Hi - New Member.

I just purchased a very clean 1993 W250 4x4 diesel. The truck has zero rust. It does have a couple of issues that need addressing. The first one I am going to tackle is steering. The second is ride and suspension. It has the original springs. The ride is flat out terrible.

I have a fair bit of play in the steering. After reading this forum, my understanding is that if I replace the stock steering shaft with a Borgeson Steering Shaft it should help correct this problem. Has anyone done this and did it correct the problem? The alignment appears to be fine. I am going to take it into a 4x4 shop and have the other front end components inspected and the alignment checked.

The section of frame around the steering box is not cracked.

Should I wait until after the front end inspection before I replace the steering shaft? I assume other front end components could be causing this issue.

Thanks for any help.

I have done a ton of research and reading on spring replacements. I will start another thread with recommendations.

cheers
Doug

 

Nice looking truck Doug, and welcome to the board.
Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth and watch the shaft between the column and the box pay attention to the joints. If there is any back and forth movement they are bad. the bottom (Rag joint) is replaceable ant the top one is rebuildable.
Also check the rod ends on the drag link The one that runs from the steering box to the axle.

 

That is one nice looking truck Doug. I haven't seen one that clean in a while.

 

Could also be a worn draglink causing the sloppy steering. Find the problem before changing parts, cheaper on the pocket book.

 

Also buy quality replacement parts if you can find them. I've had decent luck with Moog stuff. Don't buy the cheapest Advance or Autozone or O'reilly's parts. You'll be replacing the Chinese parts in a year or two.

 

Thanks Mark - will run some tests today and upload some additional pictures. I did take a few moments to read your build thread. Very cool stuff. Nicely done.

cheers
Doug

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. Will run some tests today.

 

On the ride you might try changing your shocks, this helped mine a lot.

 

Thanks Doug,

 

The steering on my 92 was way loose, did a lot of diagnosing before I ordered the Borgeson. Everything pointed to the shaft. When I took he stock shaft off I did not have much play in the pot box that hooks to the gear.

Most all my play was in the slide area of the shaft between the rag joint and fire wall. I only found that out after I installed the borgeson and went for a test drive. Steering was just as sloppy as before.

What I did (with no ill effects yet) is I took the borgeson and rag joint back out, put a 2x4 with enough length to get back into the wheel well in line with the shaft into the fire wall and gently tapped the shaft back in. I had about and inch to push it back in and now steering is as tight as a new truck

 

There is no real good way to check the king pins by inspection, short of taking them apart. Do you have any wobble? You are on the right track starting with the simple first then moving to the more involved. Is the truck lifted? Do you know the history of what was done to it? The borgenson only solved part of my problem, but I also had terrible death wobble also, good luck...Mark

 

Thanks everyone - so it is looking like the steering shaft is not in good shape.


@Mark - no death wobble. In fact it tracks on the road rather nicely. No modifications it is all stock.

@Hillbilly66 - thanks I am going to do what you suggest first. Will order the parts tonight.

Once again thanks everyone - I will post some pictures and results once I get the shaft installed.

cheers
Doug

 

That is a known problem with these trucks. but it is hit and miss. some do some don't have it.(yet)

 

I have seen several truck where some ace, usually spelled with a double s, has tried to adjust the clearance screw. That is a bench adjustment, and really can't be done in the truck. They wind up making it too tight and it binds the steering up, making it wander, which may make it seem to be loose.

 

Thanks everyone - parts will be in today. Will post pictures and a follow up message.

cheers
Doug