sheil

Hi everyone. I've been reading the forum for a while but haven't posted much, if at all, because my 2008 F150 STX 4x4 has been rock solid. Except for the spark plug issue... I'm at 110K and my front struts needed to be replaced. I went with the Rancho QuickLift to get the new struts and the leveling I've wanted for so long. Installation was easy and went well. For about a year, I've also had the steering shaft issue, but spraying it with lube every few months has taken care of it. However, with the extra 2" of lift, the steering shaft issue isn't going away. And that makes sense to me because of the new shaft angle and the already problematic shaft u-joints. My question is... do you think the stiff steering issue is because of the already problematic shaft or could I have made a mistake installing the new struts? I didn't remove any steering components during the install.

ReaperHWK

You need a new shaft period, it just needs to be replaced at this point. I bought one and installed a month ago. I also have Bilstein 5100's leveling shocks with no issues.


You can get a cheap DORMAN for about $100, an OEM one for around $220. I went with OEM.

sheil

You're right. I read about replacing the shaft last night and saw there is a second u-joint. I lubed it today and everything is smooth again. I'll order a new shaft today. Thanks for the reply!

EBC-150

Unless you do a body lift, the shaft angle doesn't change.

sheil

I just checked two dealerships and that shaft is now $400. I'll be trying out the Dorman shaft since I can get 3 of them for that price.

ReaperHWK

Don't go to a dealership, buy it online.


Amazon has them for $250, I bought this one.

sheil

perfect! Thank you!

sheil

Oh yeah, I guess you're right. Must have been a coincidence that the steering stiffened up again after I installed the struts. Thanks for the reply!