steering box??

Hi guys!! I just got a used steering box from a 95 s10 blazer for my 95 XJ. When i pulled it from the blazer, the top ( 5 bolt cover) was missing. I found another top for it off another blazer. Now i searched the forums and found a thread that said something about adjusting the box using the top center bolt. What confuses me is that if i tighten this nut on the threaded shaft too tight, this will screw the box up and end in disaster. When i took the top off the other blazer, the top center nut was pretty damn tight,so thats the way i put it back on the box i currently have.I'm gonna put the new box in probably in a week or two. Thanks for your help!!!!

Hey, I would loosen the nut as much as you can, then install it. Drive the vehicle in a slow area such as a big deserted parking lot and keep tightening 1/8th of a turn until the play is gone and the turning of the wheel feels solid but not binding at all. Then, you're done. Just be patient and retest after every 1/8 of a turn. May take a while, but this is the best way to get a great feeling from the box.

No - the easiest way to adjust it is to do the following - Pick the front tires - jack stands and get the rubber in the air. Next, loosen the lock nut (the only function of this nut is to secure the threaded adjuster shaft) - bring the steering over center and then use an allen wrench in the end of the threaded rod until you get snug but not tight (were talking in/lbs here not ft/lbs) - next run the wheel lock to lock - the steering should be free at the extreme ends and you should fell an ever so slight resistance at the center position - it you feel noticable resistance back the rod off a bit and run the wheel again... When you are happy with the backlash both at the lock position and the center position you need to hold the adjuster shaft still with the allen and tighten the locknut with a wrench...

Then - run the motor - power steer test it lock to lock - then go drive it...

There is far too much scrub in the tires to accurately adjust with the wheels on the ground...

Matt

I just got my hydro-assist finished, or should I say "finished". The box is now very tight, too tight I'm sure. From doing a bunch of searching, it sounds as though this is adjusted by both the part you are talking about Matt, and by the tightness of the ring holding the input shaft and worm gear in. Is this correct? How do you tell if it's one and not the other, or both?

The seal and bearing support for the spool motor (collar with the spanner pin holes and the toothed locking ring) should be torqued fairly snug - I have never been able to get that one over tight due to the spanner style driver (you usually will cam out of the alum. collar before over torquing the shaft) and the fact that that thrust bearing on the end of the input shaft will take tremendous amounts of preload with little compliants (remember we are going some where ~20-30 RPM total on these parts depending how fast you can spin the wheel - heat from bearing preload is a non issue - just dont crush the rollers!)

As far as the tightness felt in the box the adjustment should be made at the top cap as desribed above...

The main thing is to get a good compromise between lock backlash and over center backlash - I would err on looser and then sneak up on it... or this happens (don't worry too much - there was a severely hot-rodded pump involved!) :gag: