The steering on my highboy is looser than, well, a sorority girl. And quite honestly it's really starting to bug me. So before I take the plunge on a new steering box, where else can I look to tighten up my steering gear?


Thanks
Jameson

 

There should be a nut you can adjust in the steering box. I did it to my 79 and it made a pretty big difference. Not perfect now but it's a lot better. It's a jam nut, so you'll have to use a flathead screw screwdriver to loosen it, and a crescent wrench to adjust it. I don't remember the sizes.

 

My favorite way to find slop is to put the front wheels on ramps so there is weight on the tires. Get a helper to turn the wheel left/right and follow the movement starting with the steering column connection, steering box and all the steering joints. Also check for movement of the box itself due to loose bolts or problems at the mounts. With PS, probably best to check with the engine running. You should quickly find the problem area(s).

 

For the steering - Start by adjusting the slack adjuster - it will be a locknut over what appears to be a bolt with a screwdriver slot. Put a screwdriver into the slot to hold it and back off the locknut. Slowly turn the screwdriver clockwise while rotating the steering shaft back and forth until there's very little to no play. Hold adjustment bolt and tighten the locknut. With power steering this is done with the engine running. Once the slack is adjusted out of the steering box, look at the top of the steering column (still under the hood) under the master cylinder. There's a heavy fiber washer (sometimes referred to as a rag joint) (1/2 ton only) that makes a coupling in the column, usually this is worn out and the cause for excessive steering play.

Steering adj #2 all you have to do is on the steering box you will see a threaded screw with a jamb nut keeping it locked down. put a screw driver on the screw and loosen the jamb nut, then with the jamb nut loose , tighten the screw till it stopes, then back off counter clockwise for one full turn, then holding the screw, lock down the jamb nut. take the truck for a ride and see how it feels, if it is still too sloppy, loosen the jamb nut and turn clockwise a quarter of a turn and retighten the jamb nut. if the steering is too hard or feels like its binding , hold the jamb nut and loosen the set screw a quarter of a turn from your initial setting.

 

With his being a highboy it won't have the ragjoint, but the UJoint in the steering shaft can develop some play. check it by grabbing the steering shaft above and below the UJoint and see if you can (gently) turn the shafts in opposite directions. If you can, it could probably stand to be replaced. Otherwise if the steering box trick doesn't work, check all your tie rods/bushings/steering gear/etc. Whatever you can find steering related, check it out. Sometimes slop comes from each of these things becoming slightly worn. But definitely check with the ujoint and steering box first.

 

Might be time for a Borgeson steering shaft? Summit Racing carries them too.

Borgeson Universal Company :: Ford Truck 1970-04

 

These are nice but,i highly recomand spending the extra $ and getting the vibration free one,i didnt and my hand tends to fall asleep from the vib's.

 

leaf spring bushings...you can tighten the steering box all you want, but if the stuff holding the axle to the frame is worn out it will still walk all around under you.

 

Thanks guys!

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take a look at any of that before I had to leave for school again, so it'll have to wait until May when I'm done with school


Thanks
Jameson