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Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:01 pm

anyone have any pointers or experience in adjusting the steering box on a 66 bus? I seem to have some free play coming from this thing.

Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:02 pm

If the play on the outer rim of the steering wheel is more than one inch, and the tie rod ends are alright, adjust the steering box:
1) Put the front of the bus on jackstands;
2) Have the steering wheel in the straight ahead position;
3) Loosen the large locknut on the backlash adjustment on the left side of the steering box;
4) Tighten the adjustment until the steering is stiff; back off the adjustment until a slight drag is felt near the mid position. Hold this setting and tighten the locknut.
This is in Clymer's VW Transporter manual.

Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:59 am

Campy wrote: If the play on the outer rim of the steering wheel is more than one inch, and the tie rod ends are alright, adjust the steering box:
1) Put the front of the bus on jackstands;
2) Have the steering wheel in the straight ahead position;
3) Loosen the large locknut on the backlash adjustment on the left side of the steering box;
4) Tighten the adjustment until the steering is stiff; back off the adjustment until a slight drag is felt near the mid position. Hold this setting and tighten the locknut.
This is in Clymer's VW Transporter manual.

This is the only procedure I can find on steering box adjustment. Can anyone confirm this is the correct procedure?

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:24 am

Be careful. This is an oversimplification. There are ten or more variables that can cause too much movement at the steering wheel. Misuse of that adjustment and lock nut can permanently ruin your steering box worm gear and make your bus dangerous. Do more reading and understand the rest of your front suspension before you decide to adjust this yourself.
Kurt

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:32 am

I would never want a "slight drag" in the mid point unless Clymer was assuming the locking nut pulled back on the adjuster just enough while taking up its threads to cause a perfect freeness. When done there should be zero drag mid-position.

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:36 am

Check all you tie rod ends be for messing with the box.. 90% of the time it is wore out tie rod ends.. Do not by the crap Brazilian ones... spend the money on German one.

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:40 am

bubba wrote: wore out tie rod ends.. Do not by the crap Brazilian ones... spend the money on German one.

X2...

Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:40 am

Everything else is fine. This is the only thing left. It's a rebuilt box that I made the mistake of trying to adjust before I knew anything last year. Everything else has been replaced or is OK.

Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:00 pm

bubba wrote: Check all you tie rod ends be for messing with the box.. 90% of the time it is wore out tie rod ends.. Do not by the crap Brazilian ones... spend the money on German one.
I'm curious - Are the ones that WW sells German?
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211415802D
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211415801D

If anyone has bought one of them lately...

I bought a drag link recently and it is German.

Here's a tie rod check video (non-VW)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brI2feYiEi8