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Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:05 pm

I went for a ride yesterday in my street legal rail and discovered a problem. I noticed something strange with the positioning of the steering wheel. It's one of those scalloped types and has an up and a down. I thought I just popped it on wrong..I remove it to get in or out. So I pulled over and fixed it but noticed it was wrong again a few minutes later.

Something slipped. I pulled over and checked it out. The steering gear box is slipping!!! I turned the steering wheel and watched the shaft turn where it goes into the gear box but nothing happens. It was still pretty tight so I was able to drive it home.

Has anybody ever seen such a thing happen before? What could be slipping inside the gear box?

Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:01 pm

It's worn out, no adjusting will fix it as it will start slipping again.... Just replace it....

Dale

Fri Oct 16, 2020 9:58 pm

It's not grinding or making any bad noises or feelings. What could be worn out that would cause it to slip? It's almost as if one of the gears is pressed onto the shaft and that press fit has lost it's grip. I'll take it apart in the next couple of days and see what's wrong.

Sat Oct 17, 2020 7:37 am

Wulfthang wrote: It's not grinding or making any bad noises or feelings. What could be worn out that would cause it to slip? It's almost as if one of the gears is pressed onto the shaft and that press fit has lost it's grip. I'll take it apart in the next couple of days and see what's wrong.

I believe its a "worm and sector" box, the only adjustment is how the sector meshes with the worm.... IF the sector is jumping the worm you have either lost adjusting screw or badly worn parts or the bearing are going bad and allowing the sector to jump on the worm....

OR it may not be steering box at all, it could be loose "rag joint" coupler on steering wheel shaft or on steering box shaft ...

Dale

Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:26 am

I found the problem. The Pitman arm is moving on the shaft. The steering box is fine.The steering shaft and coupler are fine. Now I have to figure out if the shaft is damaged, which means I'll have to replace the box anyway. What do new Pitman arms cost and who has them? Thanks.

Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:53 am

Bought my last one used from my flaps
http://www.archwayauto.com/

Sat Oct 17, 2020 5:15 pm

Wulfthang wrote: I found the problem. The Pitman arm is moving on the shaft. The steering box is fine.The steering shaft and coupler are fine. Now I have to figure out if the shaft is damaged, which means I'll have to replace the box anyway. What do new Pitman arms cost and who has them? Thanks.

Go see Uncle Bob on Stone and Glen. Bring the old pitman arm so you can get the right one.

For a temporary fix, squeeze it together in a vice or with a C clamp and hacksaw the slot where the bolt goes. It will pinch more.

Al

Sun Oct 18, 2020 9:33 am

Yup, the Pitman arm pinch bolt was loose! Not by much but enough to allow it to work it's way loose. The splines were a little dingered up but not to bad. I tightened it up and all is well. Thanks for the help.

Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:17 pm

If it's slipping at all, the splines are stripped, most likely in the ID of the pitman arm. The arm and shaft are made to fit in ONLY 1 position.
Replace it!!!!!

This happened once in my Hi Jumper. Stock box and steering arm. Box and output shaft were OK. I replaced the pitman arm, welded a gusset around the outside of it, reamed the pinch bolt hole, installed an allen head 1/2" fine thread bolt and Grade 8 nut. Added shims between the bottom of the box and the upper side of the arm as it went back together. Never any such problem again. Car still has a stock box decades later.

Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:17 pm

Some of the Class 11 guys TIG weld the steering arm to the shaft, when I did mine I did the washer trick and drilled the arm out for a bigger bolt, I also used some bearing retainer compound on the shaft, if I ever have to remove it will require heat to get it off.

eQ