how adj manual steering box?

[Rapid Robert]

aftermarket 16:1 manual steering box. I've loosened the spanner nut/screw & the screw on the top & have the steering wheel in the middle of its travel & at that point I cannot move either of t hose 2 adjustments but if I turn the wheel aways then I can move em. I always thought you get the wheel in the middle of its travel then adj the spanner then the top one? thank you for your time. RR

 

[Demonic]

The factory procedure is in the manual, but you have to have the front wheels up and no load. If you adjust the mesh too tight, you can rapidly wear a box. The Pitman arm is removed first. The worm bearing preload is adjusted - or checked to be at 4 to 6 inch pounds first. Then adjust the rack and sector mesh for 14 inch pounds, which represents the total of worm shaft preload and gear-mesh load.

Service Manuals – MyMopar

mymopar.com

 

[GTX JOHN]

If it is binding in centered position, I think
top adjustment is too tight by quite a bit. Try
backing the adjustment on top back. That should
make it drivable although not properly adjusted.

 

[Rapid Robert]

it is up on stands right now. pitman arm/center drag link is on but no tie rod sleeves. I did read the 64 dodge shop manual procedure but I couldn't make sense of it. I will read it again till i get it. what I need is how to do the 2 adjustments from scratch. EDIT right now both adjustments are backed way off

 

[Rapid Robert]

good info & much appreciated. I have a 1" 3/8 drive socket on order so I can use my inch lb torque wrench on the racing steering shaft. thanks guys

 

[Rapid Robert]

the 64 dodge specs are 1&1/2 to 4&1/2 in lbs and 8&1/4 to 11&1/4 in lbs. since this is an aluminum 16:1 box should I disregard the OE specs and go with 4-6 and 14?

 

[Dave999]

in theory the worm screw bearing preload is set when the box is built and again in theory, unless its done a load of miles or the huge hex lock ring came undone. it will be right..or it will be the setting that it ends up at after you have built all brand new parts into the case and used the steering box in anger, basically less than what it was set at when everything was new and not bedded in by use. i.e its not really an adjustment that you do on the car. its normally set with no sector shaft mounted in the case.

with the sector/ballnut mesh the setting you apply with the bolt and locknut in the top cover
aim for 14 if you can measure. that caters for the drag from the worm screw bearings and the sector tooth mesh you just set
back it off if you feel the stiff centre at the rim of the steering wheel, with the front wheels off the ground or the linkage disconnected

better to be slightly tight than chattering loose

if you have no way to measure
do it up until you feel a tight point in the middle when you turn the steering wheel by the centre hub.
that tight point should not be felt when you turn the wheel by the rim. do this with the wheels up off the ground.

tight point noticeable at the wheel rim is a roadworthy test failure in many places.

that's ballpark right if you have no way to measure

if the box is off the car twisting the input spline with your hand, this is the point where it becomes really quite hard to do... its the point where you think if i had my welding gloves on this wouldn't be hurting my fingers.

stiff in the middle where you spend all of your time on a straight road, stops the teeth on the sector chattering along with road vibration, against the teeth in the ballnut, which is what wears them out, the same section of tooth gets hammered repeatedly in the same spot for the period where you do not need to change direction. bit of preload stops all of that.

after adjustment regardless of what is in the box oil or grease, top it off with 90 wt gear oil. you are doing steering work, ideal time to check the lube...

as far as i know US manual steering was an aluminium alloy case...all the ones i've encountered are.
the RHD for UK Australia South Africa etc cars got nodular iron case with a bulky chassis mount setup on the side.

case material shouldn't make a difference really, we are not talking in the same category as main or big end journal clearances here.


Dave

 

[Rapid Robert]

where I am at right now is this box is on a new build & I just noticed it was way binding at the middle of its travel so I just back both settings way off. EDIT I have the shop procedure in my head now so I am going to get after it. I gotta wait till my 1" socket comes in

 

[Dave999]

no don't back off both settings. don't back off anything

its supposed to be stiff in the middle. unless someone has been "at it" its not binding, that is what it is supposed to be like. you have a decent steering box a worn one would be all sloppy no stiff bit in the middle.

as i say if it makes you fingers sore when you try to turn the input spline with your hand through the centre of the box..... it is bang-on correct

connect it up and connect the wheels and see if you feel stiffness at the edge of the steering wheel. if you don't all is just fine

if you back off the preload on the worm screw bearings the box will need to come of the car and have the sector removed so you can re-set that pre load.

then you'd have to install the sector again to set the mesh via the screw and locknut in the top cover.

its a mopar copy of a saginaw design, they are all the same. they are supposed to be stiff in the middle.

dave

 

[Mike69cuda]

If it is a used or rebuilt box the gears are often worn in the center position because that is where the steering wheel spends most of it time. So if you have it adjusted tight at center, it may bind in other parts of the travel where there is less gear wear.

