My 2001 XLT 4x2 went to the dealer for not having any steering wheel 'feel' at center position. You couldn't rock the wheel back and forth at road speed without upsetting the truck. The tech found the toe in to be negative by 1/16", which he corrected, and the gear was adjusted for looseness. I drove it with the tech in the pass. seat and showed him the rocking test. It passed with flying colors! I can now rock the wheel back and forth between 4 and 8 O'clock with minor front end reaction. Normally, I don't do this, but it's a good test to determine steering reaction.

I know Ford's intent with the steering is to please the consumer that buys an Expy after driving a Lincoln or Taurus for the last 10 years. But c'mon, these are trucks. They are heavy with a high center of gravity. These are not vehicles that should behave like a sports car. This only gives the first-time truck buyer a false sense of security.

R

 

This has been an entertaining subject for the past few years. When the X came out in '97... then got REAL popular in '98, everyone complained about the "twitchy" steering. So, in '99, Ford changed the steering to be sloppy & slow. Bet you can guess... people started to complain about the unresponsive steering!

Seems to be a danged-if-you-do or danged-if-you-dont area for Ford. The vehicle attracts both "sport" enthusiasts and "truck" enthusiasts. Both groups expect different (mutually exclusive) things from the vehicle.

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1997 4x4 Expedition- 4.6L, true dual exhaust w/Ravin DI/DO, K&N air filter, SuperChip, airbox mods, Edelbrock shocks, 285/75R16 BFG ATs, 2000 F150 "XLT" wheels, 4.10 gears, Auburn LS, Clarion In-dash CD player, Smitty Bilt push bars and nerf bars.

2001 4x4 F350 SD XLT CrewCab LWB- 6.8L, Offroad Pkg, HD Suspension Pkg, 3.73LS, TT mirrors, 6-disc CD changer, Remote Keyless Entry, Sliding back glass, tinted windows, GoRhino nerf bars.
NoMo's site

 

nomo,
are those 285/75-16s on the stock 16x7 wheels?

Most of the 285s I have looked had a wheel width recommendation of 7.5 or 8 as a minimum. Are they buldging a bit?

Any info would be great.

thanks

 

Hey NoMo?
I would love the wider tires, but I have not found a 285 that has a rim range that goes as low as 7". Aren't those 285/75-16 tires a little much for the 7" wide rims? Now I do remember finding a 275 that would go on a 7" rim. Did you change the speedo gear to compensate for the larger diameter tires?

Any info would be great.

Thanks.

 

Hi! Sorry for the delay in answer, was gone all weekend.

Yes, the 285s are on stock 16x7 (F150) wheels. The rims do pull the tire inwards a small amount, but not enough to be a problem or to look funny. I've had them aired-down to about 12psi while off-roading and they stayed on the rims. Several people are running even wider tires on the OEM rims! I won't go wider than the 285s.

As for the speedo gear, it was changed when I had the 4.10 gears installed- about 3 years after the tires were put on. Until then, I just had to remember that the speedo & odometer were about 10% off.

 

the only thing i am still getting used to about the steering is the power assist is just too easy,, no feedback,, like an old crown vic for old people,, getting used to it though

 

The power steering has an Electronically variable Orfice (EVO). It is designed to reduce the power assist at highway speeds. There is a significant difference in feel that can be obtained by the variable orfice. When the power to the orfice is removed the reduction in boost at higher speed does not occur and the steering becomes overly sensitive.

I have witnessed this myself by turning off the LLS computer, which on my Expy also controls the EVO. When the EVO power is removed at high speed during a turn you better have a good grip on the wheel! I have not tried the opposite of powering the orfice at low speed, but I would expect that it becomes very heavy to steer. The problem is you can only power the EVO so much before you reach the maximum boost reduction that is eventually reached at higher speed.

It certainly seems that one could tailor the EVO to begin reducing boost at a lower speed if a heavier feel is desired. This would require quite a bit of electronic expertise but the parts could be had for a few dollars. I personnally have gotten used to both but each does take a distincly different style of control.