Steering Gear
 

ok... today I went and leveled up the frame with the torsion bar adjustments. Had some slop in the steering wheel and losened up the jam nut and used an allen wrench and adjusted the bolt. Think I got steering too tight... feels tough when centering to go straight. When I go to back off on the bolt it seems to be stopping before I can get a spin on it now like it hit a "limit". Thinkin' back I BELIEVE I might have had the wheels turned when I first adjusted it (think I got more turns on it) but when I went to back off some now feels like a limit (wheels are straight ahead). Anyone know the actual mechanics of this bolt. ie. would it let you get more turns on it when the wheels are actually turned than it would with them straight ahead. I can only get about 45deg. worth of turn and then it feels like it hit stops or something and won't lemme back it off enough or something.


thought of something else too... I had it aligned to straighten out my steering wheel and stuff when the pull went away with tire rotation and seemed to be at about 2 o'clock it'd go straight.... now since I messed with that adjustment... the wheel straightened out (almost at dead center) when goin' straight ahead but it's kinda tough when wheel's completely centered.... did turning that bolt with the wheels turned let me skip a tooth or something??? I guess a little better handle on what that bolt does.... what it's actually doing and to what in there.... would help me to figure out what's up with this thing....lol


Thx.

RE: Steering Gear
 

Not sure which nut your talking about?

Could the problem be from cranking the torsion bars? Are you saying its not going back to center as easily as it used to? That sounds more like your torsion bar crank then steering wheel.

RE: Steering Gear
 

I've adjusted some slop out of the gear by adjusting the preload with the gear on the vehicle, although it's recommended to do it with the gear removed. Bacically what you're doing is adjusting the preload on the sector shaft. It's gotta be done with the box centered or the gears will be too tight. By centering the gear, you have it positioned so that the gears are closest to each other at that time.
If you adjust it when the steering is off-center, then there wont be enough clearance between the gears (possible binding), which can cause premature wear.
.
Loosen the adjuster lock nut
Turn the Pitman shaft adjuster screw (1) counterclockwise until the screw is fully extended.
Turn the Pitman shaft adjuster screw clockwise 1 full turn.
Rotate the stub shaft (3) from stop to stop using a 12-point socket while counting the number of turns.
Starting at either stop, turn the stub shaft back half of the total number of turns. This is the center of the gear.
Place a torque wrench on the stub shaft with the handle in the vertical position.
Rotate the stub shaft 45 degrees from each side of the center of the stub shaft. The stub shaft must rotate smoothly
the torque reading should be about 11 inch pounds.



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RE: Steering Gear
 

I gota be honest here.
I have no clue what your talking about!!!!

:D


I have never had to mess with that stuff. Keep going and maybe I'll grasp it.

RE: Steering Gear
 

to try to simplify this, basically as a steering gear gets worn, you have more play in the steering wheel.
In the picture in my previous post the screw and nut, labelled #1, is an adjustment to reduce the play in the steering wheel.
Normally you back off the locknut, then use an allen key (hex) to turn the screw (or stud) in about 1/4 turn to remove a lot of the play in the steering wheel.
It's really important to do it when the wheels are straight, 'cause that's when the gears are closest together (least amount of backlash).

RE: Steering Gear
 

I'm with hanr3 on this one. No clue. My miniscule mind can't comprehend....maybe it's just a short attention span.

RE: Steering Gear
 

What part dont you understand?
Maybe I could find another way to explain it.

RE: Steering Gear
 

Don't worry about me....It'd be a lost cause. If I read it again, I'll probably understand it.

here's my edit: I just went through it again and actually looked at the picture and understand it completely. That diagram really helps out a lot.

RE: Steering Gear
 

Ok I got that part now. How does it remove the slop? What does the screw trun to tighten it up? It might help if I could see a diagram of the internals of the steering gear.

RE: Steering Gear
 

steering gear exploded view. The adjustment brings the gear (33) and the nut(44) closer together. ( see the gear teeth) Click the picture on the website and you can blow it up. all the parts are numbered.
Enjoy..lol
You're making me work to hard. But I don't mind.

http://www.chevelles.com/techref/RBGStrgGearBlowUp.jpg

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RE: Steering Gear
 

well... I was right... it was cause I had the wheels turned a bit and turned the screw too far.... so I put them back where they were and was able to back the screw out some and get it JUST RIGHT...;)

man what a difference... like drivin' a totally new vehicle...

Thx for the reply folks.. .here's a little link that shows a little better the parts inside this thing...

http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/0501..._steering_box/


Here's what I was able to gather lookin' at this thing. that bolt (jam nut and bolt assembly) is actually a threaded rod ontop of the sector shaft the bottom of the sector shaft is actually the splined shaft that goes to the pitman arm. if you look there's also a power piston. what happens is the input shaft assembly is where the steering wheel shaft hooks to. then that connects to the worm gear which is what moves the power piston back and forth in the body of the steering gear when you turn the steering wheel. now look at that power piston see how it has the ridges in it?? now look at that sector shaft. see how it has the teeth in it? the sector shaft rides perpendicular to the power piston and the teeth of the sector shaft slide into the grooves of the power piston.. so when the power piston moves back and forth it causes the sector shaft to turn respectively. now notice the way the teeth on the sector shaft are kinda wedge shaped?? that's so when you screw that bolt in (jam nut and bolt assy) it pushes that sector shaft down respectively causing the gap beween the sector shaft teeth and the power piston grooves to become less and less. thus takin' the "slop" outta the sector shaft. DON'T go too far or when the sector shaft is centered (wheels dead straight ahead) you'll have the teeth on the sector shaft pushin' TOO hard on the power piston in turn causin' the steering wheel to not "auto center" or return to zero and go straight when you let go of it and it'll be stiff as hell goin' straight ahead. if ya have a bit of slop in your steering wheel compared to when the front wheels turn... if all other components under the frontend ie. tierods and ball joints and such are in good condition and not what's givin' you the "slop" you feel. you can back the nut off a bit and then give the bolt a 1/8 to 1/4 turn in.. lock the nut down and try it... still too loose repeat. if ya go too far you'll feel the wheel not center and really stiff when you're tryin' to steer straight ahead.back it off about 1/8 turn and try you SHOULD be good... if not back it off a tad bit more.... now.. one word of advice here... when backin' the nut off... or tightening it... put the allen wrench in the top of the bolt... oh yeah.. bolt has an allen head... nut is a 5/8" wrench.... reason you want the allen wrench in there before you go movin' that nut is for a reference... so if when backin' the nut off or tightening it... you'll know if the bolt turned with it.... so you'll know WHERE you started with the bolt itself... take SMALL TURNS like I said 1/8 to 1/4 turns on the bolt. then lock the nut and go run it around the block... you won't feel that stiff spot in the wheel until you go take a corner and then try to center the wheel back out..... my whole frontend is pretty damn tight so only thing left was the slop in that steering gear.. and if ya do it right and everything else is in good shape.... OH MAN.. WHAT a difference.... like a TOTALLY different vehicle.......;)


Good Luck!