People have said to tighten your steering, loosen the nut around the hex screw on the steering box, tighten the screw, then tighten the nut. Seems easier than installing a Jeep half shaft. So I tried it, drove the car, tightened it again, etc. I think I tightened it 1.5 turns. Not sure if I made much of a difference. I hope I didn't make anything worse. Can someone explain exactly what happens when you tighten the screw? Can it be over tight and cause premature wear or damage? Thanks!
Steering box question
- Thread starter GNRick
- Start date
So do those clearances tend to get loose over time? Car has 175k miles. Would tightening that allen screw (not too tight though) be a good idea before going to the Jeep 1/2 shaft? I also have an 86 GN with 26k miles on it, and difference is like night and day. I replaced the control arm bushings and tie rods, but that didn't seem to help much. Also replaced the front springs and shocks. So how do you get a car with 175k miles feel like it has 26k miles? Rebuild the steering box?
eric_1984ttype
Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2006
The point of the jeep steering shaft is to eleviate the rag joint that is on the stock steering shaft. It is a seperate issue from the steering box.
As far as adjusting the box, I pulled this off of fourwheeler.com
32. The final step is to adjust the sector-shaft tension. To begin, center the steering on the high point. Adjust the screw until the box steers freely except for slight touching at the center point. From there, back the screw off about 25 degrees and tighten the locknut
Saginaw Steering Box Rebuild - Four Wheeler Magazine
As far as adjusting the box, I pulled this off of fourwheeler.com
32. The final step is to adjust the sector-shaft tension. To begin, center the steering on the high point. Adjust the screw until the box steers freely except for slight touching at the center point. From there, back the screw off about 25 degrees and tighten the locknut
Saginaw Steering Box Rebuild - Four Wheeler Magazine
You'll need to get a helper first. Crawl up under the front and have the other person turn the steering wheel back and forth. You don't need to go from lock to lock, just enough to see the wheels start to move. Watch the linkage and see if you can find any movement. If you don't, put your hands on the linkage and see if you can feel a click. You may have to your hands on all the joints to see what's loose.
I think all of the front end components have been replaced except for the pitman arm. I did the A-arm bushings, tie rods, ball joints, allignment. So after turning the allen screw in (clockwise) about a full turn, that didn't seem to do much. I think it might have made it worse, as the car was wandering pretty bad on a 150 mile trip today. Went to the new Pontiac museum in Pontiac, IL. But I digress. I came home (after receiving a warning ticket for no front plate) and turned the screw in all the way with the car running. Some power steering fluid leaked out, but not too much, due to the nut being loose and the car on. I then backed the allen screw out 1/8th turn, got in car and turned the steering wheel full left and full right. There was no binding. Shut the car off and tightened the nut around the allen screw. I think this seemed to help. I went for a drive and made some left and right turns, and the steering wheel came back to center (at least most of the way). Car doesn't wander anymore. There is a lot of good info here, on the Jeep site, including a method to correctly adjust the steering box which requires removing it from the car (it is in one of the links when you read through the threads). Adjusting Steering Box - JeepForum.com It seems like installing a Jeep shaft won't fix your sloppy steering if your steering box is bad. My 26,000 mile GN has extremely tight steering, like a new car should, and it does not have any Jeep parts on it unless the factory installed them. So unless the Jeep shaft is replacing a worn out part, I don't see the benefit of installing it.
steering box
the steering box came on many gm cars ( F-41) = performance steering can be bought from most part stores reman for about 100.00 according to all data repair disk to be adjusted properly it must be remove from car. it's adjusted with a inch pound torque wrench to check resistants in the turning of the worm gear for wear.
the steering box came on many gm cars ( F-41) = performance steering can be bought from most part stores reman for about 100.00 according to all data repair disk to be adjusted properly it must be remove from car. it's adjusted with a inch pound torque wrench to check resistants in the turning of the worm gear for wear.
Dealing with the same issue, I have a fully rebuilt front end. Didn't realize I installed a coil spring wrong until the other day. That threw off my alignment. I made adjustments to the steering box before I found my problem. Fixed the spring and got another alignment. Tried to take my steering box back to it's original setting. Still not the same as before. My advice to you... don't touch that allen screw! I'm now looking at replacing the steering box since I messed with it! I trust the shop I took my car to, he felt the problem on the test drive and he saw that the steering box had been adjusted. Since the car had already been in the shop for an alignment issue, this was the shop manager doing the test drive. He's right, it's not the poly bushings or Moog parts, it's my adjustment to the steering box!
Let us know what you decide to do. Check out my other thread http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/ge...m-after-installing-new-steering-gear-box.html
Just ordered a reman Delco unit from Rock Auto. I think I will do the Charokee conversion at the same time. Now to try and find a good Charokee shaft. I would buy off Ebay, but I paid for Moog parts since they were made in the US. I try to buy US made parts whenever possible. Also, I don't want something that is well used. I could not find the shaft at Rock Auto. (I know a lot of Delco parts are not US made, but at least the money comes back here.)
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