2004 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab, 4.0LV6, auto trans, 4x2.
I decided to post the resolution to the issue noted in my previous thread where the steering gear appeared to be incorrectly assembled and with the wheels pointed straight ahead, there was 1-3/4 turns to lock to the right and 3-1/4 turns to lock to the left. The steering wheel was centered and locked before disassembly and installation of the new steering gear.
The NEW replacement rack and pinion I had purchased two years ago (and never unboxed) actually IS incorrectly assembled. The input / pinion is installed 1/2 turn out of center. In essence, if you were to remove the input pinion - with the STEERING GEAR centered - and rotate it 1/2 turn towards the driver side of the vehicle and then reinstall it, the gear would now be centered and the input shaft would be in the correct position to accept the steering shaft knuckle and pinch bolt.
Because a reman unit from NAPA was "only" $220 (plus $145 core) and I already had the original unit laying on the garage floor, I decided to order the NAPA unit. When it came,I inspected it closely. The accompanying instructions sheet stated that the unit had been centered at the factory. I checked the position of the relief cut for the pinch bolt. It was where it should be. I paid the man, handed him my core unit and returned home. That was just before sundown yesterday.
Today the NAPA unit is installed (in complete accordance with the Ford 2004 Ranger Workshop Manual) and all is well. No leftover parts, no leaks. Equal turns to lock right and left! Yay!!

The moral to this story: Do not buy an expensive part without doing a thorough check for proper fitment. And DO NOT buy a part on line and store it for two years before installing it unless you know (by visual inspection) it is indeed the correct part and correctly assembled!

Now I have a spare, brand new rack and pinion that needs to be disassembled and reassembled correctly! DOH!!

 

Glad you got it figured out. I've been through multiple rack and pinions on my truck and every single one of them has had an issue.

The first one had inner tie-rods that were not the correct size used on a Ranger. Therefore, I could not replace the inner tie-rods when they went out and had to replace the entire rack.

The replacement busted a seal after 6 months and poured transmission fluid all over the parking lot at work.

The warranty replacement is now my third, and when I took the truck for an alignment, they couldn't get the wheel straight, and I'm sure it's because of the same issue you experienced. I'm just living with it for now because doing the rack and pinion on a torsion bar truck is a nightmare since it's mounted inside of the crossmember.

 

UPDATE:
I took the NEW R&P to Phoenix Rack & Axle ( 114 N 32nd St, Unit 101, Phoenix, AZ 85034) and, for a nominal charge, their R&P specialist disassembled and reassembled the new gear correctly and replaced the seals while he was at it. I now have a new correctly assembled steering gear stored in the box. Anyone in the Phoenix Metro area in need of a new rack & pinion?

Additionally, I returned to Phoenix Rack & Axle and had them replace the driveshaft universal joints. They didn't test bad but there was 190k+ miles on them. And that pesky little vibration that was always present, even after a wheel balance and rotation exercise?? It magically disappeared! I inspected the removed joints and there was some slight wear apparent on the journals. Materials are much, much better than they were when I was bending wrenches 50 years ago! The little guy should be good for another 150k miles now!