Ford F-350 Heavy Duty Steering & Trackbar Upgrade – Full Install Guide
If your Super Duty wanders on the highway, clunks over bumps, or makes you white-knuckle it through every lane change, the problem isn’t you—it’s the factory steering and trackbar. In this guide we walk through the full install of Core 4x4’s heavy duty steering kit and double-adjuster trackbar on a 2013 F-350 with nearly 200,000 miles of original front-end components.
What’s in the Kit
Core 4x4 designed this package specifically for the Super Duty platform—not a re-boxed Jeep part with different tapers. Here’s what ships:
- 7075 Aluminum Tie Rod – 2-1/4” OD, left/right hand threaded for on-truck adjustment
- 7075 Aluminum Drag Link – 1-3/4” OD, same adjustable design
- Apex Tie Rod Ends – proven across thousands of Jeep and Ram kits, now sized for Ford
- Double-Adjuster Trackbar – 1-1/2” cold rolled steel, adjustable while installed
- Polyurethane Bushing & Ball Joint – frame-side poly with independent crush sleeve, axle-side ball joint for zero-bind articulation
- Optional Axle-Mounted Ball Joint – the first thing to wear out on these Fords
- Steering Stabilizer, Serrated Thrust Washers, all hardware
The 7075 aluminum is lighter than steel but far more resistant to permanent bending. Hit a rock or curb and it deflects and springs back instead of taking a set. That matters when you’re running 37s on a truck that sees the job site and the trail.
Prep: Soak & Measure
Get the truck in the air and soak every connection—tie rod ends, drag link tapers, trackbar bolts, and especially the pitman arm—with penetrating fluid the night before. On this F-350, the overnight soak let every taper break free without heat, which is almost unheard of at 200K miles. The pitman arm, sprayed only that morning, was the only one that put up a fight.
Before unbolting anything, record two measurements:
- Tie rod bolt-to-bolt: 61 inches on this truck (outside of bolt to center of opposite bolt).
- Drag link bolt-to-bolt: 43-1/4 inches (center to center). This sets your steering wheel center.
These get you close enough to drive to the alignment shop. The new parts are fully adjustable, so perfection isn’t required—just a reference point.
Teardown
Pull cotter pins and castle nuts (21 mm) from all tie rod and drag link connections. Leave each nut threaded on the last few turns so nothing drops when the taper breaks. One quirk of the Super Duty: the drag link and passenger-side tie rod share a single long stud through the knuckle. Smart design, but the shaft rusts in place on high-mileage trucks.
The pitman arm (15/16” castle nut) sits tight against the steering box. Use the pressure-and-shock method: steady wrench pressure, then smack the arm body with a hammer. A pickle fork works well here.
Watch for spinning studs: On this install, both tie rod studs spun in the worn ball joints after the tapers broke. The fix was cutting them off with a reciprocating saw. Lesson: on a high-mileage truck, get the nuts all the way off before breaking tapers.
Trackbar & Ball Joint
Support the axle at the center before unbolting the trackbar. The factory bolt is a 30 mm with a spec of 410 ft-lbs—breaker bar and cheater pipe territory. Once it’s off, the axle will shift a couple inches. That’s normal.
The optional axle-mounted ball joint is highly recommended on trucks over 100K miles. On this F-350 it was visibly loose. A ball joint press makes it clean: press the old one out, press the new one in. Use the pressure-and-tap technique—build pressure with the press, tap the knuckle with a hammer, and watch the joint seat incrementally.
Install the New Trackbar
The Core 4x4 trackbar uses a ball joint at the axle and a poly bushing with an independent crush sleeve at the frame. That means you can torque with the suspension hanging—no preload issues like rubber bushings create at droop.
Start with the ball joint side, thread the adjuster out to the frame hole, and bolt it in. Line up the clamp slit with the adjuster sleeve slit for proper clamping on the threads.
| Fastener | Torque | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Frame-side bolt | 410 ft-lbs | 30 mm |
| Axle-side ball joint | 184 ft-lbs | 27 mm |
| Adjuster sleeve clamps | 65 ft-lbs | 19 mm |
| Jam nuts (against sleeve) | 250 ft-lbs | Pipe wrench |
Important: Jam nuts torque against the adjuster sleeves, not the trackbar body. Clamps first at 65 ft-lbs, then jam nuts against the sleeves. The sleeves are left and right hand threaded. Factory trackbar measured 38” stud-to-center, which translated to 37” on the new bar after accounting for ball joint geometry.
Install the Steering
Start with the drag link and stabilizer, then the tie rod. Turn the steering wheel to the passenger side first—it gives you the most room around the steering box.
The pitman arm castle nut torques to 75–82 ft-lbs, then rotate to the cotter pin hole. Connect the stabilizer next, bottom bolt first for play while positioning the drag link on the knuckle side.
The 2-1/4” aluminum tie rod is heavy—a second set of hands helps. Pre-set the rod ends to roughly 61 inches, connect the driver side first, then swing it over to the passenger side. Castle nut torque: 75–82 ft-lbs, cotter pin every connection before moving on.
Set Measurements & Final Torque
Adjust the tie rod to 61” and the drag link to 43-1/4”. Do a quick toe check: measure between a consistent tread groove on the front and rear of the tires at axle height. You want equal or very slightly less in the front (slight toe-in). This truck came in at 73-1/16” front and a hair less in the rear—right on the money.
For the jam nuts, slide the serrated thrust washers in place (they’re directional), then alternate between left and right sides, increasing torque each pass until you hit 250 ft-lbs. Watch the washers collapse flat—that’s how you know they’re locked. A pipe wrench with a cheater bar handles the oversized jam nuts. Don’t be shy—you cannot overtighten these.
Grease every fitting before setting the truck down. Core 4x4’s Johnny Joint grease (moly-based) is preferred. Avoid red and tacky greases.
Why Upgrade Your Super Duty Steering
- Eliminates death wobble triggers – worn trackbar bushings and sloppy tie rod ends are the top contributors. This kit replaces both.
- 7075 aluminum over factory steel – lighter, impact-resistant, adjustable on the truck.
- Double-adjuster trackbar – dial in axle centering without removing anything.
- Built for towing and payload – these trucks haul. The steering has to handle the load.
Fitment
- Fits: 2005–2016 Ford F-250 & F-350 Super Duty
- Steering kit and trackbar sold separately or as a combo
- Optional axle-mounted ball joint (recommended 100K+ miles)
- Works with factory and lifted ride heights
- Bolt-on—no welding, cutting, or drilling
- Professional alignment recommended after install
