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Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:00 pm

Finally got a replacement steering box(a good used one) for the buggered one in my '69.
Now, my bus is not on the road yet, in good part thanks to the need for the new box, and is not plated so I cannot test drive it, although I do have a laser lever I could use to fiddle with front wheels pointing straight. What I'm wondering is what is the best/easiest way to center an early steering box as they don't have the marks on the body like the later ones. My understanding is:
- get the wheels pointing straight
- connect the steering box but not drag link
- find left/right wheel lock
- middle between above two is the center
And something similar to the above came up in search as well. Now, if that is true, how close does it need to be?

And another question is, I'm planning on changing the gear oil in the tranny and I'm going with synthetic. Would the same oil be ok in the steering box? It would help not to have to buy a liter of gear oil just to fill under 300ml that the box takes.

Thanks guys.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:19 pm

Check the adjustment of the box per the manual. Center means center. Then adjust the drag link to mate with the pitman arm.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:29 pm

Desertbusman wrote: Check the adjustment of the box per the manual. Center means center. Then adjust the drag link to mate with the pitman arm.

Manual calls for the mark(late box) and an inch pound torque wrench which I don't have. :?

Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:47 pm

Forget about a mark. You have an early box. Search my posts for "steering box". There is a description of marking the steering wheel with tape to find the center. It is the point where the box is the tightest. You can approximate the torque without a torque wrench. It's a pound worth of pull at 8" out from the center.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:51 pm

Desertbusman wrote: Forget about a mark. You have an early box. Search my posts for "steering box". There is a description of marking the steering wheel with tape to find the center. It is the point where the box is the tightest. You can approximate the torque without a torque wrench. It's a pound worth of pull at 8" out from the center.

I found that... that's about the only info I found on it.