2nd Steering box to break in a month
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Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 1
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From: Austin, TX
2nd Steering box to break in a month
Hey all, need some help here as I've not been able to find any information on a similar issue.
I had a considerable amount of play in my steering for a while and knew it was time to change my steering box. I kept putting it off until the other day, I was parallel parking when it felt like something snapped and I lost all steering.
I got a tow home and worked on replacing the old box. From the outside the box looked fine.. no leaks, sector and input shaft intact with no fractures, and the steering shaft still turned when I turned the steering wheel.
I replaced the box with a remanufactured one. It was an annoying process but not too complicated. Everything seemed to go well and there was no more play in the steering.
When I went for a test drive the steering wheel was off by about 90 degrees. I thought it might have just needed an alignment but apparently there was another issue.
I drove for about 3 miles and parked. As I was backing up i felt the same snap again and lost steering!
Both times it broke I was stopped but turning the wheel.
Everything looks just the way it did before.. no broken shafts, etc.
I'm starting to think maybe there is another steering component that is factoring into the problem, but everything else looks fine as far as I can tell ( which may not mean much lol)
Anyone have any ideas? I have a 4" lift and 33" tires and I've read a bunch about trucks with lifts having the sector shaft shear off right above the Pitman arm, but that's not whats happening here.
Any advice or ideas appreciated
Truck is a 2001 5.4L 4X4
I had a considerable amount of play in my steering for a while and knew it was time to change my steering box. I kept putting it off until the other day, I was parallel parking when it felt like something snapped and I lost all steering.
I got a tow home and worked on replacing the old box. From the outside the box looked fine.. no leaks, sector and input shaft intact with no fractures, and the steering shaft still turned when I turned the steering wheel.
I replaced the box with a remanufactured one. It was an annoying process but not too complicated. Everything seemed to go well and there was no more play in the steering.
When I went for a test drive the steering wheel was off by about 90 degrees. I thought it might have just needed an alignment but apparently there was another issue.
I drove for about 3 miles and parked. As I was backing up i felt the same snap again and lost steering!
Both times it broke I was stopped but turning the wheel.
Everything looks just the way it did before.. no broken shafts, etc.
I'm starting to think maybe there is another steering component that is factoring into the problem, but everything else looks fine as far as I can tell ( which may not mean much lol)
Anyone have any ideas? I have a 4" lift and 33" tires and I've read a bunch about trucks with lifts having the sector shaft shear off right above the Pitman arm, but that's not whats happening here.
Any advice or ideas appreciated
Truck is a 2001 5.4L 4X4
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 3,266
Likes: 187
From: Mooresville indiana
Hey all, need some help here as I've not been able to find any information on a similar issue. I had a considerable amount of play in my steering for a while and knew it was time to change my steering box. I kept putting it off until the other day, I was parallel parking when it felt like something snapped and I lost all steering. I got a tow home and worked on replacing the old box. From the outside the box looked fine.. no leaks, sector and input shaft intact with no fractures, and the steering shaft still turned when I turned the steering wheel. I replaced the box with a remanufactured one. It was an annoying process but not too complicated. Everything seemed to go well and there was no more play in the steering. When I went for a test drive the steering wheel was off by about 90 degrees. I thought it might have just needed an alignment but apparently there was another issue. I drove for about 3 miles and parked. As I was backing up i felt the same snap again and lost steering! Both times it broke I was stopped but turning the wheel. Everything looks just the way it did before.. no broken shafts, etc. I'm starting to think maybe there is another steering component that is factoring into the problem, but everything else looks fine as far as I can tell ( which may not mean much lol) Anyone have any ideas? I have a 4" lift and 33" tires and I've read a bunch about trucks with lifts having the sector shaft shear off right above the Pitman arm, but that's not whats happening here. Any advice or ideas appreciated Truck is a 2001 5.4L 4X4
Truck is a 2001 5.4L 4X4