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Often the problem is that the frame cracks behind the steering box (between the two vertical bolts) If you stand in front of the truck while somebody else turns the wheel side to side (with the engine running) you will observe the driver's side of the bumper rise and fall. Gary's frame was cracked and the Huck bolt loose. He has pictures of welding that back up and adding some spacers so both sides of the frame are supported under the bolt pressure. Your "crossmember" is only there for the sway bar mounts. A) lots of them get bent when someone who shouldn't own a chain gets pulled, or tries to pull someone else out. B) Tens of millions of these trucks didn't come with sway bars, or that stamped plate. None of those trucks handled badly when they left the factory.

So you have hot coolant circulating through the heater core (both hoses hot) but the heater core is air locked.. 🤔 I've cut these in half (photos back on FTE) and it's simply not possible for coolant to flow and it to bypass the heater core. Maybe your coffee can is leaking vacuum again and the doors aren't switching the way they should? Some of us (Gary & others) are running a Ranger style Max A/C bypass valve in the heater loop. I still live up here in CT and don't have any need for that sort of thing.

Factory AC I am sure I ordered it for factory AC but from what I have seen posted there are 2 different shapes. I should have taken pictures, the one I pulled out had round corners at the top but the replacement had square corners up top. The AC housing at the top also was round and why the core would not fit in just right. I dont know if you can get the rounded top core or not? I should do a search for posts about this to see what was said. It was the heater core that was air locked as both hoses were hot but only cool air coming out. Dave ---- https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1640012-heater-core-which-one.html The ones with squared off header tanks don't work. I think you need one with this shape. Link: https://a.co/d/ixisS0t

AC or non- AC heater cores...(I think the high output heater takes the AC one regardless) Shouldn't be able to get air locked. The heater circuit is the thermostat bypass and takes coolant directly from the head back to the pump.

Slow going with that. I've hooked a corner with a pallet full of roof shingles. (It didn't end well! ) Glad to see you're making progress with your house build Jonathan.

I think if you do dig into the topic a little deeper that you'll find that no matter which vendor you buy the bed strips from, they're all coming from Mar-K in Oklahoma anyway. One of the reasons there are variations out there is that the aftermarket companies, or Mar-K in particular, have been making these bed strips for decades, and even their bed strips have changed over the years. I was trying to match some up a few years ago, and Mar-K told me that their bed strips were different depending on when they were made. The machines changed and get replaced, they change the forming dies, and then there's material changes on top of that. They're available in steel and stainless steel, and one Flareside bed I bought even had a set of aluminum bed strips. I ended up re-using those ones on my 1984 F150. No idea who made them...I searched but never did find out. So, not much out there for options these days. Heya Jim, I had the pleasure of spending this past week with a lovely gal from Connecticut! She works for one of the companies we rep, and they're in New Haven. I kinda miss my Bullnose Flaresides these days. I like my 1994 Flareside OK, but it's not the same. Ford did indeed use different bed strips, and I do believe the later 1983-1987 strips were wider, but nobody is reproducing those...they were kind of weird anyway. They sat flush on top of the wood, and not down into channels like the 1982-older bed strips. They were made to sit on top of the plywood, or MDO or whatever it was back then, and nobody ever refinishes the floors with that stuff...well, except Reamer and I lol. Even if you could get the later style/wider strips, they wouldn't work with the boards/plank style flooring anyway. Wish I had better news, but I think the 1.5" wide strips are all that is available these days, and there's a good chance that many, if not all of them, are originating from Mar-K. Thank you for the insight Cory! I knew you were the right man to answer these questions. I've seen a set of bed strips on eBay pretty inexpensive when I tried to answer when the change happened (I think they were unpolished stainless) I'm in East Haven right now. Just drove up to my brothers house to get a few things tightened up before winter comes.

Is the one from the '85 stamped E2TZ??? Perhaps somewhere along the way the '85 shaft got replaced? You look at the star in the parts listing and know that the '88 part was all that was offered.

'80-86 3.25" '87-96 ('97 for 250-350) 2.625"

Let's,at least, post the picture in the thread.

It's listed as fitting '86. So therefore it's 3 1/8" diameter and is held with bolts, like the picture. Gary showed the '81-86 style next to the '87-91 style and a '92-96 style shaft.

Rag joints up through '86 are the larger ones that bolt together. As Cory said my '87 up to '92 is smaller diameter and riveted together. (not serviceable) But I drilled them out and put it back together with elevator bolts and low profile distorted lock nuts. That worked for another 15 years. But he has the flange from each end!.... Any decent fab/weld shop can do what I did.

E8TZ 3B676-A. is sold as a complete assembly from the steering box pinch spline to the double-D socket for the upper shaft. Even the rag joint is riveted together. The only things it doesn't include are the bolt & nut that hold it at each end. Perhaps someone in the aftermarket, 30 years ago, made a part or kit to service the universal joint alone (like Dorman/HELP used to do with the complete rag joint on the other end) but IIRC the universal is staked in place. You can see it in the illustration Gary posted in the lower steering shaft page

This shaft does look like the one I used. I know it worked for me.

I don't know of anyone that makes anything other than the 1 1/2" width. They're said to fit from '73- '87 I've already said I doubt anybody is going to see this thread way up here in the NMSH. Did you make a WTB post in the marketplace? Cory has had a bunch of these trucks. Let me tag him to this thread.

Nothing ever changed TO SAE. Metric was the standard for body and chassis (though some real oddball fasteners had imperial heads) Engines and drivelines remained SAE at least up to the '90's

Is one limited slip and the other is not? Because it seems G2 is LS and code 72 is open.

Clear pic of the door tag??? Are you sure it's not code G2? Which would be a 4.10 LS Dana 70U (6,300#) in a pickup for '84-'85? Code 72 seems correct for that same axle in an '85 Model Year according to Gary's list... What is the wheel mounting width (track width) of the axle? Chassis cab would have 34" wide spring perches and 2 1/2" wide pads for the springs. Have the perches been re-welded? I used to see more 70's in vans than in pickups. (but, again the frame widths are different) D70 should have 3 1/2" tubes and 70 cast in the lower right quadrant web as shown in this illustration from the Spicer service & maintenance booklet.

Predator is a good engine. You won't be disappointed.

The corrugations are different. You can make it work if you are replacing the whole thing but it is not optimal. I bought six 20x48" panels from Mill Supply when I got after my bed eight years ago. They seem to have held up despite the drop-in polyethylene bedliner.

Believe me, I'm no weldor either. I have a few including an ancient MIG, an oxy-cetylene setup and a little Horrid Fate Titanium easy flux 125. Will it break? IDK. But I did my best to make sure I got full penetration and no inclusions. It's never too late to learn or practice. Go make yourself a welding cart or some shelving. Just get out and do it!

It's a 2009-14 F-150. I posted a page and Gary put up a bunch of numbers from Dorman ect...

One OTHER problem that causes steering slop is what Cory mentioned. The metal leaf springs (shims) in the telescoping section can break and rattle around. Otherwise, I think you're good!

The forum software is old enough that it can't read the metadata. You need to open them on your device and then save them in the "correct" orientation.

Welcome aboard! What lug pattern does your present project have?

Within a day or two of creating a saved search, I got a notification of one bring listed auction style. $9.99 starting bid plus $4.99 shipping. It just ended and no one bid against me! Sweet! This is gonna be so helpful! Awesome! You really made out with that one.