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Sat May 30, 2020 11:26 am

I had my steering coupler replaced and now when I turn left the steering is immediate and responsive, but when i turn right i have to turn the wheel almost half a turn before it starts to turn. Any ideas on what would cause it to be loose one way and not the other? Thanks much

Sat May 30, 2020 11:30 am

sounds like someone screwed up the installation

Sat May 30, 2020 11:32 am

SGKent wrote: sounds like someone screwed up the installation

How so?

Sat May 30, 2020 1:57 pm

Was anything else done, like a wheel alignment? Have you checked your tire pressures?

Sat May 30, 2020 3:20 pm

Whoever did it, got your gearbox off center. When they took everything apart, they allowed the steering wheel to rotate away from where it was, and then rebolted. I would imagine they got all the bolts back together, but either pull the dome cover from above ( 2 screws) and/or the splash pan below, and verify all 4 bolts are installed.

And then take it back to them

Sat May 30, 2020 4:28 pm

Jetfxr69 wrote: Whoever did it, got your gearbox off center. When they took everything apart, they allowed the steering wheel to rotate away from where it was, and then rebolted. I would imagine they got all the bolts back together, but either pull the dome cover from above ( 2 screws) and/or the splash pan below, and verify all 4 bolts are installed.

And then take it back to them

Thanks, he also straightened the steering wheel. i checked underneath and the coupler looks fine, all four bolts tight. While under there i noticed that the steering arm that connects to the steering box looks to be traveling off of the splined shaft. The big nut is still attached but there it looks like the pin was not installed through the castle nut. The nut is still attached but the castled part is past the threads. It looks to me like the nut clearly needs to be tightened and pin installed through the castle nut, but would that cause more play to the right than the left?

Sat May 30, 2020 5:16 pm

Fairmounter wrote: Jetfxr69 wrote: Whoever did it, got your gearbox off center. When they took everything apart, they allowed the steering wheel to rotate away from where it was, and then rebolted. I would imagine they got all the bolts back together, but either pull the dome cover from above ( 2 screws) and/or the splash pan below, and verify all 4 bolts are installed.

And then take it back to them

Thanks, he also straightened the steering wheel. i checked underneath and the coupler looks fine, all four bolts tight. While under there i noticed that the steering arm that connects to the steering box looks to be traveling off of the splined shaft. The big nut is still attached but there it looks like the pin was not installed through the castle nut. The nut is still attached but the castled part is past the threads. It looks to me like the nut clearly needs to be tightened and pin installed through the castle nut, but would that cause more play to the right than the left?

The steering box has a high spot dead center. The steering arm has a line on it that lines up with a line on the shaft. If he pulled that nut off to realign your steering run from this fellow. That nut has to be torqued to spec. Some refer to nuts like that as a "Jesus nut," because if it comes off only Jesus can save you.

Sat May 30, 2020 5:57 pm

Fairmounter wrote:
Thanks, he also straightened the steering wheel. i checked underneath and the coupler looks fine, all four bolts tight. While under there i noticed that the steering arm that connects to the steering box looks to be traveling off of the splined shaft. The big nut is still attached but there it looks like the pin was not installed through the castle nut. The nut is still attached but the castled part is past the threads. It looks to me like the nut clearly needs to be tightened and pin installed through the castle nut, but would that cause more play to the right than the left?

If you found that arm backing off the gearbox spline shaft, then yes, thats a HUGE problem. So huge that your lucky your still alive. Guess what happens when that arm comes off? It doesnt even need to come completely off, just free from the splines.

If you had to have that coupler done by someone else, im not sure if you will be able to repair the problem, but here goes.

Pull the drag link off and manually straighten your wheels (by hand). Take the arm off the gearbox spline shaft ( the one thats almost falling off). Once the arm is free from gearbox, the coupler will rotate exactly 3 1/2 rotations from one direction to the other. Go all the way one way and note the position of any one of the four bolts on the coupler. Rotate the wheel so that that bolt goes 1 3/4 turns. At this point there is a small mark on the coupler shaft that will line up with a small arrow on the top aft portion of the gearbox (looking from inside cab down). This is center.

Reattach arm onto gearbox splined shaft. Choose the spline orientation that allows the drag link to slip back into the arm. Depending on how straight you set your wheels, you should be very close to center. Dont worry about where the steering wheel spokes are. That can be straightened by removing, reindexing, and reinstalling your steering wheel.

Again, this may be more than your willing, capable, or comfortable doing.

