

it took him 2 weeks and 6 bottles. 12 days of cussing and drinking 6 bottles of whiskey staring over the project before he took it in to a professional who had it done in 2 days.

Dude it was 5 and a half bottles!! And that was just writing the post.

How long did this take you?

I didn't time it but you could knock it out in a weekend easy at a leisurely pace. Probably a day if you have a nice shop and tool assortment like @PD1744 or @Gumby. And a couple hours on the side of a trail in the middle of nowhere if your helpy helperton is @The Car Stereo Company and you happen to carry a spare rack or have it flown in on a drone

 

[Meat2022]

Dude it was 5 and a half bottles!! And that was just writing the post.

I didn't time it but you could knock it out in a weekend easy at a leisurely pace. Probably a day if you have a nice shop and tool assortment like @PD1744 or @Gumby. And a couple hours on the side of a trail in the middle of nowhere if your helpy helperton is @The Car Stereo Company and you happen to carry a spare rack or have it flown in on a drone

Mine is good to go but I like to know what could be an issue and what all is involved, thank for you the write up...sorry you had to deal with Noah and his shenanigans

 

[julien194b]

well done, it's a lot of work !