Alignment shop said there is no adjustment for steering wheel.

[Rvdixie]

I spent many years doing front end work and alignment and what you are getting is a bunch of BS. Take it somewhere else and BTW get your money back because you paid for a full alignment and didn't get it.

[MMMH]

This blog is great. Agree with all on calling BS but I really liked pashooter's(#20) effort to go to Ford. You can get a lot of info from a TSB even if it is 17 years old. I'm sure there have been tweaks to the F53 so getting the latest dope on this subject would be the right thing to do. If I was the alignment shop I would be ashamed and embarrassed to be so lame.

[tilap]

I was once told that when the chassie arrive at FR the steering wheel is removed to sit the house on the frame. Once the frame is installed the steering wheel is re installed. Sometime obviously they re-install it not straight and then finish building the house. Making it almost impossible to remove, re instal the steering wheel. 2 Ford dealers told me that. Right or wrong don't know.


Denis, Forest river Georgetown XL 377 2015, towing a 2014 Ford Explorer XL

[Danesville]

Pashooter is correct, I own the F53 master shop manual and it is a 40 spline shaft. The manual does state remove the nut and re-index the steering wheel to the desired position , re torque the nut and you are good to go

[pmsherman]

I had my 2011 Georgetown aligned by the shop that FR uses for alignment work. When I questioned them about the steering wheel position, they removed the steering wheel then discovered that it's keyed and can't be adjusted by reseating it.

I have no idea what Ford has done in the more recent chassis that used as a base for FR's motor homes.

Phil

[MMMH]

Originally Posted by Danesville

Pashooter is correct, I own the F53 master shop manual and it is a 40 spline shaft. The manual does state remove the nut and re-index the steering wheel to the desired position , re torque the nut and you are good to go

What years would your shop manual cover? I know they changed stuff in the early 2000"s but that's about it except for small stuff. I know I like the stock front Ford sway bar on my 2015, for instance. The TSB talked about a centering mechanism in the box itself so I can see where that would need to be addressed before you did any other tweaking. So, if your manual is inclusive of the late models it looks like ol' Pashooter has the straight stuff. Good to know as I continue to improve the driveability of my rig.

[Danesville]

Yes the manual is 2006 so they may have changed

[Iwannacamp]

Just talk to a truck front end mechanic. I know a good one if you need to speak to one... I will hook you up. Just PM me.

[pashooter]

Just so y'all know... I realize the link i posted is 17 years old (it's what a quick Google search yielded) so it's entirely possible a design change has been made and this is no longer how they're made. If that's the case any good truck shop should know what the current procedure is. There has to be a Ford approved method to assure the steering wheel is aligned properly.

[pdqparalegal1]

Originally Posted by Bayouownbeer

Went get my alignment done. 1800 miles. Shop told me in order for the alignment to be in spec the steering wheel couldn't be straight. There is no adjustment for just the steering wheel like a car. My steering wheel is at about 10 o'clock going straight. Any one have experience in this. They told me to call manufacture or dealer to see how to straighten steering wheel. Btw it wasn't straight before the alignment but it was about 11 o'clock so wasn't far off.

Found some one had my answer further down post. Secure wheel straight ahead, adjusr tie rod adjusters till wheels point in right direction. I operated an alignment shop for years and have done many string and ruler alignments at track. Not hard to do.

[Trempert]

My 2011 had the same problem and the dealer "straightened" it and aligned it.


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[Bayouownbeer]

Originally Posted by Strigflag

BBBBBBSSSSS. Find a wheel alignment shop that uses a real mechanic. Centering the steering wheel is a simple process. May take a bit of time but simple nonetheless.

Yeah that's the thing they don't want spend the time
For the cost of the alignment

[Bayouownbeer]

Originally Posted by waiter21

There is no spline shaft on the steering wheel like most cars.

However, As mentioned by Oganfarm, the control arm is splined where it connents to the steering gear box. This arm can be removed and re-positioned just like you would a steering wheel shaft on a car.

You can see the arm (item #9) on this lube chart.

..
http://2001mirada.com/DOWNLOAD/f-53lubepoints.jpg

Thanks for the info this worked.

[waiter21]

You could also pop the steering wheel as someone mentioned, I'm not sure if the steering wheel is indexed or not? (Some cars are), but the shaft is easier. Someone also mentioned that your steering will not be equal, i.e. you can now turn sharper one direction over the other, , but I doubt you will ever notice it.

[Bayouownbeer]

Originally Posted by waiter21

You could also pop the steering wheel as someone mentioned, I'm not sure if the steering wheel is indexed or not? (Some cars are), but the shaft is easier. Someone also mentioned that your steering will not be equal, i.e. you can now turn sharper one direction over the other, , but I doubt you will ever notice it.

It's a done deal it's straight. There will be no difference I just moved the coupling from the linkage over 2 splines on the gear box

[intercept]

Don't blame the shops or FR. Ford makes the F53 with one solid Tie rod which connects both wheel hubs with one adjustment for toe. The steering box is connected in the tie rod. In most vehicles there are a left and right tie rod so you can make a separate adjustment for each side and center the wheel.

The shops usually center the steering wheel by removing it and centering it on another spline. The amount of shift is not enough to make a difference in the steering operation. Changing the shaft spline position is a also acceptable.

[rblattman]

Before taking possession of my new 335DSF I told the dealer to straighten the wheel. They took it to a Ford service center and had it realigned. No problem.