Sat May 30, 2020 6:45 pm

Jetfxr69 wrote:
Pull the drag link off and manually straighten your wheels (by hand). Take the arm off the gearbox spline shaft ( the one thats almost falling off). Once the arm is free from gearbox, the coupler will rotate exactly 3 1/2 rotations from one direction to the other. Go all the way one way and note the position of any one of the four bolts on the coupler. Rotate the wheel so that that bolt goes 1 3/4 turns. At this point there is a small mark on the coupler shaft that will line up with a small arrow on the top aft portion of the gearbox (looking from inside cab down). This is center.

Reattach arm onto gearbox splined shaft. Choose the spline orientation that allows the drag link to slip back into the arm. Depending on how straight you set your wheels, you should be very close to center. Dont worry about where the steering wheel spokes are. That can be straightened by removing, reindexing, and reinstalling your steering wheel.

Again, this may be more than your willing, capable, or comfortable doing.

Thanks much. What if I just tighten the nut with the current position on the spline?

Sat May 30, 2020 6:50 pm

Am I correct in assuming that there should be a cotter pin going through the castle nut?

Sat May 30, 2020 6:53 pm

I have never heard of a Pitman arm coming loose, that nut should be bum f*ck tight, I am sure it can happen though if someone is delinquent.

Once you get the Pitman arm aligned and installed correctly you may have to adjust the length of the drag link. With the steering box centered and Pitman arm aligned with the arrow, you want the wheels to point straight ahead. Straightening the steering wheel is the last step.

Sun May 31, 2020 3:04 am

If that nut was loose, then his mechanic pulled that arm off to “align” the wheels. Whats unknown is if he pulled it off to reset it in proper mark position ( doubt it), or thought that it would straighten wheels instead of drag link adjustment.

Regardless, its a scary thing to find loose. Crank that nut down and maybe your all set. Good luck and dont go back to that guy.

Sun May 31, 2020 5:03 am

Fairmounter wrote: What if I just tighten the nut with the current position on the spline?

No, the shaft and arm both have a small notch that have to align with each other to give you that 50/50 turning radius left and right.

You also need that cotter pin going through the castle nut. No ifs, ands or buts.

Sun May 31, 2020 7:03 am

Looking in the manual the nut requires 140 NM of torque or 101 Ft*Lbs of torque, this is the minimum torque, you may need to apply more to get the cotter pin in. You need a decent combo wrench or socket set to apply this much torque. Just don't tighten it down with a 12" adjustable wrench and think you have it.

Sun May 31, 2020 7:08 am

Fairmounter wrote: I had my steering coupler replaced and now when I turn left the steering is immediate and responsive, but when i turn right i have to turn the wheel almost half a turn before it starts to turn. Any ideas on what would cause it to be loose one way and not the other? Thanks much

You need to fix this first. This is a non-drivable car until this is fixed

Sun May 31, 2020 12:54 pm

Abscate wrote: Fairmounter wrote: I had my steering coupler replaced and now when I turn left the steering is immediate and responsive, but when i turn right i have to turn the wheel almost half a turn before it starts to turn. Any ideas on what would cause it to be loose one way and not the other? Thanks much

You need to fix this first. This is a non-drivable car until this is fixed

Thanks, much appreciated.

Sun May 31, 2020 1:04 pm

you will need to look carefully at the arm and the shaft. There are small stamped marks that align. The mark on top of the gearbox and the rubber puck with a raised area are not the marks being referred to on the drop arm and the shaft. It may take a very strong puller to pull the arm off. The nut torques to 101 ft lbs. You will need a torque wrench and a really big socket that fits to do this. You leave the nut loose but on when you go to pull the arm because it will sound like a small rifle shot when it pops loose. Then you align the marks and put it back on. If the steering isn't centered then you use the drag link to center it.

Sun May 31, 2020 3:26 pm

I am not seeing the marks stamped on the shaft and arm. is it on the end of the shaft? The nut is bigger than my biggest 1/2" socket. I will need to get a socket tomorrow. Does anyone know what size the bolt is?

Mon Jun 01, 2020 1:34 am

When you do tighten it, do not simply allow the arm/box to run to the end of it's travel and heave against that or you could/will damage the box. Get a piece of pipe to slide over the arm and hold it tight or arrange such that the pipe jams against the floor or other convenient stop.

Mon Jun 01, 2020 6:45 am

Fairmounter wrote: I am not seeing the marks stamped on the shaft and arm. is it on the end of the shaft? The nut is bigger than my biggest 1/2" socket. I will need to get a socket tomorrow. Does anyone know what size the bolt is?

Remove the arm and take some pictures of the box.