55.2-59 Steering questions

[popeyestruck]

Couple of questions : First is where is the steering box adjuster? It doesnt look like the box in the manual. Second is ,On the steering column down about 4 inches from the firewall you can see a hole. What goes there? I have the front end off the ground after putting in new Kingpins and I'm waiting for parts for disc brakes so I thought I'd tighten up the steering while I wait.

[mr48chev]

The adjustment screw is where the yellow arrow points to but it looks like it already has been screwed in quite a ways. Usually you see a few threads of the screw sticking out past the jamb nut.

The hole ? orange arrow is a missing cap/plug on the gear shift selector box.
That box looks pretty dry too. It should be filled with light grease.

[mr48chev]

One of the TF guys will have to confirm it but the plug on the shift box may be nothing more than this one for earlier cars and trucks. https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail..._4952_Car.html Something that you can actually find at the hardware store.

[popeyestruck]

Thank you that answers my questions

[_Ogre]

i'm gonna go out on a limb and say that unless your truck was parked for the past 45 years, you'll not adjust the steering box to remove the slack/play

[popeyestruck]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

i'm gonna go out on a limb and say that unless your truck was parked for the past 45 years, you'll not adjust the steering box to remove the slack/play

Not sure i know what you mean ?

[mr48chev]

I'm going to say that you need to lay under it with a light while a helper gently rocks the steering wheel back and forth and you starting at the pitman arm and working to the right side spindle one step at a time observe each and every connection and rod end and see if and where any slack is.

The steering box is fairly easy but they have to tell you how far the wheel moves before you feel the pitman arm move. Then when the pitman arm moves is there any slack in the rod end on the drag link? then move to the rod end on the steering arm, then on to the left tie rod end and to the right tie rod end. After that you may want to jack the front end up a bit and check for slack in the king pins and wheel bearings.

A little slop here and a little slop there can add up to a lot of wheel movement. That doesn't mean don't check the adjustment on the box and you may want to do that first but don't crank down on that screw just gently bottom it out and tighten the jamb nut. Or tighten it up a bit, back it off and just bottom it out. That is a gentle Just.

[mick53]

You might want to be careful adjusting it in the center position. They tend to wear more in the center and if you get it too tight it will bind when you have it turned. I'm using electric power steering so I rebuilt my entire box. the parts were not that much and I didn't have a press so I paid the machine shop $20 to press out and in the bushings. Otherwise it was just R&R. Now it's silky smooth. You can easily put new balls in it and adjust your thrust bearing. I don't remember the size maybe 5/16". Someone here knows. You can get a bag of 100 from McMaster Carr for a few bucks. Restoration sites charge way too much. Pull and push on your steering wheel and see if you have play in that direction. Thank you for your time.

[popeyestruck]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'm going to say that you need to lay under it with a light while a helper gently rocks the steering wheel back and forth and you starting at the pitman arm and working to the right side spindle one step at a time observe each and every connection and rod end and see if and where any slack is.

The steering box is fairly easy but they have to tell you how far the wheel moves before you feel the pitman arm move. Then when the pitman arm moves is there any slack in the rod end on the drag link? then move to the rod end on the steering arm, then on to the left tie rod end and to the right tie rod end. After that you may want to jack the front end up a bit and check for slack in the king pins and wheel bearings.

A little slop here and a little slop there can add up to a lot of wheel movement. That doesn't mean don't check the adjustment on the box and you may want to do that first but don't crank down on that screw just gently bottom it out and tighten the jamb nut. Or tighten it up a bit, back it off and just bottom it out. That is a gentle Just.

Already replaced the kingpins and wheel bearings will be replaced when new brakes go on. I'll look over everything else .thanks

[popeyestruck]

Originally Posted by mick53

You might want to be careful adjusting it in the center position. They tend to wear more in the center and if you get it too tight it will bind when you have it turned. I'm using electric power steering so I rebuilt my entire box. the parts were not that much and I didn't have a press so I paid the machine shop $20 to press out and in the bushings. Otherwise it was just R&R. Now it's silky smooth. You can easily put new balls in it and adjust your thrust bearing. I don't remember the size maybe 5/16". Someone here knows. You can get a bag of 100 from McMaster Carr for a few bucks. Restoration sites charge wat too much. Pull and push on your steering wheel and see if you have play in that direction. Thank you for your time.

