Bad steering box?
#1
Bad steering box?
Last year I tried adjusting my steering box with the Pitman adjustment. I couldn't ever seem to get it right- it either bound up or was loose. I finally got it to where it felt okay and didn't bind and had been driving it. It has new ball joints, a new idler arm, new pitman, and one new tie rod end (doing the rest this summer).
Currently, the car pulls to the right (it has since I put the 17x9's on so I suspect it's a tire issue) and the steering wheel is slower to return back to center when I'm turning right. If I turn slowly, the wheel will stay turned about 1" right of center until I help it back. It did this even with the factory wheels and good tires on it. It returns from the left just fine. The caster is set even and when it does this it's on perfectly flat road with no crown.
We put the car on the rack at work and shook the front end down. There is a little play in the steering box, which I would suspect could be adjusted out, but with the steering not returning I don't know if it can anymore and I'm hesitant to screw with it (no pun intended) anyway.
So can it be adjusted? If not, I do not feel comfortable rebuilding the steering so it seems I would either have to find a competent shop that would (the Expert Tire I work at won't touch it) or find a new or remanned unit. As far as new and remanned units go, I have heard that there are a variety of ratios even among the quick ratio boxes and there are also different steering stops used in the early and late thirdgens. I definitely want to keep the factory steering angle and ratio.
Currently, the car pulls to the right (it has since I put the 17x9's on so I suspect it's a tire issue) and the steering wheel is slower to return back to center when I'm turning right. If I turn slowly, the wheel will stay turned about 1" right of center until I help it back. It did this even with the factory wheels and good tires on it. It returns from the left just fine. The caster is set even and when it does this it's on perfectly flat road with no crown.
We put the car on the rack at work and shook the front end down. There is a little play in the steering box, which I would suspect could be adjusted out, but with the steering not returning I don't know if it can anymore and I'm hesitant to screw with it (no pun intended) anyway.
So can it be adjusted? If not, I do not feel comfortable rebuilding the steering so it seems I would either have to find a competent shop that would (the Expert Tire I work at won't touch it) or find a new or remanned unit. As far as new and remanned units go, I have heard that there are a variety of ratios even among the quick ratio boxes and there are also different steering stops used in the early and late thirdgens. I definitely want to keep the factory steering angle and ratio.
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: LI, NY
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Car: 1985 IROC-Z
Engine: 355
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.42 10 Bolt Posi
Re: Bad steering box?
Pretty sure all 82-92 power steering boxes are the same...if not the same they are universal fit. I wouldn't worry about it just grab it. I have a manual box from an s10 in mine.
Not really a huge issue, get it and if it doesn't work return it. I am 99.9% sure it will work fine.
Not really a huge issue, get it and if it doesn't work return it. I am 99.9% sure it will work fine.
#4
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: wallingford,ct
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Car: 91 formula ws6
Engine: 355 tpi OBDII
Transmission: 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 2.73 with 4th gen brakes
Re: Bad steering box?
s10 up to 2002 i think but check that. 82- 92 are the same. i know the one in my 98 blazer and 91 formula swap cause i had to get to work...... put the box in the formy for a week.
#5
Re: Bad steering box?
Yeah they are universal fit but they had different steering effort, steering stops and ratios. I'm not sure if the WS6 and T/A had the same box or not and if I ordered one if it would have the stops for 16" wheels or 15", because the 15" cars get more steering angle= better turning radius and more slide angle when you're playing in the rain
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