well i popped my control valve loose tonight. the only play i can feel in it is back and forth, not side to side. with it hooked up there was a lot of play in the unit, as my wife turned the steering wheel back and forth and the alignment shop said it was worn out. they moved the wheels back and forth and there was a lot of play. everything is new except for the control valve, tie rods and idler arm, along with ball joints and lower arms. is there suppose to be a lot of play in the pivot ball when hooked to the pitman arm. what would be excess play in the pivot ball.

 

The pivot ball should only rotate it should not rock back and forth. The socket that holds the pivot ball is probably worn out if you can see more than 1/16th" of left and right rock. NPD sells the control valve rebuild kits that have the new sockets in them.

Gun

 

well got the new control valve and steering ram installed and it feels a lot tighter than the old one. what i was talking about is the side to side play when the pitman arm is connected and the engine is off. it seems there is a little side to side movement. theres a lot less with the new unit then the old unit.

 

The side to side play at the ball stud should be the same with the engine off vs on. I dont think fluid pressure will cause the ball stud socket to tighten up any.

Their should be a very minimal amount of side to side rock. I guess that was one advantage of switching to manual steering (The MS setup has no rock at all)

Take it back to the alignment shop and see if they can align it this time.

Gun

 

the new control valve did tighten things up some. the problem im having is a high vibration when hitting the brakes, he said it was the control valve and it did have a lot of slop in it.

 

a vibration where? In the steering wheel or the whole car?

Gun

 

the vibration is in the front end. and only if i hit the brakes above 50 mph.

 

When all else fails ................Suggest that you find a manual (Try your local library) read up on the valve and the checks and adjustments and go from there. I recently wrote a description of how the valve works for another member--Perhaps you could find that

 

Sounds more like warped rotors or drums in the front to me... The vibration, if it was from the P/S would be there all the time not just when hitting the brakes.
FWIW

 

I second that