steering slop
04-26-2006, 03:33 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 5
steering slop
i have a 70 mustang coupe, ive had it for about 3 years now and i am getting pretty tired of the slop in the steering. there is about 3 inches of play in the wheel. it is a power steer car, 351, i want to know how difficult it would be to install a flaming river box, i know it would probably include removing a motor mount on the drivers side. i am concidering having a shop install it, but i know it will cost an *** load. need opinions.
04-26-2006, 12:45 PM
#4
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: So-Cal
Posts: 2,645
RE: steering slop
ok, here is the how-to....on the gear box, there is a stud with a slot for a screw driver sicking up, it has a nut on it. loosen the nut up, and have a buddy roll the steering wheel back and forth as you tighten the stud (or the other way around). As soon as the slop in the wheel is no longer there, tighten the nut up so the stud does not loosen up again, take it for a test drive and adjust as needed
04-26-2006, 01:09 PM
#5
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location:
Posts: 349
RE: steering slop
Rase the front of the car and check the up and down play in the idler arm. Thats the arm that supports the steering on the passenger side. They need replacement often on Mustangs and Mavericks. When they are loose the steering is sloppy.
04-26-2006, 04:00 PM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: So-Cal
Posts: 2,645
RE: steering slop
ORIGINAL: 67coupe
Rase the front of the car and check the up and down play in the idler arm. Thats the arm that supports the steering on the passenger side. They need replacement often on Mustangs and Mavericks. When they are loose the steering is sloppy.
Rase the front of the car and check the up and down play in the idler arm. Thats the arm that supports the steering on the passenger side. They need replacement often on Mustangs and Mavericks. When they are loose the steering is sloppy.
04-26-2006, 04:23 PM
#7
I ♥ Acer
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 17,565
RE: steering slop
ORIGINAL: Twister
ok, here is the how-to....on the gear box, there is a stud with a slot for a screw driver sicking up, it has a nut on it. loosen the nut up, and have a buddy roll the steering wheel back and forth as you tighten the stud (or the other way around). As soon as the slop in the wheel is no longer there, tighten the nut up so the stud does not loosen up again, take it for a test drive and adjust as needed
ok, here is the how-to....on the gear box, there is a stud with a slot for a screw driver sicking up, it has a nut on it. loosen the nut up, and have a buddy roll the steering wheel back and forth as you tighten the stud (or the other way around). As soon as the slop in the wheel is no longer there, tighten the nut up so the stud does not loosen up again, take it for a test drive and adjust as needed
04-26-2006, 05:37 PM
#8
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Denver
Posts: 258
RE: steering slop
It is actually more complex than that.
http://www.stangerssite.com/adjustment.html There is only ONE proper way to adjust your steering box, unless you want to accelerate wear.
There are two main adjustments to be made assembling a non-integral style steering box.
Input Shaft Bearing Load: The end of the Input Shaft that is inside the steering box has a worm gear design. Both ends of the worm section have ball bearings that secure the shaft inside the housing and allow the shaft to rotate freely. The surface of the input shaft acts as the inner race to these bearings. The Input Shaft Bearing Nut tightens down into the box and tightens these bearings to the input shaft. This loads the bearings so that they are tight and hold the worm section of the input shaft securely. This bearing load must be sufficient to remove all movement and slack from the input shaft and yet loose enough not to have the bearings bind or wear excessively as the input shaft is turned. They must hold the input shaft in place as the steering action of the sector shaft places a deflecting action against it. This bearing load is determined by measuring the drag on the bearings as determined by rotating the input shaft.
Gear Teeth Mesh Load: The teeth on the Sector Shaft mesh with the teeth on the Rack Block, which is mounted to the Input Shaft Worm. The center gap on the Rack Block is designed tighter than the other gaps so that the center tooth on the Sector Shaft has a tighter fit when meshing with it. This tightness is designed into the center of the box because this is the position the box is most often in - steering the car straight down the road. This tightness in the center keeps the box tighter when going straight down the road so the car doesn't wander. The mesh load is determined by turning the steering box through its full travel and measuring the increased drag in the center of travel.
http://www.stangerssite.com/lubrication.html
The inside of the steering box needs to be as fully packed with grease as possible with very little air pockets. As the rack block moves up and down the input shaft, and the sector shaft teeth move across the rack, they should push the grease back and forth inside the box, constantly redistributing the grease and keeping the parts covered at all times. An insufficiently filled steering box will not have enough grease in it to flow around and the parts will only have what grease clings to them for lubrication. Soon this grease will wear off and the parts will be rubbing metal to metal. It is not really possible to overfill a steering box with grease. Boxes with long input shafts have no seal where the shaft goes in and excess grease will find its way out there. Short input shaft boxes have fill plugs with venting and excess grease will be forced out there. Grease coming out of the box in these areas is not a sign of problems - it is just venting excess grease and will stop when equalized
http://www.stangerssite.com/adjustment.html There is only ONE proper way to adjust your steering box, unless you want to accelerate wear.
There are two main adjustments to be made assembling a non-integral style steering box.
Input Shaft Bearing Load: The end of the Input Shaft that is inside the steering box has a worm gear design. Both ends of the worm section have ball bearings that secure the shaft inside the housing and allow the shaft to rotate freely. The surface of the input shaft acts as the inner race to these bearings. The Input Shaft Bearing Nut tightens down into the box and tightens these bearings to the input shaft. This loads the bearings so that they are tight and hold the worm section of the input shaft securely. This bearing load must be sufficient to remove all movement and slack from the input shaft and yet loose enough not to have the bearings bind or wear excessively as the input shaft is turned. They must hold the input shaft in place as the steering action of the sector shaft places a deflecting action against it. This bearing load is determined by measuring the drag on the bearings as determined by rotating the input shaft.
Gear Teeth Mesh Load: The teeth on the Sector Shaft mesh with the teeth on the Rack Block, which is mounted to the Input Shaft Worm. The center gap on the Rack Block is designed tighter than the other gaps so that the center tooth on the Sector Shaft has a tighter fit when meshing with it. This tightness is designed into the center of the box because this is the position the box is most often in - steering the car straight down the road. This tightness in the center keeps the box tighter when going straight down the road so the car doesn't wander. The mesh load is determined by turning the steering box through its full travel and measuring the increased drag in the center of travel.
http://www.stangerssite.com/lubrication.html
The inside of the steering box needs to be as fully packed with grease as possible with very little air pockets. As the rack block moves up and down the input shaft, and the sector shaft teeth move across the rack, they should push the grease back and forth inside the box, constantly redistributing the grease and keeping the parts covered at all times. An insufficiently filled steering box will not have enough grease in it to flow around and the parts will only have what grease clings to them for lubrication. Soon this grease will wear off and the parts will be rubbing metal to metal. It is not really possible to overfill a steering box with grease. Boxes with long input shafts have no seal where the shaft goes in and excess grease will find its way out there. Short input shaft boxes have fill plugs with venting and excess grease will be forced out there. Grease coming out of the box in these areas is not a sign of problems - it is just venting excess grease and will stop when equalized
04-26-2006, 07:51 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 5
RE: steering slop
i have adjusted my steering box before, its just worn out and i know that. plus adjusting the preload doesent tighten up the steering, it simply puts mroe pressure on the gears, making it feel tighter, but in reality there is still the same amount of play. i need to either buy a new box/rebuild mine/convert to rack and pinion.