Odd Steering

[Tars]

Ok this has been bothering me from the day I bought my truck. If you turn my steering wheel to the left, from center there is two and a half turns to lock. I can turn my truck around to the left almost on its back wheel(no wonder I blew out an axle joint). From center to the right is only one and a half turns to lock. Takes a ten acre field to turn around to the right. Parking lots are not fun. Its not a problem driving on the road. Just parking lots require a bit of backing up. Anyway I've had it looked at by about half a dozen mechanics no-one knows what it is. It was hit a few years ago before I bought it, but the frame is straight. The mechanics responses range from "its a Ford" to you need a new steering box. The box doesn't leak anything and the feel is linear(no uneven feel) My ball joints are all new, the tie rod ends are good, nothing is worn in the front. I can't figure it out. No-one seems to want to really look at it, they all just give me the run around. Has anyone experienced anything like this with their trucks?

 

[Beertime9]

This maybe way to simple but maybe when the pitman arm (I that is what it is called) was installed on the splined shaft for the steering box it may have been installed 1 turn off or it 180 degrees off. How else would the steering not go side to side. If you jack the truck up and watch the steering does it interfere with anything? I am not sure if the steering box has a internal stop or a centering location that allows it to only go so far. This has to be it if you can turn oneway way to far than normal.

Good luck,

Don

 

[Tars]

Originally posted by Beertime9
This maybe way to simple but maybe when the pitman arm (I that is what it is called) was installed on the splined shaft for the steering box it may have been installed 1 turn off or it 180 degrees off.
Don

Thats what I thought too. But every mechanic that I talked to looked at me like I was on crack. I asked if it was posible that the pitman arm was on wrong, like you said. One guy said no, those can only go on one way, another said he thought they were indexed every 90degrees or something. Like I said no-one wants to take the time to look at it. I'm going to wait until after Christmas and have it looked at again probably. Thanks for the idea though.

 

[Beertime9]

I think I found your problem, in reading the haynes manual it says when you install the steering gear you have to center the steering by turning to lock then count the turns to the other lock then go back half way, then you install the gear. You have to remove the pitman arm then pull the gear out through the top of the steering box, the gear must have been one turn off when installed, but you are right, the pitman arm only goes on one way. Make sure your wheels are perfectly straight before you start then center the steering wheel when reinstalling the steering gear. I am pretty sure this is your problem from what I can read in the book.
You said it was hit, maybe they had to do something with the steering box and screwed it up then?
Let me know if you need more information,

Don

[Edited by beertime9 on 12-04-2000 at 04:09 PM]

 

[Tars]

Originally posted by Beertime9
You have to remove the pitman arm then pull the gear out through the top of the steering box, the gear must have been one turn off when installed[Edited by beertime9 on 12-04-2000 at 04:09 PM]

By saying the gear, are you refering to the sector shaft? I don't have a Hayes manual, I have a Chiltons from recommendations by friends. The Chiltons book calls the steering box the steering gear. It says says to do what you said for a manual steering box, is is the same for the power box? My Chiltons manual has a few different instructions for the power box. I think I understand what you are saying though. It makes sense, I just don't see how you would pull the gear out of the box.

 

[Beertime9]

The gear pulls out of the top side of the box and is on the same shaft as the pitman arm. The Pitman arm needs to be pulled off with a puller then you undo the bolts on the cover on other side of the box and the gear will pull out of there which is attached to the pitman arm shaft. It shows a diagram in the haynes manual, the shaft is 90 degrees to the steering wheel shaft.

Don