i replaced my steering box recently because of a messed up seal. when i replaced it the steering got really loose so i replaced all my tie rods because they needed replacing anyways, then it was still loose and looking at it while having someone turn the wheel i noticed that the play is in the steering box. its so bad that its hard to keep in on my side of the road. so is there a way to adjust this or should i exchange it?

 

I say exchange it

 

You can adjust the box by means of the nut and stud on top. Loosen the nut then turn the stud with a flat screwdriver. Tighten the nut while holding the stud where you want it with the screwdriver. Consult a manual for specs, I can't remember off the top of my head what to set it at.

I'd give that a go before taking it back.

 

Correct! When adjusting it turn the stud clockwise 1/4 turn at a time and then take it for a drive. Repeat untill your satisfied with your steering. Because you say it has a lot of play I would do 3/4 of a turn right off the bat and then smaller adjustments.

 

My new steering box came pre-adjusted for that. Now It hardly has more than a 1/2'' play.

 

DON'T,REPEAT, DON'T!!!! try to adjust the steering box yourself it requires a special torque wrench, and a jig, to adjust and preload it if you get it wrong the steering box can "hang up "stiction" and in a tight situation it can lead to an accident. Did you get a rebuilt unit or one from a junkyard. As sylver91 said a Rebuilt steering gears are pre-adjusted so you shouldn't have a problem.

 

That's crap! I have done this on 3 of my trucks and a friends with 100,000s of trouble free miles! I was told how to do it from a certified ford mechanic. You might be talking about a different adjustment...but that is what this adjustment screw is there for.

 

That's fine I'll leave it to you I have been working on my cars and trucks for 45 years there are areas I pay experienced mechanics to do the job. I have Cheyenne Frame and Axle to do this sort of work.

 

Well in this case years ago when I brought my 92 f150 to the ford dealership and asked about some play in my steering he came out and told me how to do it because it's so simple and doesn't require special tools. all it is is the worm gear inside it gets wore over time and needs adjusted to put it back to spec.
But you go ahead and pay someone to do a 5 min adjustment on your truck! Lol

 

That's good advice. Just be careful not to over tighten it. Setting it too tight is as bad as having it too loose. If it's too tight the truck won't want to track staight because the box is binding. Nothing catastrophic but "unpleasant" to drive.

It's not rocket science (beleive me, I know rocket science)