needmorepower
No, seriously.
Alright, so I finally got around to changing the steering column bearing in my DD F-150 (same for Lightning) after a few years of that annoying clicking sound when turning.
I can't recall exactly all the tools I used, but I do know you'll need:
a piece of 3/4" by 2 1/4" PVC pipe (a.k.a. sprinkler/irrigation pipe, as per Ford's instructions, no less) or longer, depending on what you want to do in step 21.
Torx T20 screwdriver
#2 Phillips screwdriver
flat screwdriver(s)
10mm socket (I think)
15mm socket and extension
torque wrench
steering wheel puller (free rental from O'Reilly's)
snap ring pliers
possibly a pick set.
Maybe a hammer.
You also need the steering column upper ring/spring kit FODZ-3L539-F and steering column bearing F4DZ-3517-A. You may want to change the column shifter upper bushing
F3TZ-7L278-A (thanks, Fred) while you're in there because it's only 2 extra Torx bolts, but mine was good so I left it.
STEP 1:
Make sure your tires are pointing straight ahead, the steering wheel is at 12 O'Clock, and disconnect the positive battery cable. Wait 1 minute. Touch it to something grounded. This will instantly discharge any remaining electricity in the electrical system which might be held in capacitors, making it safe to remove your airbag without having to wait a long time, although some people don't think any precautions are necessary on these particular trucks. Nevertheless, grounding the positive battery cable AFTER REMOVING IT FROM THE BATTERY is the fastest way to have peace of mind.
Step 2:
Remove the 4 nuts on the back side of your steering wheel which hold the airbag on (10mm, I think)
Step 3:
Remove the steering wheel bolt (15mm) and disconnect the 2 electrical connectors pictured. Nothing else needs to come apart in the steering wheel itself.
Use the steering wheel puller kit to pull the steering wheel off and set it aside.
Step 4:
Remove your dash bezel. If you don't know how, it's easy to find that info. elsewhere. I was in a hurry so didn't take any pictures.
Step 5:
Tilt the steering wheel all the way up and then unscrew the tilt lever.
Step 6:
Remove the 3 bottom shroud screws (#2 Phillips)
Step 7:
Once the 3 bottom screws are out, separate the bottom half of the column shroud as much as possible, then:
You can also remove the lower dash panel if you want to, but I didn't feel like it.
Once you have that 4th. screw out, remove the bottom shroud.
Step 8:
Place your key in the ignition. Turn it to the "RUN" position. Depress the release button on the bottom of the ignition and pull on the key to remove the whole ignition cylinder from the steering column. Don't f**k with it. Just set it aside with the key still in the "RUN" position.
Remove the upper column shroud.
Step 8A:
Marvel at how much dirt and crap was hiding in your steering column.
Step 9:
The clock spring has 2 halves. Tape them together so they cannot move independantly. Notice there is an arrow that points straight up.
Step 10:
Now pull the clock spring off by releasing the 3 plastic tabs on the back side of it and let it hang free. You might be able to just disconnect it, but it seemed easier to me to unclip the hanger. Don't f**k it up.
Step 11:
Step 12:
This step is as per Ford's instructions. The canceling cam was hard for me to pry off, though, and I thought I was going to break it. Luckily, it's pretty tough and came off in one piece. While you can't see it in the picture, it has 4 raised posts on one side and must be installed the same way it came off. Don't f**k it up.
Step 13:
Didn't take a picture here, but you can skip ahead to step 21 to see the reassembly and you'll know what I'm talking about. Use snap ring pliers to remove the snap ring, then pull off the spring and bearing sleeve.
Step 14:
Use a small screwdriver or pick to pry out the bearing tolerance ring (see step 18 for better photo of the ring)
Step 15:
At this point you just have the bearing left. On mine, the steel ball retainer (inner race) was broken (left side of pic), so I pried it out in 2 pieces, then used a pick to pull out the ball bearings and nylon ball separator (center). This is the one and only step where you should f**k it up. F**k it up good.
