well nvm then haha. have you tried adjusting your steering box? there should be a bolt on top that adjusts the play.

 

like slow steering response? you dont have a sway bar on the front do you?

 

Yes I have the sway bar on, and the steering feels tight. The steering response isn't that slow which is why I thought bad bushings were letting the axle twist a bit under there making it steer in a direction other than straight.

How do I adjust the steering box bolt though? I don't wanna mess with it and screw up the box....

 

im not really sure haha. i was discussing steering box's with my teacher a few weeks back and he told me that most box's have an adjuster on top. im pretty sure all thats involved is tighten it to get rid of play and loosen it to gain play. but, there has to be a little play between the gears so dont over tighten.

let me see if i can find some kind of instructions.

i found this http://www.off-roadweb.com/tech/0501...box/index.html it doesnt really talk about how to adjust it though.

this is for a jeep, but it might work for you http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/articl....jsp?id=259494

 

theres and adjuster screw on top with a lock nut. you loosen the lock nut turn in the adjuster in untill you feel resistance then back out 1/4 turn. tighten lock nut.

with your truck parked if there is any steering wheel play then you want to adjust the steering box. if you dont have any or little steering wheel free play, thats probebly not it.

 

Thanks guys. I'll definitely look into it. I've gone over everything so maybe it'll be something easy like that.

 

Hopefully.

 

sounds like low steering fluid pressure to me. i dont know if i would mess with that adjustment bolt.

did you run a used box or buy a reman? i bought a reman and that made a world of difference over my used box

 

i was thinking low fluid as well, but if his problem is at speeds above 35-40, that shouldnt make a difference because power steering shuts off.

 

The box is used. Its full on fluid. I've checked it several times, but I'll check it again anyway.


It could very well be the box might need rebuilt or something. I think I'll take a shot at adjusting it. If it doesn't help I may go ahead and see about replacing it.

 

not low fluid level, low pressure, as in the stock pump isnt delivering enough pressure for the box. i know the 3.0 is different than the 4.0. mine never delivered enough to give you that correct steering feel.

 

Well I see what you're saying but I don't expect the steering to feel stock. The way it acts makes the truck almost undriveable. I mean I can handle it but it can be scary and difficult to keep in my lane at times. I'm going to do the caster one more time and adjust the steering box today and then I'll see where I'm at............same place as now I'd guess but I don't have to much else to try lol.

 

how many miles have you driven it? it took me a while to get used to it but it was my DD. I run mine now with 42s 70mph and not too worried about it. it takes some trust in your work to be relaxed while driving.

 

I'd guess I've put about 700 miles on it. Like I said though, I don't expect it to drive perfect or even like it did before, but something just feels wrong. It feels more difficult to drive then I feel like it should.

Anyways I bumped the caster to 7 degrees. I know its more than you recommend but it did seem to help some. Didn't solve the issue. Also adjusted the steering box but that didn't seem to make any difference.

Now ya'll have got me wondering if the box itself is shot.....

 

Sounds like a pain.

 

difficult how though? like it walks with the road? steering is slow to respond? or you are correcting it over and over again as you drive down the road?

 

All of the above.

 

well if all your steering parts are new or tight, and your alignment angles are good, then theres not to many other things beside the steering box or the steering shaft.

off topic, you think you could measure how tall your tuck is? im curious.

 

Sounds stupid, but are you absolutely sure the axle is square under the truck? Although I'm not one to give advice on steering/wobble issues as my ranger still does that LOL

 

Well the steering shaft is new so it cant be that, the box on the other hand is original from 87 as far as I can tell.

What part of the truck do you want a height measurement of?

Well I've checked several times, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check again. You can never be too sure.

 

Try making the wheel base on the drivers side a bit shorter than the passenger side. This will allow for it to compensate while driving on a crowned road. about an 1/8 to 1/4"

Also remember when you change the caster it messes with the Toe. I am assuming you took it to a shop to set toe? If you toe is not close enough to 0 it will walk all over the road. Which is maybe why when you add more caster it is better. Reset you caster to 5*. I assume when you do this you are just adjusting the upper arms right? Dont mess with the lowers. Lowers are to get that wheel base right.

How much air is in your tires? Make sure it is clear to the max pressure on the tires, atleast for now. While you are debugging.

 

Tires are maxed. Tried that step a while back. I always adjust caster with the upper arms. Toe is 1/16" in at 4* on the caster. I'll measure the wheelbase again later and possibly make an adjustment there. I'm tired of working on the thing right now.

 

to the bottom of the rocker, top of the fender, top of roof, any one of those, you dont need to measure all of them.

your using the same tires you had before right? wheel bearings good?

 

Yeah same tires as before, basically new as well. Less than 5000 miles on them. Wheel bearings are good.

I'm at work now, but I'll get you a measurement when I get home in a little while.

 

alright, thanks.