Manual steering box adjustments

[Thrasher]

I beadblasted, re-sealed and put new bearings in an A body manual steering box... I slapped it in this evening but noticed it would lock up just a bit at certain points. I know that the points of adjustment are that screw in the top of the cover with the nut on it, and that very large aluminum nut that screws into the case directly from the steering column. What is the proper way to go about adjusting these?

:-\":-\"

 

[mvh]

... but the procedure as described is fairly intimidating. Not sure how you are supposed to get a torque measurement off the splined shaft, for instance (probably a special tool).

I was going to take a stab at this over the weekend, though. I will try to post anything I learn.

I beadblasted, re-sealed and put new bearings in an A body manual steering box... I slapped it in this evening but noticed it would lock up just a bit at certain points. I know that the points of adjustment are that screw in the top of the cover with the nut on it, and that very large aluminum nut that screws into the case directly from the steering column. What is the proper way to go about adjusting these?

:-\":-\"

 

[mvh]

...the procedure was too much to get into. I wasn't going to pull the pitman arm and the steering wheel. But what I did was adjust the "ball nut rack and sector mesh" at the cross shaft adjusting screw. When I loosened the lock nut, the screw didn't even seem to be making contact, so I tightened it about a quarter turn, locked it down, and turned the steering wheel side to side several times to make sure there was no binding (the front wheels were off the ground). This actually seemed to eliminate some free play at the wheel when I road tested it.

... but the procedure as described is fairly intimidating. Not sure how you are supposed to get a torque measurement off the splined shaft, for instance (probably a special tool).

I was going to take a stab at this over the weekend, though. I will try to post anything I learn.

 

[Thrasher]

But what I did was adjust the "ball nut rack and sector mesh" at the cross shaft adjusting screw.

I think that was the adjustment for the pitman shaft. That one shouldn't need to get adjusted as it needs to stay in the center of the worm gear box. The one I really need is the adjustment for the amount of pressure on both caged bearings via that large aluminum threaded piece, which I do believe there is a special socket for (should be easy to make one though). There shouldn't be any torque values for any splined shafts I don't think.

Yeah I had to pull my whole damn column off the get the power steering box out... and use a hydraulic press at work to get the old pitman arm off the shaft on the new-old manual box I got. Do you happen to have scans of the directions for the adjustment out of the service manual? :angel9: plz? :toothy9: