Ford truck question??

Philip Saran · 04-01-2009, 07:45 PM

This is for the mechanics and owners of Ford F250/350's.

I have a 2004 F350 diesel 4x4, 4 dr, long bed and for the second time
I have had the locating bar that runs across the top of the front axle
from the left top of frame to the right spring hanger RIP loose.

Yes it is a 4x4, stock height, and tires are 285/L75/16. It is NOT off-
roaded.

But it does require alot of sawing the wheel back and forth to back
my car trailer and travel trailer back into my side yard where they are
stored.

Is this common? The first time it broke loose I had it re-welded but
they did not add any kind of bracing. The dealer says they only see
this on lifted 4x4's. The dealers only suggestion other than rewelding
and adding bracing is to replace the whole front axle since the spring
pad comes as part of the axle housing. They do not do any welding.

Rob Petrie E395 · 04-01-2009, 08:28 PM

I have seen this happen on several ford trucks both lifted and non lifted. I had one customers truck that did it twice both times fixed by ford with a new housing. When we got it we put a used housing in it and a adjustable locatating bar. Once you get the housing fixed look in the 4x4 mags and find a adjustable one for lifted trucks and use it and adjust it to a nuetral setting meaning you can remove and install both bolts with out pulling the housing into alignment with a come along or frame machine. If you use the factory one when the springs start to sag they put constant pressure on the housing bracket and it will break again. Another thing to check is the huck rivots on all the front crossmembers. If they are broke or loose (and alot of them are) they will cause all kinds of problems. ford has a TSB for them that goes into great detail about which ones can be fixed and which ones cannot.

04-01-2009, 07:45 PM	#1
Philip Saran Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Parker, CO. Posts: 721 Likes: 158 Liked 14 Times in 11 Posts	Ford truck question?? This is for the mechanics and owners of Ford F250/350's. I have a 2004 F350 diesel 4x4, 4 dr, long bed and for the second time I have had the locating bar that runs across the top of the front axle from the left top of frame to the right spring hanger RIP loose. Yes it is a 4x4, stock height, and tires are 285/L75/16. It is NOT off- roaded. But it does require alot of sawing the wheel back and forth to back my car trailer and travel trailer back into my side yard where they are stored. Is this common? The first time it broke loose I had it re-welded but they did not add any kind of bracing. The dealer says they only see this on lifted 4x4's. The dealers only suggestion other than rewelding and adding bracing is to replace the whole front axle since the spring pad comes as part of the axle housing. They do not do any welding. __________________ Phil Saran Parker, Colorado

04-01-2009, 08:28 PM	#2
Rob Petrie E395 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Woodlawn IL Posts: 1,093 Likes: 162 Liked 220 Times in 79 Posts	Re: Ford truck question?? I have seen this happen on several ford trucks both lifted and non lifted. I had one customers truck that did it twice both times fixed by ford with a new housing. When we got it we put a used housing in it and a adjustable locatating bar. Once you get the housing fixed look in the 4x4 mags and find a adjustable one for lifted trucks and use it and adjust it to a nuetral setting meaning you can remove and install both bolts with out pulling the housing into alignment with a come along or frame machine. If you use the factory one when the springs start to sag they put constant pressure on the housing bracket and it will break again. Another thing to check is the huck rivots on all the front crossmembers. If they are broke or loose (and alot of them are) they will cause all kinds of problems. ford has a TSB for them that goes into great detail about which ones can be fixed and which ones cannot.