Alot of play in my steering?

[5150]

Hey guys,

Ever since I put my new steering wheel on, put my 20's on, and lowered the truck I have a lot of play in my steering. Almost a half of a turn before it get stiff. When I picked up the truck it wasn't like that because I had to steer it up onto the trailer. I do have a small leak apparently coming from my gear box. Any ideas of why this started happening?

One more question. How do I push the steering column back in to the dash a little more to give my big fat gut a little more room

[formulafire99]

I had alot of play in my steering box cause I had a leak.I couldn't even adj. it out with the nut on the top of the box.I changed the steering box and the prob lem was solved.I don't really notice too much of a leak now either.My 38.5" tires is part of my problem though.

[5150]

It just seems coincidental that it happen after the drop and I put the tires on.

[Tx Firefighter]

I'll bet money your outer tie rod ends aren't fitting the spindles. You need to change them to match your year of spindles. I remember the hell you had with mismatched spindles on your truck.

Have someone move the steering wheel to and fro and see if there is a bunch of slop in the tie rod end to spindle junction.

[5150]

Thanks Tx-I kind of wondered that. I haven't gotten the chance to switch out the ball joints yet. I'm not sure I even have the old tie rod ends to compare them to so I may be screwed.

[Tx Firefighter]

If the tie rod end taper fits loose in the spindle, just go down to the parts store and buy outer tie rod ends for whichever year spindle you ordered. It was a 69 model drop spindle if I remember correctly. If they don't screw into the adjuster sleeve, you may need the adapter sleeve from CPP.

[5150]

I have replaced both outer tie rod ends with 1970 model ones, same year as my truck. I don't know if I need to get the 73-87 tie rod ends, which is apparently what my front ends is from.

[72MARIO]

If the outer tie rod are loose You need 73 outer tie rods with a 73 spindle for sure. So either you find a complete center link with the tie rods inner outers Idler arm and bracket and attach the entire setup to you power steering box

or,

Buy new 73 outers and 67-70 outers and use them on the inner. Buy the adapter sleve from CPP and your set.

That's what I am using in my 67.

[tnblazerk5]

to move the steering column back go here and start reading at post no #8 and post 18 will tell you how to collapse the steerring intermediate shaft then all you got to do is loosein the steering column and slide it closer to the dash then put the shortend intermediate shaft back in ( i did this when i put a tilt in the 67 ,i got a big belly ,and it gave me more room lol) read the whole post so you will know more about what all is involed in moving the column

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=133937

[5150]

Okay I'm a little confused on the tie rod ends now.

I went to O'Reilly's today to buy all 4 new ball joints so I can finish it this weekend and get it back on the ground. I had the clerk look up a tie rod end for a 73 and an 87 and it was the same. He pulled both the tie rod end for a 70 and the one from 73-87. The thread was much larger on the 73-87. So I'm a little confused that why would the 70 tie rod ends that I bought fit in the adjuster sleeve if the thread is so much bigger. Since it's pretty much unanimous that I have a 73-87 front end.

thanks,

Bryan

Mario-What do you mean use the 70 outer's as inner's-Also what adapter?

[72402]

Much simpler to just change the center link to 73-87 style. It'l fit your pittman and idler arm and you can use 73-87 tie-rod ends and sleeves. Center links are considered non-wear items, so most parts store don't stock them. Usually pretty cheap at the local salvage yard.

[72MARIO]

Mario-What do you mean use the 70 outer's as inner's-Also what adapter

Classic Performance Products.

The sleve adapts 73 outers and you use 67-70 outers as inners.

[Tx Firefighter]

If you ordered drop spindles for a 69, you need 69 tie rod ends. A 73-87 outer is different. You must use parts compatible with the year of the spindle. The tapered holes in the spindle were made with this in mind. Anything else will cause issues.

You may need the adapter sleeve or not...

[5150]

Let's clear some things up that are getting confusing. I have spindles for a 67-70.

I bought 70 outer tie rod ends and since I put them on and dropped it that is where the slop has come in.

I guess I was confused. I thought you guys were saying since I have a 73-87 front end I need 73-87 tie rod ends.

Mario-I thought you were saying I could use 70 outers as inners on my 73-87 front end. Not needing some sort of adapter.

HELP????????

I was hoping to get this done today and have her on the ground for good.

Bryan

[72402]

OIC. I misunderstood, I thought you were using 73-87 spindles. Tx Firefighter is right, you need tie-rod ends for the year spindle you're using.

[5150]

Okay, got everything on and the play is still in the steering. Had my wife turn the steering wheel so I could see where the slack was and it just in the gear box. Do I need a new steering box?

Also when I pulled the truck out of the garage today I could barely turn the wheel. I checked my power steering fluid and it was dry as a bone. I know I have a small leak coming from somewhere near the box or the box itself. I filled it and it was still hard as hell to back up into the garage.


Bryan

[GMan69]

Originally Posted by yellow69

Okay, got everything on and the play is still in the steering. Had my wife turn the steering wheel so I could see where the slack was and it just in the gear box. Do I need a new steering box?

Also when I pulled the truck out of the garage today I could barely turn the wheel. I checked my power steering fluid and it was dry as a bone. I know I have a small leak coming from somewhere near the box or the box itself. I filled it and it was still hard as hell to back up into the garage.


Bryan

Sounds like you might need to replace the power steering pump. Putter had the same thing happen ( hard steering) and a replacement pump was the cure.

[tnblazerk5]

Originally Posted by yellow69

Okay, got everything on and the play is still in the steering. Had my wife turn the steering wheel so I could see where the slack was and it just in the gear box. Do I need a new steering box?

Also when I pulled the truck out of the garage today I could barely turn the wheel. I checked my power steering fluid and it was dry as a bone. I know I have a small leak coming from somewhere near the box or the box itself. I filled it and it was still hard as hell to back up into the garage.


Bryan

hey Bryan did you bleed it after you filled it back up ? to bleed it jack the front of the truck up so both wheels are off the gound (that step is not nessasery but makes turning the wheels easyer) and then turn the steering wheel to the right till it stops turning and then go to the left as far as it will go and keep doing that till it get easy to turn oh yea it needs to be running when you do this lol

[5150]

Hey Rob I tried that and still did not work. I'm going to replace the pump like George recommended and I'm going to get a rebuild kit for the box.

Bryan