Step 16:
To remove the outer bearing race once the bearing guts were removed, I used a flat screwdriver and pried it all the way around.
It's not in there very tightly, just snug, but if the steel inner race on your bearing isn't broken, you'll have to figure out how to remove it yourself. Clean the area when you have it all out.
Step 17:
Use the 3/4" PVC pipe and a small hammer to push/tap the new bearing into place. THE BEARING MUST BE INSTALLED WITH THE STEEL INNER RACE FACING THE STEERING WHEEL (see pic in step 15). DON'T F**K IT UP!
Step 18:
The steering column upper ring/spring kit comes with a tube of grease. I greased everything, even the parts I knew didn't need grease.
Step 19:
Step 20:
Use the PVC pipe again to push the new circlip on.
Step 21:
Here you have a couple of choices on how to compress the spring. Ford says to put the 2 1/4" PVC pipe on the steering shaft and then screw in the old steering wheel bolt to push it all down and seat the circlip. What I did instead was push the PVC pipe against the clip as hard as I could with one hand, then used a small hammer to whack it into place by hitting the end of the PVC pipe. Took 2 or 3 whacks. If you do it my way, leave the pipe longer than 2 1/4".
Make sure the clip is fully seated.
Step 22:
Change your shift tube bushing if you feel like it. Reassemble everything in the order it was removed. Don't f**k it up.
turn signal canceling cam (flat side toward steering wheel)
turn signal assembly
clock spring with arrow pointing up
clock spring cable clip
upper column shroud
ignition - push it back into place, turn the key back to "OFF" and pull it out. The locking pin is automatically reengaged.
lower column shroud
dash bezel
steering wheel
Step 23:
When you put the steering wheel back on, it should be torqued to 23-33 lb.ft. You can easily hold it with one hand and torque it with the other. I had to re-torque it about 12 times before the bolt stopped turning when I would re-torque it.
Step 24:
Reinstall cruise control and airbag electrical connectors, airbag, tilt lever, and positive battery cable.
Step 25:
Go for a test drive and wonder why you didn't do this awesome repair 3 years ago.
I can't recall exactly all the tools I used, but I do know you'll need:
a piece of 3/4" by 2 1/4" PVC pipe (a.k.a. sprinkler/irrigation pipe, as per Ford's instructions, no less) or longer, depending on what you want to do in step 21.
Torx T20 screwdriver
#2 Phillips screwdriver
flat screwdriver(s)
10mm socket (I think)
15mm socket and extension
torque wrench
steering wheel puller (free rental from O'Reilly's)
snap ring pliers
possibly a pick set.
Maybe a hammer.
You also need the steering column upper ring/spring kit FODZ-3L539-F and steering column bearing F4DZ-3517-A. You may want to change the column shifter upper bushing
F3TZ-7L278-A (thanks, Fred) while you're in there because it's only 2 extra Torx bolts, but mine was good so I left it.
STEP 1:
Make sure your tires are pointing straight ahead, the steering wheel is at 12 O'Clock, and disconnect the positive battery cable. Wait 1 minute. Touch it to something grounded. This will instantly discharge any remaining electricity in the electrical system which might be held in capacitors, making it safe to remove your airbag without having to wait a long time, although some people don't think any precautions are necessary on these particular trucks. Nevertheless, grounding the positive battery cable AFTER REMOVING IT FROM THE BATTERY is the fastest way to have peace of mind.
Step 2:
Remove the 4 nuts on the back side of your steering wheel which hold the airbag on (10mm, I think)
Step 3:
Remove the steering wheel bolt (15mm) and disconnect the 2 electrical connectors pictured. Nothing else needs to come apart in the steering wheel itself.
Use the steering wheel puller kit to pull the steering wheel off and set it aside.
Step 4:
Remove your dash bezel. If you don't know how, it's easy to find that info. elsewhere. I was in a hurry so didn't take any pictures.
Step 5:
Tilt the steering wheel all the way up and then unscrew the tilt lever.
