The F-150 arrived on the scene in 1975 as the bridge between the Ford F-100 and F-250. In 1984, Ford discontinued the F-100 and made the F-150 the base Ford F-series pickup. The 2006 Ford F-150 came in a total of 54 different trim levels, showing Ford's dedication to building a truck for every situation. All trim levels of the 2006 F-150 came standard with power steering. The power steering moves a steering rack that pushes an inner and outer tie rod end back and forth to turn the wheels. Replacing the inner tie rod end on the 2006 F-150 requires the use of two special Ford tools.
Instructions
- 1
Turn the F-150's front wheels until they are straight.
2Loosen, but do not remove, the lug nuts from the front wheel with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the F-150 with a floor jack and place jack stands under the frame rails. Lower the F-150 until only the jack stands support its weight. Remove the lug nuts and pull the front wheel from the truck.
3Remove the cotter pin inserted through the outer tie rod end stud with needle nose pliers. Remove the outer tie rod end nut with a ratchet and socket. Place the ball joint press on the outer tie rod end so the screw side touches the tie rod end's stud and the fixed part contacts the steering knuckle, directly under the tie rod end's head. Tighten the ball joint press with a ratchet and socket until the outer tie rod end is free from the steering knuckle.
4Unscrew the outer tie rod end and the locking nut from the inner tie rod end with a combination wrench. Count the number of turns needed to remove the outer tie rod end and make note of this number.
5Cut the steering rack boot clamps from the steering rack boot with site-cutting pliers and pull the steering rack boot from the steering rack and the inner tie rod end.
6Slide Ford tool No. D93L-3395-A (Inner tie rod end tool) or equivalent on the inner tie rod end and attach a ratchet to the end of the tool. Turn the tool counterclockwise to remove the inner tie rod end.
7Hand-tighten the new inner tie rod end onto the steering rack and tighten it to 74 foot-pounds with Ford tool No. D93L-3395-A (Inner tie rod end tool) or equivalent and a torque wrench.
8Slide the steering rack boot over the inner tie rod end and seat it in the grooves on the steering rack and inner tie rod end. Set the new steering rack boot clamps on each end of the boot and fasten them using Ford tool No. D87P-1098-A (boot clamp pliers) or equivalent.
9Install the outer tie rod end locking nut and outer tie rod end onto the inner tie rod end. Tighten the outer tie rod end onto the inner tie rod end the exact number of turns it took to remove it in Step 4. Insert the outer tie rod end stud into the steering knuckle. If the stud does not slide in easily, adjust the tie rod end by twisting it slightly until the stud slides easily into the steering knuckle. Do not attempt to turn the steering knuckle to help the stud slide in.
10Install the nut onto the outer tie rod end stud and tighten it to 85 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Slide a new cotter pin through one of the notches in the nut and through the hole in the stud. Bend the cotter pin's legs in opposite directions with needle-nose pliers to lock it into place. If the hole in the stud and a notch in the nut do not line up, slightly tighten the nut until they do line up; never loosen the nut in an attempt to line them up.
11Tighten the locking nut against the outer tie rod end with a combination wrench.
12Reinstall the front wheel and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the F-150 from the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the truck to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 150 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.
13Take the F-150 to an alignment shop immediately to have the alignment adjusted. Having the vehicle towed to the shop is the best way, but a short driving distance is acceptable if towing service is not available.
