It took me forever to remove the old steering box.....

I have the new one sitting in the engine bay, and I cant get the stupid steering shaft on to the steering box. its too freaking tight. and there is no way to get is lose or wider.....

Is there a trick to this? Its positioned in a way that negates using brute force....

 

Take the bolt out of the splined end and spread the shaft end using a prybar or a large standard end screwdriver-(just like you would spread the post of battery cables to get them ontot he battery post.)

 

Yeah I finally got it all put back together.

I am experiancing something weird when driving though.

when the wheels are centered, it takes some effort to turn the car. once I get it turning past a certain point, it turns really easily.

IT feels like a geometry problem.

Anyone experiance this?

 

Where did you get the box? Did you adjust it? Sounds like the over center sector lash adjustment is set too tight. Precision tools are suggested for proper adjustment.

 

I did not adjust it. Bought it used from a member here who claimed it was in perfect shape.

How is the lash adjusted?

 

Is it equal in both directions? You usually need an alignment after changing a steering box.

 

I fooled with the lash and it is better.

I do need an alignment though, the steering wheel is off center.

 

Alright, so right now when I am driving down the road, road conditions do not change the direction the car is driving. Meaning, if I put the car in a sharp turn, it wont auto-correct.......it just keeps going in circles. I have to supply a descent amount of force to reverse a turn. It just doesn't feel right.

Does this sound like a gearbox or pump problem?

 

Im having close to the same trouble, it is hard to turn close to center, i have tried with the front wheels off the ground and loosened the gear mesh adjuster to make sure that wasnt to tight but still real tight at center, they guy that i bought the car from had changed it and said it was a racing steering box but im not sure what it came out of. he had to use the flaming river steering shaft to connect the steering wheel.
I was wondering the same thing about mine being possible bad pump. I think the only way to know is to test with guages or change the pump.

 

Not the pump. Either the box needs to be adjusted correctly or you have some other problem in the steering linkage. If it returned fine before the box swap, take off the box and properly set the adjuster plug and overcenter set screw. There's a tech article on montecarloss boards on adjusting these.

 

Hmm.......looks like I'm going to remove the box and reset those.

I was adjusting the over center in the car, and it started getting better about returning to center, but not before I started getting slop in the steering

 

If you've replaced a 4 turn or low effort box with a performance, high effort box it may not return to center like you're used to.

The most likely cause of tight steering is ball joints. If you're not certain that the problem is in the box you may want to check them and the rest of the linkage. Easiest on an alignment rack where the wheels can be turned by hand with the suspension loaded at the wheels. If you check them at home, load the suspension at the a-arm so the struts aren't fully extended.

You can try to adjust the input plug with the box on the vehicle. I've never done it but I've thought now and again that I may try it that way next time.

 

It doesn't return to center at all. Adjusting the over center on the car made it easier to turn the wheel at center, but it still resists returning to center. I continued loosening it, but it started getting slop in the steering. Atleast it felt like it.