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Steering box tightening?


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I read on here many many moons ago about tightening the steering box, but cannot find the thread.

 

My steering is about as crisp as a marshmallow edge despite recent ball joints and tie rod ends replacement this year.

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction or throw out some easy-to-follow instructions for doing it without removing the box from the truck?

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That video is good for showing you what to adjust and where, but lousy for explaining the actual process. He does mention that overtightening can ruin the box, but he doesn't offer any advice as to how to avoid overtightening.

 

The first thing is, especially for you young guys who grew up driving foreign cars with rack-and-pinion steering, is that the Jeep steering is NOT rack-and-pinion, and you can NEVER make it as tight or as precise as rack-and-pinion. If that's what you're aiming for -- you WILL ruin your steering box. That "stud" (as he calls it, which isn't a stud but a screw with a locknut) is the "over-center lash adjustment screw." The Jeep steering box is what is called a "worm and ball" steering box. There has to be a certain (very small) amount of backlash or free play to allow the parts to work without undue wear -- exactly as the differential requires a small amount of backlash between the ring gear and the pinion gear.

 

In the steering box, the geometry of the gears and threaded input shaft are such that the backlash is least when the steering box (and road wheels) are stright ahead, and there's more lash when the steering is off-center. So ... first thing, ONLY adjust the over-center screw when the steering wheel is centered in the straight ahead position.

 

Next -- how to know when to STOP adjusting. Basically, by feel. Set the steering wheel straight, then leave the key in the UNlocked position so you can turn the steering wheel with the engine off. Stand outside the vehicle so you can visually align a fender or flare edge with a point on the tire tread or shoulder. Now, reach in and wiggle the steering wheel back and forth. Don't try to turn the tire, just see how far left and right you can move the wheel before you can see ANY movement whatsoever at the tire. That's your over-center lash, or free play.

 

The goal is to adjust almost all of that free play out, but leave just a tiny bit so the steering doesn't bind up across the center. As I said above, I do it by feel. Once you have the locknut loosened and the Allen (hex) key in the adjusting screw, lean down and grab the collar where the steering shaft connects to the steering box input shft with your right hand, and the Allen wrench with your left hand. GENTLY wiggle the steering shaft back and forth. You should be able to feel if there's a range through which it rotates freely before encountering resistance. While you wiggle the shaft, turn the Allen wrench slowly. You'll feel the range of free play decreasing. Keep going until the free play seems to just about reach zero, then back off perhaps 1/8 of a turn. Use the Allen wrench to hold the adjusting screw at that position while you tighten the lock nut.

 

Double check to verify that you still have a very small amount of free play (lash). If not, loosen the lcoknut and back off the adjusting screw another 1/8 of a turn.

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I hope by revealing that insider information I am not contributing to the wholesale destruction of a bunch of MJ steering boxes.

 

The box in my '88 MJ had an incredible amount of slop in it when I bought it. When I investigated to see if it could be adjusted out, I found that the adjusting screw was already TIGHTLY bottomed out -- which meant the idiot kid who had gotten the truck from his grandfather (the original purchaser) had tried to make it as tight as a rack-and-pinion steering gear and, instead, ruined it. I had to replace the box.

 

The fact is, they rarely need to be adjusted. My '88 Cherokee has gone 287,000+ miles and the steering box is still tight. DON'T GO CRAZY.

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  • 8 years later...

I will add my $0.02 here and also discourage you from tightening the box.  If you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN the box needs some tightening, do any adjustments in VERY SMALL increments, like 1/8 of a turn at a time.   Use a paint pen to mark the shaft and the box with a starting reference point.   GO SLOW.

 

If you move the screw more than 1/2 turn, it's probably too much.

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