Step 6:
Remove the 3 bottom shroud screws (#2 Phillips)
Step 7:
Once the 3 bottom screws are out, separate the bottom half of the column shroud as much as possible, then:
You can also remove the lower dash panel if you want to, but I didn't feel like it.
Once you have that 4th. screw out, remove the bottom shroud.
Step 8:
Place your key in the ignition. Turn it to the "RUN" position. Depress the release button on the bottom of the ignition and pull on the key to remove the whole ignition cylinder from the steering column. Don't f**k with it. Just set it aside with the key still in the "RUN" position.
Remove the upper column shroud.
Step 8A:
Marvel at how much dirt and crap was hiding in your steering column.
Step 9:
The clock spring has 2 halves. Tape them together so they cannot move independantly. Notice there is an arrow that points straight up.
Step 10:
Now pull the clock spring off by releasing the 3 plastic tabs on the back side of it and let it hang free. You might be able to just disconnect it, but it seemed easier to me to unclip the hanger. Don't f**k it up.
Step 11:
Step 12:
This step is as per Ford's instructions. The canceling cam was hard for me to pry off, though, and I thought I was going to break it. Luckily, it's pretty tough and came off in one piece. While you can't see it in the picture, it has 4 raised posts on one side and must be installed the same way it came off. Don't f**k it up.
Step 13:
Didn't take a picture here, but you can skip ahead to step 21 to see the reassembly and you'll know what I'm talking about. Use snap ring pliers to remove the snap ring, then pull off the spring and bearing sleeve.
Step 14:
Use a small screwdriver or pick to pry out the bearing tolerance ring (see step 18 for better photo of the ring)
Step 15:
At this point you just have the bearing left. On mine, the steel ball retainer (inner race) was broken (left side of pic), so I pried it out in 2 pieces, then used a pick to pull out the ball bearings and nylon ball separator (center). This is the one and only step where you should f**k it up. F**k it up good.
Step 16:
To remove the outer bearing race once the bearing guts were removed, I used a flat screwdriver and pried it all the way around.
It's not in there very tightly, just snug, but if the steel inner race on your bearing isn't broken, you'll have to figure out how to remove it yourself. Clean the area when you have it all out.
Step 17:
Use the 3/4" PVC pipe and a small hammer to push/tap the new bearing into place. THE BEARING MUST BE INSTALLED WITH THE STEEL INNER RACE FACING THE STEERING WHEEL (see pic in step 15). DON'T F**K IT UP!
Step 18:
The steering column upper ring/spring kit comes with a tube of grease. I greased everything, even the parts I knew didn't need grease.
Step 19:
Step 20:
Use the PVC pipe again to push the new circlip on.
Step 21:
Here you have a couple of choices on how to compress the spring. Ford says to put the 2 1/4" PVC pipe on the steering shaft and then screw in the old steering wheel bolt to push it all down and seat the circlip. What I did instead was push the PVC pipe against the clip as hard as I could with one hand, then used a small hammer to whack it into place by hitting the end of the PVC pipe. Took 2 or 3 whacks. If you do it my way, leave the pipe longer than 2 1/4".
Make sure the clip is fully seated.
Step 22:
Change your shift tube bushing if you feel like it. Reassemble everything in the order it was removed. Don't f**k it up.
turn signal canceling cam (flat side toward steering wheel)
turn signal assembly
clock spring with arrow pointing up
clock spring cable clip
upper column shroud
ignition - push it back into place, turn the key back to "OFF" and pull it out. The locking pin is automatically reengaged.
lower column shroud
dash bezel
steering wheel
Step 23:
When you put the steering wheel back on, it should be torqued to 23-33 lb.ft. You can easily hold it with one hand and torque it with the other. I had to re-torque it about 12 times before the bolt stopped turning when I would re-torque it.
Step 24:
Reinstall cruise control and airbag electrical connectors, airbag, tilt lever, and positive battery cable.
Step 25:
Go for a test drive and wonder why you didn't do this awesome repair 3 years ago.
Last edited:
