lordoeuf
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Vancouver Island
I have a '98 Dodge Durango gear box in my '99 Cherokee. I replaced all the seals recently and started playing with the backlash ("steering wheel play") with the box installed in the vehicle. I noticed that adjusting the backlash allen bolt doesn't seem to do much of anything. The allen bolt can be turned about 1 full revolution only before it gets too hard to turn. In other words, if the allen bolt is in the middle of this turn radius, it can go a half revolution in either direction before it is too stiff to turn with an allen key. On my PSC SG-621M gear box, that allen bolt can turn about 3 full revolutions before being too tight.
On all these saginaw type gear boxes, is it always that a clockwise turn of the allen bolt reduces backlash (less play) while a counter-clockwise turn increases it (more play)? Contrary to what most people do, I am actually trying to give more steering wheel more play, not less. With the exception of the fringe edges of that full revolution of the allen bolt, I'm not really noticing any play added to the steering when driving the vehicle. Is this a common occurrence?
Is the ideal positioning of the allen bolt right in the centre of that full revolution? On my PSC box, with it on the bench, the centre position has a bit of a "knot" when the pinion is at centre revolution when the allen bolt is in the middle of its turning radius. To get rid of that "knot", the allen bolt needs to be turned about a half revolution counter-clockwise from centre. Is there a general rule of thumb for finding the factory centre without using a backlash meter (I don't have one)? What is the factory backlash spec for a '98 Durango gear box and a PSC SG-621M (now called the SG061R)?
I wish I had played with this with it was out of the vehicle, but it is too late for that. Based on the position required to get the "knot" out of the PSC box, I've adjusted the Durango box allen bolt to be a quarter turn counter clock-wise off of the centre of range of motion. If you picture a clock, with 12:00 being tight, 6:00 being the loosest, and 11:59 being tight again, I've positioned the allen bolt at 3:00. And anywhere from 1:00 to 10:00, I don't really notice any change in the steering wheel play. It starts to get tight again around 12:00, either direction. What's to be made of this?
On all these saginaw type gear boxes, is it always that a clockwise turn of the allen bolt reduces backlash (less play) while a counter-clockwise turn increases it (more play)? Contrary to what most people do, I am actually trying to give more steering wheel more play, not less. With the exception of the fringe edges of that full revolution of the allen bolt, I'm not really noticing any play added to the steering when driving the vehicle. Is this a common occurrence?
Is the ideal positioning of the allen bolt right in the centre of that full revolution? On my PSC box, with it on the bench, the centre position has a bit of a "knot" when the pinion is at centre revolution when the allen bolt is in the middle of its turning radius. To get rid of that "knot", the allen bolt needs to be turned about a half revolution counter-clockwise from centre. Is there a general rule of thumb for finding the factory centre without using a backlash meter (I don't have one)? What is the factory backlash spec for a '98 Durango gear box and a PSC SG-621M (now called the SG061R)?
I wish I had played with this with it was out of the vehicle, but it is too late for that. Based on the position required to get the "knot" out of the PSC box, I've adjusted the Durango box allen bolt to be a quarter turn counter clock-wise off of the centre of range of motion. If you picture a clock, with 12:00 being tight, 6:00 being the loosest, and 11:59 being tight again, I've positioned the allen bolt at 3:00. And anywhere from 1:00 to 10:00, I don't really notice any change in the steering wheel play. It starts to get tight again around 12:00, either direction. What's to be made of this?