foxwar71
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Foxboro, MA
my steering is loosen up and i know its my box, only problem is that i dont know the adjustment turns on the bolt to change the gear lash. any1 out there know who to tighten it up? thansk
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adjusting steering box gear lash
- Thread starter foxwar71
- Start date
dizzymac
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- New Hampshire
Jackhill442
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Atlanta
If you really want to do it right, it is a pain. Trial and error. go in and tighten the screw on top of the box (must remove elec. fan) 1/8 of a turn and road test after each 1/8 of a turn. When you finally feel the center of the wheel tighten up, your done. If your wheel starts binding and not returning to center, you have gone too far. By the way, these boxes rarely need any maintenance. If you have hundreds of thousands of miles, maybe, but it is likely something else causing wandering. (bushings, tie rod ends, crappy or underinflated tires....)
MarkdaleXJ
NAXJA Forum User
I have a fairly easy way that I deal with it, not that it be deemed the "correct" way by any means or manual.
1) Raise front axle and place on stands
2) Turn steering to centre
3) Loosen locknut on top of steering box, slowly turn the bolt clockwise until you just feel it bottom and then stop.
4) Check once again from the steering wheel that the steering is centered, repeat the adjustment if needed.
5) If the adjustment is centred then back the bolt off 1/4 turn and tighten the locknut.
Once again, no claims of gospel but it works for me.
1) Raise front axle and place on stands
2) Turn steering to centre
3) Loosen locknut on top of steering box, slowly turn the bolt clockwise until you just feel it bottom and then stop.
4) Check once again from the steering wheel that the steering is centered, repeat the adjustment if needed.
5) If the adjustment is centred then back the bolt off 1/4 turn and tighten the locknut.
Once again, no claims of gospel but it works for me.
- Location
- Terra Firma
There are two adjustments for the steering box, and the one most people try to adjust is the over-center lash screw, located in the top of the box, in the middle of the cover plate that's held on by three bolts.
However, looseness in the box is usually caused by worn bearings, and adjusting the over-center screw can't fix that. The FSM calls for adjusting the worm gear preload first, and this is done with the box out of the vehicle, on the bench. Only after that has been correctly adjusted are you supposed to muck around with the over-center adjustment.
If you want to try just doing the over-center, remove the air filter box to get access to the steering box. Park the vehicle with the steering straight ahead, because the lash increases as you turn off center, and if you adjust it when off center you don't get it right.
Leave the engine off but the steering column unlocked. Hold the center screw in place while you loosen the locknut. Then hold the steering shaft and gently turn it back and forth just enough to feel any free play over the center. Gradually tighten the adjusting screw until ALMOST all of the free play has been removed. Then tighten the lock nut and you're done.
If you cannot remove the free play by tightening the screw, you might be able to adjust the worm gear preload and get things within spec that way but more likely the box is toast.
However, looseness in the box is usually caused by worn bearings, and adjusting the over-center screw can't fix that. The FSM calls for adjusting the worm gear preload first, and this is done with the box out of the vehicle, on the bench. Only after that has been correctly adjusted are you supposed to muck around with the over-center adjustment.
If you want to try just doing the over-center, remove the air filter box to get access to the steering box. Park the vehicle with the steering straight ahead, because the lash increases as you turn off center, and if you adjust it when off center you don't get it right.
Leave the engine off but the steering column unlocked. Hold the center screw in place while you loosen the locknut. Then hold the steering shaft and gently turn it back and forth just enough to feel any free play over the center. Gradually tighten the adjusting screw until ALMOST all of the free play has been removed. Then tighten the lock nut and you're done.
If you cannot remove the free play by tightening the screw, you might be able to adjust the worm gear preload and get things within spec that way but more likely the box is toast.