 

[Dave999]

In my opinion if the box exhibits the behavior above due to ware it can no longer be properly adjusted and one or both of the ballnut and sector are scrap. that's not going to be a nice drive if it has to be loose in the middle. sector on left New, sector on right from box that can not be adjusted to work right. With an unworn sector the more off centre the box is, less of the width of the teeth is into the v section of the ballnut tooth profile, hence the looser it gets. with the one on the right you are jamming the peak of each tooth into the base of each valley of the ballnut and it wears a groove into the sides of each valley. Hence worn out scrap.. The ballnut is a linear rack and the sector is a 60 degree quadrant of the circle. the best mesh is bang on the centre. tight there, means less ware and not so loose when you go round a corner.


shown also LHD and RHD ballnut and screw 24:1 top 20:1 lower.
parts for HD rebuild, note tall bearing mid left, used as upgrade for bottom sector position and the ball bearings in cages that you load up when setting the worm screw bearing pre-load. go too far and you bust the cage.
part numbers visible fo bearings and seals in you zoom in

 

[Rapid Robert]

I had already backed both of em off considerably. I will play around with it & when my socket arrives do it with the specs

 

[Dave999]

ok so you will need to set that one up from scratch
lid off. take out bolts, un stick gasket undo the lid by winding it off the adjuster bolt
slide the adjuster bolt and its shim out of the claw section on the top of the sector. do not lose the shim its selectively chosen to work with that sector shaft

tape up the splines on the sector and pull it out, tape stops it cutting the seal
set bearing preload for the worm screw one of your 8 point sockets fits the spline well enough to allow you to turn it with a mini torque wrench i can't remember which one. i usually just bang one on out of cheap middle of the supermarket socket set. Its a hardened spline and the supermarket sockets are made of cheese

once done hold ballnut up, slot in sector with middle tooth into middle gap...
fill in any space with NLGI 2 grease
fill in any extra space with 90 weight oil
reverse the process for putting on the lid
shim and adjuster bolt. wind on lid right to bottom of adjuster bolt do up bolts

your sector has 4 master splines
align one of them (the closest) with the case seam to get the box straight ahead
adjust the mesh to make turning the box stiff in the middle as per spec mentioned above or as i say rule of thumb, turnable by hand, through centre, but stiff. after you have done a few you know what it feels like, and it feels wrong, when its right.

bolt it up and have the best mopar steering you can have. there should be absolutely no play in the centre area normally used for straight and lane changes.. there might be a little as you approach left or right lock.... where it really doesn't matter.

Dave

 

[Rapid Robert]

ok so you will need to set that one up from scratch
lid off. take out bolts, un stick gasket undo the lid by winding it off the adjuster bolt
slide the adjuster bolt and its shim out of the claw section on the top of the sector. do not lose the shim its selectively chosen to work with that sector shaft

tape up the splines on the sector and pull it out, tape stops it cutting the seal
set bearing preload for the worm screw one of your 8 point sockets fits the spline well enough to allow you to turn it with a mini torque wrench i can't remember which one. i usually just bang one on out of cheap middle of the supermarket socket set. Its a hardened spline and the supermarket sockets are made of cheese

once done hold ballnut up, slot in sector with middle tooth into middle gap...
fill in any space with NLGI 2 grease
fill in any extra space with 90 weight oil
reverse the process for putting on the lid
shim and adjuster bolt. wind on lid right to bottom of adjuster bolt do up bolts

your sector has 4 master splines
align one of them (the closest) with the case seam to get the box straight ahead
adjust the mesh to make turning the box stiff in the middle as per spec mentioned above or as i say rule of thumb, turnable by hand, through centre, but stiff. after you have done a few you know what it feels like, and it feels wrong, when its right.

bolt it up and have the best mopar steering you can have. there should be absolutely no play in the centre area normally used for straight and lane changes.. there might be a little as you approach left or right lock.... where it really doesn't matter.

Dave

 

[Rapid Robert]

Dave that you very much for the comprehensive info. Yeah sounds like I goofed up when I backed the worm shaft way to much but I will get after it. unfortunately I dont have a printer but I will copy it all. thanks again. RR