Rag joint for a steering box

[pure lefty]

Have an 88 bronco that I’m tweaking out some of the last issues. Had a new steering box installed and mechanic told it still has some play in steering due to age of vehicle. He told me everything else underneath was fine. Did some checking anyway and it was suggested to install a rag joint. Any ideas or tips.

[eastover53]

Should be able to buy one at any parts store. 4 nuts to take off/reinstall. Super easy to replace.

[Big Lee]

As mentioned they are readily available at any parts store. I would also suggest looking up a replacement steering shaft that eliminates the rag joint. You'll be happier with the way that feels.

[jdg13]

New rag joint is easy and all you really need. For overkill replace the shaft with a Borgeson kit.

[RifleBowPistol]

About every moving part in the front end can increase the play in the steering, as each wears. I would suggest having the tie rods and ball joints rechecked. Guys that are used to dealing with cars, quite often don't understand that trucks, more so trucks with drag links and even worse those twin I beam front suspensions, the tie rods need to be very tight. Just because you can't feel any play in them does not mean they are not worn to the place of needed to be replaced. If you can grab hold of a tie rod and roll it with low effort, it's worn enough to cause problems. All steering linkages should be very tight, you should not be able to move them much at all by trying to roll them by hand.

Then the ball joints you have to get the weight off of the front tires and then put a large pry bar under the tire, then try lifting the tire and looking for play. Then check for side to side play. Then those old trucks have I beam bushings that very rarely get replaced. The radius arm bushings will get replaced every three to five years typically, but very few people bother to check the I beam bushings. There is a good chance those bushings, should be replaced.

It's usually pretty easy to determine if a rag joint is good or bad, but I have seen some that get stuck and seem good with a quick check.

In those 80s and 90s trucks with tilt steering, I would thoroughly check the tilt mechanism and the column bearings. I have found steering shaft U-joints from that time period, that were cracked, through the middle of the joint. Then found another that had a piece up in the top of the column in the tilt mechanism, that was broken, that caused the steering shaft to move in and out, which caused a good 1/4 turn or more of play in the steering. Neither of those two problems I have found were in Ford trucks, but they were in Fords from that time period, so they likely have similar designed and made parts, that might have the same problem.

Then there is the situation of, older vehicles had more play in the steering from day one, compared to modern vehicles, more so, Ford trucks from that time period, because of the design of the steering linkage, that was needed to work with the twin I beam front suspension. I love a lot of the older Ford trucks, but don't like the 4WD twin I beam front ends at all, they were a horrible design. The 2WD twin I beam was a pretty good front end, I like them. But Ford trying to add 4WD to the twin I beam front suspension, was a very bad idea. But they did it from 1980 to 1996 on the 1/2 ton truck and up to 1997 on the F250s. That's the reason I only bought 2WD trucks, or F350s 4X4s from that time period, the F350s had solid front axles.