Should steering drag link be this far crooked?

[fordsucks!]

Just got truck back from a shop, they put new drag links, is it ok to be this far crooked?

The other end is crooked in the opposite direction.

 

[HankScorpio]

When I did mine I lined them up.

 

[Blue85]

Common sense would be both TREs are neutral at ride height. I'm sure there's higher science somewhere, but that seems like a good starting point and easy to achieve.

 

[Wes Harden]

Go ahead and loosen the coupler line the ends up tighten coupler. You will not change the alignment any.
Don't turn the coupler you'll be good.

Shop should have done that and not left it that way.

How did frame repair go

 

[fordsucks!]

Go ahead and loosen the coupler line the ends up tighten coupler. You will not change the alignment any.
Don't turn the coupler you'll be good.

Shop should have done that and not left it that way.

How did frame repair go

Thanks. I will straighten them out.

Frame repair went okay, there were a couple cracks that i couldnt find myself. front end feels much tighter. Doesnt wander. I still have a slight clunk but less than before.

steering wheel is harder to turn. Also doesn't really go back to Center as easily as it did before. Maybe I have to break in the new steering gear or let the fluid work its way through it....

I'll make a another thread with pics

 

[Wes Harden]

Steering gear shouldn't effect return to center. Unless the gear box is bad. Did the repair shop align the truck too ? Caster may be off.

 

[HankScorpio]

Caster and camber are not adjustable, only thing to adjust on these is toe and center the steering wheel. New drag link may be a little tighter and steering box may be a bit tighter but overall the steering effort should be about the same without the wander. Check your shock mounts and sway bar mounts for wear, its a place a clunk could come from.

 

[fordsucks!]

Steering gear shouldn't effect return to center. Unless the gear box is bad. Did the repair shop align the truck too ? Caster may be off.

They did not align truck, but they did center the steering wheel. Steering wheel was crooked before this.

 

[fordsucks!]

I just drove some more. The steering wheel is not returning to center by itself.

 

[Wes Harden]

Caster setting, or ball joints not turning freely. I take it this was not the case before the steering gear box was replaced? So since that is the most recent change it needs to be investigated.
Have the caster checked if the tow is severely towed out this would effect return. The shop needed to make the tie rod longer, to compensate for the thickness of the weld on plate. So that has changed as well.
To center the wheel the shop adjusted the drag link. Shouldn't be a factor.
Is your truck lifted ? I can't tell for sure with these pictures. Appears to me that the pitman arm and steering arm is stock, if 4" or more lift you might want to get a drop pitman arm to correct the drag link angle.

 

[fordsucks!]

thanks. No lift. I can tell the toe looks funny, I definitely want to get an alignment but my steering problem feels like it's got to be in the gearbox. Even at standstill or crawling like a crawling like a snail, the steering wheel is sticky and difficult to turn. When I do a U-turn, I can let go of the wheel and it continues doing a u-turn. there was none of this before, I had a cracked frame and a leaking gearbox but it could still steer efortlessly and would return to Center just fine.

I'm showing up unannounced to the shop at 8 a.m. monday and leaving my truck. I'll keep you posted. Thank you for the input, its all helpful.