Parts for your 2016 Ford Transit-Steering bushes

2016 Ford Transit steering bushes — are they actually a thing?

Short answer: steering bushes aren’t a separate, serviceable part on a 2016 Ford Transit (Mk8). Ford’s workshop literature describes a rack-and-pinion steering gear (electric power-assisted steering on many variants, hydraulic on some) that mounts to the subframe with integral isolators. The mounting insulators/bushes are built into the steering gear and not supplied as stand‑alone parts. When those isolators wear, the approved service action is to replace the complete steering gear assembly rather than press in new bushes.

Technical basis for that call-out comes from the Ford Workshop Manual for Transit (2015–2019), Steering sections 211‑00/211‑02, which specify steering gear replacement if the mounts are damaged, and from Ford’s parts catalogues (Microcat/ECAT) that list the steering gear as an assembly with no separate rack-mount bushes. General repair manuals covering the 2014‑on Transit also omit any procedure for replacing steering rack bushes on this model.

Why Ford went this way is mostly about NVH control and precision. Integrating the isolators into the rack lets the factory tune steering feel and vibration damping tightly. The trade-off is that “steering bushes” aren’t a routine service item on the 2016 Transit, and there’s no genuine separate bush kit for the rack.

If a driver reports clunks, looseness, or vague steering and asks for “steering bushes,” the likely culprits on a 2016 Transit are usually elsewhere:

• Front lower control arm bushes
• Front stabiliser (sway) bar D‑bushes and link rods
• Inner/outer tie rod ends
• Strut top mounts/bearings
• Wheel bearings or subframe mount movement

Practical advice for owners and techs: inspect those items first, check steering rack/subframe fastener torque, and verify alignment. If free play is traced to the rack mounting itself, expect to replace the complete steering gear. For EPAS cars there’s no fluid to service, for hydraulic variants, bleeding and leak checks apply, but again, not rack bushes. Aftermarket polyurethane “rack bush” kits are common for earlier Transits (e.g., Mk7), but not supported for the 2016 Mk8, and may increase vibration or affect roadworthy/WOF compliance.

Referenced sources: Ford Workshop Manual (Transit 2015–2019) sections 211‑00/211‑02/211‑04, Ford Global Microcat/ECAT parts listings for 2016 Transit steering gear assemblies, general repair coverage such as the Haynes Transit Diesel 2014‑on manual noting no separate rack-bush service for Mk8.

FAQs

Do 2016 Ford Transits have replaceable steering rack bushes?
Not as a separate part. The rack mounts use integral isolators and Ford only supplies the steering gear as a complete assembly. If the mounts are worn or the rack is moving on the subframe, replacement of the steering gear is the specified repair per Ford’s workshop procedures and parts listings.

What’s usually mistaken for “worn steering bushes” on a 2016 Transit?
Most commonly: lower control arm bushes, stabiliser bar D‑bushes and links, inner/outer tie rods, and strut top mounts. Any of these can cause clunks, shimmy, or wander. A proper inspection on a hoist with a pry bar and dial check of tie rods generally pinpoints the fault quickly.

Can aftermarket polyurethane bushes be fitted to the rack on this model?
There isn’t a widely supported polyurethane rack-bush kit for the Mk8 (2014‑on) Transit. Some earlier models had options, but on the 2016 design the mounts are part of the rack. Custom modifications can increase NVH and may affect WOF/roadworthy, so sticking with OEM-spec repair (rack replacement if required) is the safer route.