Crown Victoria Steering Linkage Parts
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Below is a list of the linkage that connects the steering wheel to the steering gearbox in the engine bay. If these parts are worn, the vehicle operator will have to have to constantly turn the steering wheel side to side to keep the vehicle travelling straight. This effect will be especially pronounced on rough bumpy roads.

Even if your vehicle has a steering gear with a relatively weak torsion bar in it, you should still observe a noticeable amount of "road feel" in the steering wheel. And keep in mind that the amount of "play" in between the steering wheel and the gear box is a cumulative effect of the looseness of all the joints in between. So if a relatively small amount of play is present in the midshaft joint and a relatively small amount at the tilt joint in the column, you may have a very noticeable amount of looseness in the system as a whole.

Steering column -> steering gear linkage
Midshafts

Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail (January 2005)
F0AZ-3B676-A	1990	1991	Midshaft Also used in 1990 and 1991 towncar	Obsolete
F0AZ-3B676-B	1990	1991	Lower shaft Old style 1 flat large diameter coupling at gear	Obsolete
F0VY-3B676-A			Lower shaft 1990 Towncar only Never factory installed in a crown vic New style 2 flat small diameter coupling at gear	Obsolete
F1VY-3B676-A	1992	1994	Lower Shaft Also used in 1991-1994 towncars New style 2 flat small diameter coupling at gear	$124.72
F1VY-3B676-B	1992	1994	Middle Shaft Also used in 1991-1994 towncars	$118.15 (Very limited avaliablity. Soon to be obsolete)
F8AZ-3B676-AA	1995	2002	Lower Shaft New style 2 flat small diameter coupling at gear (Supercedes: F5AZ-3B676-B F6AZ-3B676-AA F7AZ-3B676-BB)	$133.33
YW7Z-3B676-AA	1995	2002	Middle Shaft (Supercedes: F5AZ-3B676-A F8AZ-3B676-AB)	$70.53

• It is in theory possible to replace just the midshaft or just the lower shaft. But in the "rust belt" states, you'll probably find the lower shaft is seized to the midshaft and won't seperate. So the two shafts will have to be pulled out of the car as a unit and seperated after.
• The midshaft is sometimes referred to as the "extension shaft"
• The middle shaft is at a relatively large angle compared to any of the other column related joints in the car. And the middle shaft typically wears out before the others in the car as a result.
• The lower shaft telescopes as the body moves in relation to the frame. Do not attempt to "fix" a loose lower shaft by welding it stationary.
• The steering column shafts are also collision items that collapse during a frontal impact to reduce the chance of the vehicle operator getting impalled by the steering column.
• The middle shaft is also located relatively close to the exhaust manifold and the joint on it can pick up a significant amount of heat if the vehicle frequently gets "stuck in traffic". This may cause premature failure of the joint by boiling out the grease.
• Do not attempt to "lubricate" the midshaft u-joint with wd-40 or any other externally applied lubricant. If the joint is binding or is noisy, replace it with a new service assembly from your local ford dealer. Seperation of this joint would result in loss of all ability to steer the vehicle which would be extremely dangerous.
• A worn lower shaft may cause a "clunking" sound when the steering wheel is turned. The problem may be misdiagnosed by some "mechanics" as a problem with the gear.
• Steering column u-joints with worn lubricant in them may require excessive force to rotate and may cause poor steering wheel returnability to the center position after turning.
• A 1995-2002 midshaft will not line up properly with the bearing in the firewall installed in a 1990-1994 vehicle. This will result in a bearing that fails prematurely due to water and road debris instrusion.
• Most all steering column related service parts for 1979-1989 crown vics have been discontinued and are no longer avaliable from ford.
  

Steering column shaft
(Shaft that passes from the steering wheel to u-joint at base of steering column)

Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail
F5DZ-3524-A	1990	1994	This shaft is a couple inches longer than the one used in 95+ vehicles	$82.25
F7AZ-3524-AA	1995	1997	If you have problems acquiring this shaft, a 98-04 shaft will work instead. But your steering wheel will be off center by a couple degrees.	$49.23
YW7Z-3524-AA	1998	2004	The 98-99 shaft has a slightly different design where the steering wheel mounts than the 00-04 shaft does. But this is a cosmetic difference and a 98-99 steering wheel will install on a 00-04 shaft without a problem. (Supercedes F8AZ-3524-AA)	$45.94

• Wear on this shaft is somewhat dependent on the angle at which the vehicle operator sets the tilt steering column at. Driving the vehicle with the column tilted fully upwards or fully downwards will increase wear.
• If replacing the steering shaft that passes through the column, it would be a good idea to replace the 3 bearings in the column on which this shaft rides. Replacing the shifter handle, shift tube, and shift tube bearings would also be a good idea while the column is out of the car. Some may also find it benificial to replace the linkage that connects the ignition lock cylinder to the ignition switch. However, steering column disassembly is not covered on this website at this time. Nor are the part numbers for the needed bearings listed here.
• A 2004 steering column will fit in a 1995 vehicle if it is stripped down to the bare column and the original 1995 multifunction switch, clockspring, and steering wheel installed on it. However, you will need to purchase a new u-joint for the base of the column, as the linkage from base of the column to the gear in 2003-2004 crown vics is different than in 1995-2002 vehicles. 
• 2005 crown vics recieved a newly redesigned steering column that does not share any parts with earlier models.
  

Steering column->midshaft u-joint at base of the column

Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail
F3DZ-3N725-A	1990	1994	(Supercedes: E9SZ-3N725-A F0DZ-3N725-A)	$74.25
F7DZ-3N725-AA	1995	2002	(Supercedes F5AZ-3N725-A)	$45.65

Bearing in firewall that steering shaft passes through

Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail
2W7Z-3C611-AA	1990	2004	(Supercedes: F0AZ-3C611-A F2AZ-3C611-A F8AZ-3C611-AA)	$17.85

• You should consider installing a new firewall bearing when replacing the midshaft because the midshaft acts as the inner race for the bearing. So a worn bearing will trash a good midshaft in a hurry. Failures of this part are often caused by the weather seal leaking, but may also be caused by old age or excessive use too.
  

Bolts

Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail
N803942-S100			Retains lower shaft to steering box Bolt M10 x 1.5 x 35 Hex HD Flange	$7.20
N803942-S100			Retains midshaft to lower shaft Bolt M10 x 1.5 x 35 Hex HD Flange	$7.20
N88349-S100			Used to retain u-joint to steering column shaft Bolt - M8 x 1.25 x 31.0 Hex Flange	$5.80

• All of these bolts are coated in one-use adhesive. Re-use of the original fasteners without applying the proper threadlocker may cause the bolt to fall out and the steering linkage to disconnect while the vehicle is being driven.

All of the steering column->steering gear linkage components listed above will wear at an accelerated rate if the vehicle is driven with worn front steering and suspension components. The operator will have to constantly turn the steering wheel side to side to keep the vehicle travelling straight. This effect will be especially pronounced on rough bumpy roads.

People that have have not recently driven a late model vehicle with under 30,000 on the odometer, may need to visit their local ford dealership and testdrive some new vehicles to get an understanding of the term "road feel". As much of the older higher mileage vehicles will be devoid of any "road feel". For a list of ford dealerships in your area, visit: http://www.dealerconnection.com

Purchasing the parts required to "fix" the steering in your vehicle can add up quickly. But the payments on a new car would not be cheap either. For free online payment calculators and other vehicle related finance tools, visit: http://www.fordcredit.com





Note: Steering column related service parts for 1989 and prior crown vics are not listed here because most of them have been discontinued and are no longer avaliable from ford.


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