Hello all, About 4 to 6 months ago I installed a Toyota power steering box on my truck. I made the bracket myself out of 1"x2" barstock so it is rather solid. THe box bolts to this with 3/8" grade 9 bolts and is bolted to the frame with 7/16 grade 9 bolts.

Neither the box or bracket are moving but the box seems to be worn out. It has more play than the original steering box did, and that is the only reason I really changed it.

Now I am running this on an F250 with 30" tall tires, but I don't think that would cause excesive wear.

I have purchased a second box and will instlall that but I am worried it will just wear out too.

I may do a 4x4 conversion and just switch to a newer 2001-ish steering box and mount it forward of the axle.

I drive this truck everyday, but my drive to work is only about 2 miles.

Could the pump pressure be too high and destroying the box? It is one of the Ford pumps with the plastic housing they used in the 80's on at least trucks and vans, mine came from an F250 I think.

There is over 1/8th of a turn of play and it is all in the steering box itself.

 

I can't imagine that the box could show that much wear in that short of a time span. These boxes are pretty durable. I also don't think the larger tires would have anything to do with it as there are thousands of older Toyota trucks running around with oversized tires, etc.
I don't think the pump could be overpressuring it either.


Have you tried adjusting the box at all?


Maybe some others that have more experience with these boxes than I do will have some answers. I'll try to remember to check and see how much free play is in my box today


Bobby

 

I'm with Bobby on this. I've got over 6000 miles on my used Toyota box, running the pump from a 96 Lincoln MRK VIII without the variable pressure control on, with 33 inch tires on my 4x4. So far with no noticeable change in the gearbox play. How does the second box feel. Would you have to pull your headers to change them out?

 

Second one feels about how the first when felt when I installed it.

I only have a Rams horn on the driver side.

I am not too worried about the dificulty in changing it with the second one. It only took me about 5 hours to install the first one and that was with making, welding, drilling AND tapping the bracket also making the hoses fit and stuff.

If you turn the adjusting screw you will notice it just moves the output shaft further out of the box. I assume it just supplies a new area for the ***** to run on. The old one was screwed rather far out... I will change it and post back....if I remember to do so.

 

The design of a recirculating ball type box is there is almost no significant wear points. Has it been run dry or low on fluid? is there any metal particles in the fluid? Are you sure the freeplay is internal to the box, not loose mount, pitman arm, column U joint, or frame flex? Or maybe column centering bushing? Does the amount of freeplay increase, decrease, or stay the same with the engine running or shut off? Overpessurizing would only make it very sensitive, worst case cause a seal to leak.

 

I mean no offence but you are changing the direction of rotation by 90 degrees so there are MASSIVE wear points. These boxes try to distribute the load by having many ***** to take this load but the output shaft has all the ***** run against it right?!? So the output shaft can wear away no problem, the shaft adjustment just moves it out so the ***** are weraing in a new location?

I mean the only reason it does not wear out quick is because the fluid is being used to take all the heat away from the main working area right?

It may have been run low/dry, but it was fine when I first installed it? I will check for metal when I return from a business trip. I am certain all freeplay in in the box itself and not anywhere else. Seems the freeplay is about the same all the time, I turned the adjusting screw but did not change anything.

 

Yes you are rotating the housing 90*, but that doesn't change the rotating direction or the load on the internals. Unless run dry the wear should be minimal. A bad pump could introduce metal particles into the box. Yours is the only report I've seen of excessive wear on these boxes.

 

The wear points are the same whether you have ciculating ***** or not. In fact because of the ***** you likely have more "wear points". Also the load on the internals is equivilant whether you have power, manual, lubed or dry....

The fluid, apart from providing power, lowers friction and helps cool the internals. Right? This doesn't change the number of wear points or lower load, it just helps handle load.

I bought the box used on Clist so it may have been worn out when I got it, the second one I pulled from a junkyard I will install it and see how it does.

It doesn't matter what the part is or how it was built/designed/engineered, it can still wear out and be destroyed. Just sayin.

Ford power steering boxes have been recirculating ball forever and I have burned through them in the past and I am sure many others have had to replace them aswell.

 

Jeep Wranglers, Ford Superdutys and Dodge Ram 2500/3500 trucks are notorious for having worn steering boxes. They tend to get 1"-2" of steering wheel play after 100k miles. Makes doing alignments real fun. Can't think of many vehicles with steering boxes with high mileage that don't have some play. Hell I got a manual reciprocating ball steering box in the shed from a 1974 F-250 that you can turn the input shaft by hand over 1" without moving the output shaft.

Rack and pinion is about the only steering I've seen go the long haul without significant wear. They usually only get replaced because the seals start leaking fluid everywhere. Seen many go 500k+ without a problem.

 

Just curious - did you replace all of the other steering components when you did the install (kingpins, ball joints, spring shackle bushings, etc)? Just wondering if it is actually the box or something else downstream that is worn out.


If you haven't done it already, you could have someone watch all of the front end components as you turn the wheel and see if there is a bunch of give to something else. Just making sure that the pitman arm moves as soon as you give the steering wheel input will tell you if the box is moving immediately or not.


Just some random thoughts.

 

I have done that thank you. I made a video by holding my cell down there while turning the wheel the 1/8th of motion and the pitman arm did not move at all. So all the play is certainly in the box itself.

 

I've had a lot of boxes apart, but not a Toyota. I am just assuming it is similar in design but there should be no ***** touching the output (pitman) shaft and I've never, ever seen worn out ***** cause slack. The adjuster adjusts how far the pitman shaft gear teeth mesh into the gear cut into the piston. More often than not, the out put (pitman) shaft bushing or bearing is worn and lets the shaft slop around. You generally can not detect that on a box which isn't mounted for service but you can see it if you gently rock the steering wheel (or have a helper do it) which visually checking to see where the play is. You will need the tires on the ground to do this.
It's always easiest to try the slack adjustment before attacking anything else.

 

Thanks for the info willowbilly, you are correct in the operation the the recirculating ***** don't touch the output shaft.

I have not seen this bushing in the rebuild kits shown online but that would make sense.

I did adjust it to the mac and it was a bit tighter for a short time. Will need replacing.