steering box

[ray_]

22 minutes ago, 0257 said:

 Maybe I could have used a more effective lube to ease the passage?

Absinthe?

 

[0257]

Just now, ray_ said:

Absinthe?

 

No, I”m prethent and accounted for.?

[ray_]

Just now, 0257 said:

No, I”m prethent and accounted for.?

Smartath!

 

[Cabbage Fumes]

24 minutes ago, 0257 said:

?The bolt is snugged through the neck indent in the worm gear, if that's what you mean.  That's not the issue.  Did you not have a similarly tight worm gear connection using the Argentine kit? Maybe I could have used a more effective lube to ease the passage?

I don’t recall having a hard time getting the lower flange on the box. I did test fit it beforehand and drove it open with a chisel to aid in the assembly, since they tend to fit pretty snugly anyway. 

[0257]

Sthmart perhapth.  Thertainly perthithtent.  Took the coupler down to my friend with the press, wedged a chisel into the gaps on each end of the coupler and pressed them apart.  Cleaned the innards with a 12 ga wire brush and some Scotchbrite, cleaned the splines up good, tapped the coupler onto the upper shaft with my tiniest ball peen hammer.  Once it cleared the splines on the steering shaft, installed the box, aligned the lower splines to my marks, tapped the coupler down onto the box and secured the lower bolt nto the upper coupler.  My glamorous assistant (“didn’t this car run perfectly well when you bought it?” The car’s not going to fall on you, is it?”) pressed on the steering wheel while I got wrenches on the upper bolt. Voila cette merde, messieurs.

Thankths fer the advithe, friendths! 

[Son of Marty]

Did you include the wire jumper between the upper half and lower didn't see it in the picture and it's needed for the horn to work.

[0257]

2 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

Did you include the wire jumper between the upper half and lower didn't see it in the picture and it's needed for the horn to work.

Something tells me you meant to add "Ask me how I know"!

Never took the coupler apart.

 

[Cabbage Fumes]

2 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

Did you include the wire jumper between the upper half and lower didn't see it in the picture and it's needed for the horn to work.

My finger replaced the horn a long time ago.

[0257]

2 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

Did you include the wire jumper between the upper half and lower didn't see it in the picture and it's needed for the horn to work.

Sorry, that was uncalled for.

[Son of Marty]

6 minutes ago, 0257 said:

Sorry, that was uncalled for.

Not at all Y'all can pile on. You never really learn something until you screw it up the first time?

Edited March 23, 2021 by Son of Marty

[0257]

Posting this on a couple of different threads today, as I lost track of where all this steering box discussion was….

 

As some of you know, I finished the steering box rebuild.  It was largely successful.  Had my machinist file the new spacer washers and machine the new bushings appropriately, all races and bearings fit nicely and the thing went back together with no leaks.  The pitman arm and sector shaft had 0 play in the center, loosening as it approached full lock. In short, seemed perfect.

 

When reassembling the box, I found that there was just about no way with the various parts properly aligned to get the worm to turn exactly the same number of rotations lock to lock.  On the bench vise, there’s about 1/3 more rotation counterclockwise (ie, in what would be a right turn).  And sure enough, in the car the idler arm will just about touch the subframe on a full right turn, and the pitman arm will not quite on a full left turn, maybe a 1/2-3/4” difference:

 

The difference in turning radius appeared to be there before I removed the box, so I wasn’t that worried about it.  But since putting the box back in I notice that, regardless how I adust the screw on top of the box, the steering wheel gets stiffer as it gets closer to full lock.  For example, u-turns are a real effort.  And steering wheel return is a bit reluctant as well, returning mnre readily the less I have turned it.   Before rebuilding the box, I was using a 35 cm steering wheel, and while new 38 cm wheel is better it is still way too hard.  I just put some Pirelli Cinturatos on the car, and had the toe-in adjusted to be sure that was not an issue.  No improvement.

 

Now, when the front of the car is off the ground, it steers smoothly and easily lock to lock.  And I can lie under the car and move the front wheels by holding and push-pulling the tie rods.  Maybe a touch more effort required as they approach lock, but nothing significant.

 

Final footnotes: I know I overtorqued the pitman arm/center link connection before I realized that the torque setting I was using was for pitman arm/steering box.  Some folks I have consulted think that’s irrelevant, but maybe I’ll back that off a few turns….  And I torqued the idler arm bushing to spec when I replaced it, and I know now that some think that’s too tight. Could loosen that, though it was this tight before I rebuilt the steering box so I doubt that’s the problem.

 

So two questions for the steering box gurus:

 

1.  Does the lock-to-lock difference between left and right turns seem normal/acceptable?

 

2.  What is likely to be causing the increasing stiffness of the steering as it goes toward lock and how would you suggest further diagnosing it?

 

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

[Einspritz]

Are you SURE the Pittman arm is aligned with the marks on the shaft, AND when you installed the shaft that you aligned the worm using the barely visible mark with the casting triangle?

 

If the Pittman arm is one spline off, that could be your problem left to right.

 

Hth

[Son of Marty]

What he said plus are you using the original arm? Probably so but it's worth considering.

[ray_]

I think you should loosen all the steering linkage joints and re-torque them.

 

And what they said ^

 

[0257]

Ted and SMarty have asked important questions and my answer is yes I thought I had all that s___t lined up as well as one could.  In fact, I decided to  let the slight difference in rotation remain in order to be sure I was lined up on the invisible mark onb the shaft, thinking may the ZF gods intended it.  As for the Pitman shaft mark, only a complete idiot coulda messed that one up. So I better go get my mirror out and take another look.

 

Ray’s additional suggestion makes sense too.  The hardest job on this car so far was disconnecting that  #$^$^$^!!@ center rod from the Pitman arm so that I could remove the box.  Torch, hammer, chipped the edge right off a splitter, oy.  So I think I’ll start by loosening that connection and starting over with the torquing.  If I’m really lucky, just maybe that’ll be the issue.