Thank you I'll check that

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by popeyestruck

Not sure i know what you mean ?

things wear out?

king pins and do the checks mr48 suggests with the drag link
look for the obvious stuff

[mr48chev]

That's his pantleg heater. I sure could have used one of those in my 57 Panel when I had it.

[dsraven]

the gears inside the box are cut on a taper so when the screw is tightened in the gears move closer together in the taper and naturally get tighter. they are also cut to be tighter in the middle of their travel so the steering box is tighter when driving straight ahead, or it was when new before any wear occurred, that is why the box needs to be adjusted when it is sitting in the middle of it's travel from lock to lock. that said, it was one of those things that wore slowly and the driver would get used to it being loose so it usually didn't get serviced a lot. in that case the gears would get a wear groove and that will make it hard to adjust since the gears will be quite loose in one area like the straight ahead driving area, then they get adjusted at that spot and then they will get really tight as you turn out of that spot and the gear wear becomes less in a less used area. it is really not that tough to rebuild, like Mick says, but you have to take the thing out of the truck to do that. highly recommended though by seeing how deep the adjustment screw is already set.

[popeyestruck]

Is this the correct rebuild kit for a 59 ? Does this replace the ball bearings?
https://www.classicparts.com/1955-59...ctinfo/76-912/

[_Ogre]

it's been a long time since i rebuilt a worm gear steering box so bear with me
the problem is that the worm gear is probably worn out, or at least sloppy near the straight position.
i believe tf trucks have a recirculating ball worm gear



eklers carries a rebuild kit that has replacement ball bearings, but it does nothing for the worn worm gear and nut
https://www.ecklers.com/1947-1959-ch...-866308-1.html
anything you do to remove the slop will help, but i'm afraid that without the major replacement parts you'd be wasting lots of time and money
i was a school bus mechanic in high school, IH busses had ac delco steering boxes that needed rebuilding all the time
i've never actually rebuilt a TF truck steering gear



an option is to change out the steering box with power steering box with a kit
then you can change out the steering column similar to what you first wanted
there quite a few builds here with power steering conversions and stock axle

[mr48chev]

about a half hour's worth of searching does not bring up any steering shaft and worm gear assemblies for TF truck.

With ball and sector boxes it is usually bearings and bushings that are work from my experience. I've had a lot of power steering boxes apart but not too many manual boxes.

[popeyestruck]

Lots of good information thanks! Right now I'm killing time . Truck is up on jackstands waiting for disc brake parts from cpp. I'll try to adjust the box and see what I get. Hopefully its enough. New kingpins are in and steering greased. If the adjustment doesnt work I'll try the kit from Ecklers. I need to look at a couple things in the steering while I'm at it. Horn doesn't work and I found the contact plate in a box so I know thats not in there. Someone installed a push button under dash for horn. When I turn the wheel there is a scraping noise coming from the steering wheel, sounds like a washers is missing or an upper bearing is bad. Lots of little things but I like fixing things as long as they don't cost a lot.

[mick53]

The upper bearing is readily available and easy to change.

[mr48chev]

Push button under the dash or on the column usually means that the horn wire had shorted out inside the column. That is way more common than you might think.

it's not the easiest task to snake a new wire thorough a column. Best way I have found is to use a piece of thin welding rod or length of mig wire to pull the wire though. You push the welding rod or mig wire though first and hook the horn wire to it and then pull it through I do the same with turn signal wires in later columns.

[popeyestruck]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

I think the rebuild kits are kind of a joke. If you buy the kit from Ecklers you will still need to buy a worm bearing adjuster nut that is the race for the end bearing. Try Midwest Steering they have a kit RK-350 Saginaw 530 S and it has the column upper bearing and the worm adjuster nut, no ball bearing for $110.30 that might work. Call them.https://www.midweststeering.com/prod...-column-shaft/ Just by looking at your adjustment screw I would take it apart and rebuild it. Built three boxes and never needed the ball bearing or Steering gear ball nut. If you need a Steering gear ball nut, or a steering gear pitman shaft let me know and I will send you a link. The shaft should come with the gear, bushing, gaskets, packing and packing retainer.

Follow the Chevrolet Truck Shop Manual when adjusting the box.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...55ctsm0903.htm

Thank you