2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission I Bent Link Going From Pitman Arm to Drag Link

[Cummins Thunder]

I Bent my Steering Center Link

So I am crossing this rather narrow very steep and deep ditch (I am taking it with lots of angle) and find that my truck is refusing to do it..... So I back the front wheels up to the in going side of the ditch and get a little momentum going, skinny pedal to the floor in 4WD HI (all 6 spinning). I finaly make it up and out! all is going well until I notice my truck is driving funny I notice when going in a straight line I must put the steering wheel about 1/4 turn to the right All I can figure is that when I took the ditch at such an angle (ditch was steep enough to make driver side wheel leave the ground) it put ALLOT of load on the passenger side wheel causing it to want to go left therefore bending the center link (goes from the pitman arm to the drag link).



What is this link called? Edit: It is the "Center Link"

Am I special or has this happened to others in the past?

And this link is supposed to be straight or have a little bend like mine??



Thanks in advance.

 

[Cummins Thunder]

I am starting to doubt that I bent any links (been laying under truck looking at things for an hour or so)..... ?????



What else could I have done to cause my steering wheel need to be turned 1/4 turn to the right to get my truck going straight down the road???????



Someone please respond, I can't quit thinking about this :{ I have NEVER been able to harm my truck, and now that I have..... I would appreciate if someone would help me to diagnose it.



Thanks again

 

[trqmnstr]

I had the same thing happen on a '93 F-150. I hit a huge hole and bent up the suspension. It put the steering wheel at 1/4 turn to drive straight. The steering shaft got twisted in the box. The steering box had to be replaced. Hope this helps.

 

[Cummins Thunder]

Well I guess I am going to take a chance and buy the PSC (PSC is good stuff, I just don't know that it is the problem).



Wouln't the shaft (one mentioned by trqmnstr) be so hard it would just snap?



I am kind of still hoping that it is the "center link" because I can get a new one with lifetime warranty from MOOG.



I really don't have the money to be placing bets on what it could be.

Can someone else help to confirm the issue?



Thanks

 

[SnoKing]

You could have bent the track bar also, which would move the whole front diff off to the side. SNOKING

 

[Cummins Thunder]

You could have bent the track bar also, which would move the whole front diff off to the side. SNOKING

Thanks SNOKING



How easy are they to bend??

Others have done it?

 

[jrobinson2]

My wife twisted and bent the pitman shaft in the steering box on my truck, when I changed the bent shaft I found it was cracked about 1/3 of the way around Steering parts should bend without breaking for safety reasons.



I'm happy with my new PSC steering box.



The factory manual calls the link from the steering box to the right side tire a "drag link" the link from that part to the left tire is the "Tie rod". On a '98 or '99 truck the tie rod connects to both front wheels and the drag link goes between the steering box and the tie rod

If you need to replace many steering linkage parts it may be worth the effort to convert to the '98 '99 crossover setup, see the "my steering sucks" thread for details.



Jared