Steering issue

[dusterbd13]

So, new one. I'm a little lost.

Power steering in a 70 duster with a firm feel stage 3 box that has maybe 20k on it. Bought it back in 2004 or so though.
73 steering linkage and spindles and brakes.

Has on center slop. Then, when starting a turn, it has resistance then feels like it breaks free and has a little more sloppy and starts to turn. It's a little unnerving.
No play in the linkage, but I replaced it anyway because it just had to be linkage. It wasn't. It wasn't wheel bearings either. Replaced the rag joint with a u joint, and now notice that the input shaft to the box goes in and out about an 1/8 inch over range of slop.

Since I have fired the parts cannon and missed, what the hell do i do next??? Is there a box adjustment? Am I missing a possible column failure?

 

[Oldmanmopar]

There is a high spot on the sector that it needs to be on while the wheels are straight. When steering left or right it comes off the high spot. Find that tight spot and that should be center. This stops the car from wondering when going straight.

On a factory box there is a flat spot on the splines which should be straight up when centered. There is also one on the splines at the steering wheel. Flat spots up, Steering wheel straight that is where you align the front end. I have seen cars where it was not centered and they just tightened the steering wheel on straight then aligned it . You will have play in the wheel if done wrong.

 

[Kern Dog]

So, new one. I'm a little lost.

Power steering in a 70 duster with a firm feel stage 3 box that has maybe 20k on it. Bought it back in 2004 or so though.
73 steering linkage and spindles and brakes.

Has on center slop. Then, when starting a turn, it has resistance then feels like it breaks free and has a little more sloppy and starts to turn. It's a little unnerving.
No play in the linkage, but I replaced it anyway because it just had to be linkage. It wasn't. It wasn't wheel bearings either. Replaced the rag joint with a u joint, and now notice that the input shaft to the box goes in and out about an 1/8 inch over range of slop.

Since I have fired the parts cannon and missed, what the hell do i do next??? Is there a box adjustment? Am I missing a possible column failure?

This will come across as dismissive but ALL factory steering boxes have some degree of on center slop.
I had a Firm Feel Stage 3 steering chuck in my '70 Charger and got tired of it. I had slop like this:

Looking at a dial clock, this was like between 10:30 and 1:30. Once the steering got past the slop, the effort was high and good. It was totally annoying for any type of switchback roads because I'd be at hard left then to turn right I'd have that slop to get through before the car would respond.
My steering chuck had less than 15,000 miles on it. The coupler was fine, it was the internal guts of the steering box that were worn. This happens with all of them but is more noticeable when the steering effort is higher. Simply put, a stock steering box steers so easily, you barely feel the on center slop because once the tires do start steering, the overboosted system takes so little effort to operate.
By the way...you likely didn't have a "rag joint" since they first showed up in the 1973 B body cars. No A body ever had a rag joint in the steering system.

 

[Inertia]

Make sure strg box is tight/secure to the frame.
Loose box will act as you describe.

 

[dusterbd13]

Make sure strg box is tight/secure to the frame.
Loose box will act as you describe.

Did that first, actually. Forgot to mention it.

Not sure of the car and year:
You do know the idler arm has play up and down - the bolt side not the joint side. Washers go top and bottom inside the tangs. The joint side has squeeze play. But not side to side. 1,000miles seems a bit much to be replacing parts.
What brand did you use and did you install it new?

I'll grab a couple of more pics tomorrow. IIRC, There is a liner in each end of the the horizontal track that connects to the vertical tracks......I will check for sure.

The top bumpers (front and rear) are to limit the upward vertical travel of the window. The two "nipples" mounted to the glass contact them when the window is up.

The cat whiskers keep the glass from rattling inward/outward by centering it in the upper door frame.

Keep asking......I will reference anything that you need.

Sorry about the delay......I got busy with my headliner. Feel free to give me a poke if I don't reply forthwith.

As you can see, nothing in the vertical tracks (just dirt in the right side track ). Each end of the horizontal track has the liner as shown in the pics.

Anything else, feel free to reach out.

BTW......Service manual says "lightly" lube the tracks that the plastic buttons and plastic roller ride in with Lubriplate. Nothing on the vertical tracks or the liners in the horizontal track.

View attachment 1716387612

View attachment 1716387613

View attachment 1716387615

View attachment 1716387617

This will come across as dismissive but ALL factory steering boxes have some degree of on center slop.
I had a Firm Feel Stage 3 steering chuck in my '70 Charger and got tired of it. I had slop like this:

View attachment 1716421150

View attachment 1716421151

View attachment 1716421152

Looking at a dial clock, this was like between 10:30 and 1:30. Once the steering got past the slop, the effort was high and good. It was totally annoying for any type of switchback roads because I'd be at hard left then to turn right I'd have that slop to get through before the car would respond.
My steering chuck had less than 15,000 miles on it. The coupler was fine, it was the internal guts of the steering box that were worn. This happens with all of them but is more noticeable when the steering effort is higher. Simply put, a stock steering box steers so easily, you barely feel the on center slop because once the tires do start steering, the overboosted system takes so little effort to operate.
By the way...you likely didn't have a "rag joint" since they first showed up in the 1973 B body cars. No A body ever had a rag joint in the steering system.

The slop isn't the issue. It's the resistance and then more slop. And im not sure what to call the factory shoe/spring/bucket thing other than rag joint. I know that's not the right term, I just can't think of it....

 

[Kern Dog]

These are pot couplers.

I get that the main issue is not the slop. I momentarily skipped past the binding issue you had to rant about the slop and forgot to come back to it.
Often times, this is a matter of either adjustment or too little boost pressure. The adjustment for the steering box is in the top. You'll see an Allen head screw with a 6 point hex nut around it, often 11/16" size, maybe 5/8" ?
Back off the jam nut, turn the Allen screw in clockwise to close up the internal backlash, counterclockwise to back it out.
Sometimes the bind you are feeling is due to the backlash being too tight. I adjusted my Firm Feel chuck a few times to close up the slop but the final straw was when I tried to tighten it up the last time and it did what yours seems to be doing. By closing up the gaping chasm of slop, it induced a bind. I said Screw this POS and bought a Borgeson kit from FABO member BAC, Bergman.