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Re: Steering box centering [message #367364 is a reply to message #367360] Thu, 28 October 2021 16:39 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
boybach is currently offline  boybach   
Messages: 566
Registered: December 2020
Location: Vancouver Island
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Senior Member
Greg C. wrote on Thu, 28 October 2021 13:48
So I'm fighting a back injury right now, and I'm not able to do much. But today I went out to the coach and checked the amount of turns lock to lock. It looks like about 3-1/4 turns. So, from Jim Hupy, this is not a factory steering box.

Am I screwed here? Does this box have the infamous "high spot" that corresponds with the input shaft flat aligned with the cover axis?

Or are all bets off?

It does require more hand movement than I would like to keep it straight going down the road. I have not yet removed the intermediate shaft to confirm the position of the input shaft flat, but since the steering wheel is out, I'm pretty sure that everything needs adjustment.
Before you start ripping everything apart, you can try one simple adjustment. No guarantees that it will make your steering problems go away, but in my case, it did help - however, Murphy's Law - I didn't try it or find out about it until AFTER I pulled everything apart and attempted to put everything right.

This is a tip from the GMCINFO site.

With the wheels set straight ahead, loosen and back off the locknut that holds the allen screw in place - this locknut is located on the side of the steering box. Back it off a couple of turns then back off the allen screw a few turns too.
Next, start tightening up the locknut. As you tighten it, it'll pull the allen screw along with it until the allen screw stops turning. Continue to tighten the lock nut until it's tight again. Take her for a spin and see if the handling is any better.

This procedure really improved the handling on my coach. A friend later thought my steering wasn't "tight" enough and tightened up the allen screw - I let him do it because he was an experienced mechanic. It did tighten up the steering, but the coach became impossible to steer over 20mph and even that required a lot of concentration - basically the coach was unusable. I re-adjusted the allen screw the way I just described and I've been driving the coach all summer like that. It still ain't rack and pinion precise by any means, but at least I can handle it without sweating bullets.

HTH

Larry


Larry - Victoria BC - 1977 ex-Palm Beach "Ol' Leaky" 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot the word NOT. Atwood helium fridge, water heater & furnace. SS exhaust system, Onan, Iota Converter, R134A, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses
 
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