Steering boxes: Let's talk play...

[Merlin]

Hi everyone,



I have a '67 LHD bug which feels incredibly wayward on the freeway. It's a lot of work keeping it in a straight line at speed and the slightest breeze sends me hunting for another lane...

I've got 25k km on the car since it had a complete rebuild. New balljoints, new bushings (urethane), new steering damper, etc..

I'm confident that all of these components are in good condition.

I have approximately 1 In. play in the steering wheel, which I'm led to believe is correct.

There is no discernible bump-steer, which tells me that the damper is still working as intended.

...so, I keep on coming back to the steering box.

I had it in at the local workshop recently, for other work, and took the opportunity to have a look under the car whilst it was on the hoist.

If I rotate the steering column, there is noticeable vertical play on the roller (vertical shaft to which the Pitman arm attaches).

Pics taken from the TS Gallery and edited...

Is adjusting the large nut the solution to this problem and is this adjustment the likely cause of my wayward steering?

Thank you.
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[KTPhil]

It's worth a shot. You will need a wide wrench to loosen the locknut, and then have to fix up some sort of wrench for the socket/stop plug (whatever it's called). Before I found a proper wrench, I've used a sawed-off bolt, thick turnbuckle piece, and other metal parts, usually held in vice grips, to turn the plug. There are threads on improvising this.

This should be adjusted first, then the top screw. Both have particular ways to avoid getting it too tight, or you will wear out the box prematurely. There are threads on this, too.

After that, I would suspect the internal bearings in the box. Guess what, there are threads on this, too!

So hang in there, read up, and I bet you can improve things.

BTW, the car is not lowered or narrowed, is it?

[glutamodo]

Well, that "bottom" adjuster is supposed to be done but seldom is, most people don't have anything that will fit that ginormous 12 point socket, although I found years ago that an old oil pressure switch, once you chop off the plastic bits, fits in there and works as something you can use with a crescent wrench to turn it.

[Merlin]

Thanks, chaps.

I don't have a large enough wrench and an old oil pressure switch, but will be picking up both in the next couple of weeks.

In the interim, I tinkered with the worm (top) adjuster this evening.

There really isn't too much adjustment left in it; about half a turn, at max'. I've turned it in about a 1/4 turn. There are no discernible rough spots when turning the wheel and there is already a big improvement in feel.

I took it for a short drive and the steering does want to 'return' if I give it a quick dart left or right, so I think it's about right.

The car is fitted with 2,5" drop spindles and adjusters, with a 2" narrow and a 3/4" sway bar.

Should a steering box be put onto the 'service list'? Is it something that really should be checked and regreased/oiled every so often?
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[glutamodo]

Well, that "trick" with the oil switch is related to the fact that I don't like to throw away old classic parts even though they didn't work any more. It was there, I thought it might work, and it did! Other people have used other things - I recall someone saying that the dies in a tap/die set they had would fit and work in similar fashion (none of mine do though) and others use a big SAE nut that fits that 12-point hole.
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Andy T.


IMAGE NOTE: It has been noted that Chrome based browsers may have issues in displaying my vast image library, which use non-secure links and are on an FTP server. Images should still be viewable if the link is clicked though.
I do not know how to fix this. All I can say is it all works fine for me with what I use, Firefox.

[Merlin]

[zuk]

I used a 1/2" to 3/4" socket adapter to unscrew the front adjustment, was a little loose but once the large nut is loose it turned easily

[Merlin]

[oldvwnut]

See: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695954&highlight=steering+wheel

It will take you to some post's I made re this subject. Further down in that post and you can see a tool I made to adjust the inner 16 point bottom thrust nut. You don't really need to use the oil sender and a wrench. It turns easily once you loosen the large 1 5/8" (41mm) lock nut.

[oldvwnut]

Whoops. Here's what I meant to post: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=599972&highlight=

[3foldfolly]

Make sure the 4 bolts that secure the top of the box are tight.

[Merlin]

Thanks for the tips.

I drove yhe car yesterday and there was no difference, so I've slacked off the worm adjuster again.

I'll only have a chance to adjuist the roller gear in a couple of weeks. Minimal tools where I am...

The car is a real handful at speed, in a strong breeze. It's all over the road and quite frankly is dangerous. It's unpleasant, to say the least.
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[128vw]

When you lower the car you totally mess up the alignment. Have the car aligned.
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[Merlin]

[REDKAFER]

I'm not saying excess play is a symptom of this, because i actually dont know what effect it would have on steering, but have you confirmed that the "U" clamp part of your steering box is installed in the correct orientation? The clamp has semi-circular cut-outs that lock onto the little knob protruding from the beam. Next to those cut-outs are numbers and an arrow stamped into the clamp. One direction is for bugs, but the other direction is for when you install the box onto a ghia. Again, im not sure that excess play would be a symptom of this, but while you're working the gremlins out...

[glutamodo]

If that's in wrong the box won't line up with the column... but it won't cause play by itself.
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Andy T.


IMAGE NOTE: It has been noted that Chrome based browsers may have issues in displaying my vast image library, which use non-secure links and are on an FTP server. Images should still be viewable if the link is clicked though.
I do not know how to fix this. All I can say is it all works fine for me with what I use, Firefox.

[Merlin]

I'll check out the box alignment. Thanks for the tip.

The car was built 12 years ago, but this wayward steering problem is fairly recent.
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the3rdrock.com - …musings, discoveries and postulating, by a restless itinerant in search of enlightenment.

[Slow 1200]

first check tire pressure and adjust if necessary, if that doesn't help have the shop recheck the alignment, at least they should tell you what the specs are right now

also as someone said above, make sure the screws that hold the box cover are not loose

[Merlin]

[Slow 1200]

I mentioned tire pressures because it's quite common after being in a tire/alignment shop that the fronts get pumped way too high