One problem related to steering gear box shaft pitman has been reported for the 2002 Ford F-350. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The tie rod end at the pitman arm sheared off suddenly at the point where the ball meets the shaft of the tie rod causing a complete loss of steering control. This is not a wear point and is not something that could have been inspected since it is covered with a rubber boot, the steel looks as if it fatigued over time leading to the sudden failure. Luckily this occurred in a parking lot, had it happened on the highway someone else would have possibly been writing this.