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Pitman arm look right?

J

JBauer4363

Member
Since Ive installed my rebuilt steering box my front end seems way out of alignment and steers weird/loose. From what Ive read if I installed the box right it shouldnt have changed the alignment. Trying to find out if Ive installed something wrong. If Im understanding right the pittman cant be installed wrong but does this look like its right? On far enough?
386929841.jpg




Thanks
JBauer4363
 
386929841.jpg


Looks fine to me, but the pic is a little hard to see. Basically, if it's torqued to specs, it's on far enough.
 
Kinda hard to tell much from the pic.

Looks like the depth is ok.

All you changed was the steering box? Did you leave the pittman connected on the other end?
 
Ya just pull the arm off the old box, took the box out, bolted in the new one, centered it and slipped the arm on there and tightened it up. Since then the wheels seem not quite straight when the steering wheel is straight and even the tow looks off. Im gonna take it in and have the alignment checked but Im just wondering if maybe I did something wrong. Ive never put a steering box in before. Could the box be bolted up in slightly diff position and it throw everything off that much? Could that even happen?
 
"JBauer4363" said:
Since Ive installed my rebuilt steering box my front end seems way out of alignment and steers weird/loose. From what Ive read if I installed the box right it shouldnt have changed the alignment. Trying to find out if Ive installed something wrong. If Im understanding right the pittman cant be installed wrong but does this look like its right? On far enough?
386929841.jpg


Looks like it is on far enough. Can you explain "weird/loose"? Do you have a lot of play in the steering wheel? Sometimes new steering boxes need to be adjusted.
I just put a new Flaming River manual box in my '67 and it was perfect. I also replaced the idler arm at the same time.



Thanks
JBauer4363
Click to expand...
 
"coupe3w" said:
Did you center the turns of the box? If not your steering wheel will not be centered.
Click to expand...

That would be my guess. There is not too much else you could affect while changing the box.
 
"coupe3w" said:
Did you center the turns of the box? If not your steering wheel will not be centered.
Click to expand...

A non-centered steering wheel will just be crooked. It would have absolutely zero effect on control and/or handling of the car.
 
I think I recall mine being splined so it would only go on one way. Sorry, it's been a while, can't be sure.

John is correct in stating that installing it off center would only cause the steering wheel to be off center. If it is and you try to center the wheel while driving it would obviously want to veer whatever direction it was off.

I was told once upon a time that they were sloppy from new because the control valve has to be actuated one way or the other before it starts to assist. Don't know that for a fact. I have never driven one that had all new parts.

I took all the p/s parts off mine and made it manual. I love it. Until it's time to park it. Thinking about going with one of those borgensen(?) units.
 
"JBauer4363" said:
Ya just pull the arm off the old box, took the box out, bolted in the new one, centered it and slipped the arm on there and tightened it up. Since then the wheels seem not quite straight when the steering wheel is straight and even the tow looks off. Im gonna take it in and have the alignment checked but Im just wondering if maybe I did something wrong. Ive never put a steering box in before. Could the box be bolted up in slightly diff position and it throw everything off that much? Could that even happen?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you didn't have the turns centered in the new box. When you put the new box in did you end up changing the steering shaft position in order to line up the pins on the rag joint? If you did move the steering shaft to make them line up that is why your steering wheel in not centered. No, you can not bolt the box up in a different position.
 
I thought I had it centered at the time but now it turns right exactly 2 full turns but to the left it only turns 1 3/4 turns. If it can only go on one way I wonder how
I did that? If its 4 turns lock to lock and its just off shouldnt it be 1 3/4 and 2 1/4? I switched the box a couple of months ago but could not drive it because I was also replacing the rearend. Got that done so now I have to figure the steering out.
 
"JBauer4363" said:
I thought I had it centered at the time but now it turns right exactly 2 full turns but to the left it only turns 1 3/4 turns. If it can only go on one way I wonder how
I did that? If its 4 turns lock to lock and its just off shouldnt it be 1 3/4 and 2 1/4? I switched the box a couple of months ago but could not drive it because I was also replacing the rearend. Got that done so now I have to figure the steering out.
Click to expand...

Well,

If it is off center, you can't use center as center. Turn it all the way to the left and count the turns to the right stop. Divide by two and turn the wheel back to the left that many turns. Lock the wheel in that position,(forgetting about center for a moment) pull the pittman arm, turn the wheel to center with the arm off, lock the wheel, then put the arm back on. You should then have an equal amount of turns to each side and center should be center.
 
Before it was hooked to the pitman arm im certain the box had 4 turns lock to lock now that its hooked up it the steering wheel has 3 3/4 turns. When I installed it I centered it using the 4 turns and centered it 2 turns. Im planning on trying to reinstall it but I dont know why wouldnt it still have 4 turns? Dont want to just repeat my mistake.

Thanks
 
The box has 4 turns lock to lock uninhibited. Once you connect it to the steering rod/control valve it can only travel as far as the rest of the components will allow.

It's pretty typical that a steering box has more turns than the steering has travel.
 
"Sluggo" said:
The box has 4 turns lock to lock uninhibited. Once you connect it to the steering rod/control valve it can only travel as far as the rest of the components will allow.

It's pretty typical that a steering box has more turns than the steering has travel.
Click to expand...
that's what I was thinking too, maybe the steering linkage itself is binding and preventing 2 1/4 turns
 
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