My steering has always been poor at best. Truck follows the berm and just needs to be driven at all times. Many alignments and three sets of tires including BFGs and a really spendy set of Mich street treads. Hearding was a good description.

In desperation I tore down the front 4 X 4 wheels and regreased everything and made sure the bearings were good and proper adjusted. Long and complicated cause I necver saw the inside of a 4X4 anything wheel. Truck was still not stable for my money.

Opted to have a shop replace every stink-en ball joint and rod end and such in the front end. Would have cost a $grand but I found a really hungry shade tree mech that did decent work even though he was nuts. Had the front end aligned at the local BEAR shop. Did not solve the handling problem.

A year after getting the truck I put new BFGs on her and the handling didn't improve.

With the new BFGs I got her aligned at the local BEAR EQUIPED shop and the handling never improved.

After installing the Mich tire and not seeing any improvement I went back to BEAR and they checked my alignment and told me it was all spot on and that there was no charge. CRAP!

After having my clutch soft peddle problem I resolved to give the alignment another try as there was a good shop near that garage that was supposed to be reasonable. They certainly were reasonable and helpfull as all get-out. They found my front tires toed in to 4.7 degrees and they were supposed to be toed in.5. I might have the nimbers wrong but it was toed in 9 times what it was supposed to have been. My book says to toe it in 1/32 of an inch and i measured 5/16 toe in. i didn't trust my work but it turns out the measuring tape on the tread is close and could be used. The best ever is to spin the tire and spray white paint on the tire and then scribe the tire while turning and measure between the scribe d lines to set the toe but I can't find anyone that will do that and they all insist that their $80K machine is perfect., Well that Bear sure as heck ain't perfect or even in the ball park. The BEAR folk told me that my caster was out by a small amt but was out of adjustment and that was with all the new parts so BEAR is off my list or at the top of it depending on your list criteria. In Springfield, Orygun you need to go to SCHMUNKS and they are far better than they sound.

Bee Line in SD, Ca. used to set up all the Porsche and BMWs and they did the toe in with the lines. Their BEAR super machine sat in the rear of the shop gathering dust. They did many cars and trucks for me and friends over the years and i never had to go back for a single thing. OLDE SCHOOL MAGIC. They also spun the tire on the car and used a vibration pick up to balance the tire with nothing attached to the tire and it was installed on the car. At least one guy used the vibration feeler with the read-out and lights and all but all the other guys simply put their hand on the fender with a finger raised as a pointer and spun the tire and looked at how much their finger vibrated and stopped the tire and added a weight and did it again and kept shifting the posit of the weight and weight till they got the tire to spin at 70mph and just hiss. If you felt the car you could feel nothing. TODAY things are different with all the technology: I am back in to America Tire every 4 months to get the tires re-balanced and that is with every tire I have bought over the past 15 years. I can't figure it out either but I sure miss Bee Line in San Diego if they still live and employ those spry 65 year olds.

My Ranger has become the sweetest ride for a light truck EVER. Finally this little girl is RIGHT. The slop in the gear doesn't bother as she tracks so well. Now onward to the ABS light.

 

You do "herd" Ford trucks, has, and will always be, that way, I find it relaxing, not having to "drive"

Glad you got it the way you like it

Watch front tires for abnormal wear

 

Solid advice. Thanks,

John