Hello All!

I Just converted my 71 F100 2WD to power steering. It's much better than manual but the wheel does not self center after turning--i.e., I have to turn the wheel back to center myself. Do I need to rebuild the gearbox or is there an easier solution? My truck self-centered perfectly with the manual steering, so I know it's not an allignment, camber or caster issue.

I appreciate any advice or suggestion you all may have...Thanks!
Tim

 

Hi Tim, my 70 F-250 with power steering does the same thing. I know my alignment is good. I am going to check for friction in the steering column. I heard that Dodge had a problem with this. Any other owners out there; how do your trucks react after a turn. Tim and I want to know, thanks.

 

Mike,
Just today a buddy suggested that the bearings in my steering column may be bad--I would guess that would be a relatively easy thing to rebuild. I'm still curious if it's a gearbox problem. Do you think it could have something to do with how tight I tightened the pitman arm to the steering linkage? I wouldn't think so but who knows!? Also, is this a dangerous situation in that someday the box will bind up and I'll be in a ditch or is it just another thing to love about the classic pick-em-up trucks!
Thanks,
Tim

 

Hi Tim, the torque on the pitman arm to the linkage has to be tight. It would not cause any drag. I don't think that your steering is going to bind up. For peace of mind you might check the sector adjusment. When I got my castor and camber adjusted, the guy at the alignment shop suggested that I swap out the steering gearbox to get rid of the last bit of play in the steering. The second gearbox did not change the return to center. It's strange that you were ok with the manual gearbox. There has to be a simple explanation. The ratio of the power unit is 17:1 and the manual is 24:1. Lock to lock is 4 turns on power and 6 on manual.

 

Hello fellas!!!

Here's my two pennies:

First- if you had any bad bearrings in your steering column, you would know it before your buddy would. Who's doing all the driving- you or him?

Second- as far as return to center is concerned, the amount of caster you have dictates how the steering returns to center. Of course, caster did not change when you went from manual steering to power steering. What did change is the forces applied to your whole steering system.

This is my theory:

In manual steering, the only force being applied to your steering is coming from the road and your steering geometry below the gearbox. The reason you have to work so hard to steer is because you have to work against the forces of road and alignment. Here is where caster comes in to straighten your steering for you after you round the corner and release the steering wheel.

In power steering, the above still applies- only now you have a power steering pump (a simple hydraulic pump) to counter-act the road and alignment. What the pump is doing while the engine is running is creating enough force above your alignment and the road to neutralize these forces, making it easier to steer (hence the name "power steering"). The forces applied as a result of caster to center your steering are neutralized so your steering does not return to center anymore.

Again, this is my theory. I have had two trucks with manual steering (both would return to center) and two with power steering (both would not and still don't return to center). That is why the above makes sense to me.

Have a great day!

Joe

 

Hi Joe, what years are the ones with power steering?

 

 

'71 & '72- Both F100 2WD.

Joe

 

Has anyone ever replaced the internal seals in the gear box? I would think that possibly I'm losing hydraulic pressure in the seals and the gearbox can't maintain enough pressure on the steering system to allow it to return to center without my help. The kit is only $30.00 so I may rabuild the box and see how this affects it. I really don't think it's a bearing issue in the cloumn. I'll let everyone know how it works if/when I do it--probably not for a few weeks.
Thanks,
Tim

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Aug-02 AT 10:31 AM (EST)]Not sure if this is related or not...
My truck is a '72 F250 2x4 with PS and had a tendency to wander.
I've done lots of things to tighten it up (4 matching tires, new shocks, poly bushings, tightening the steering box, etc.) and many of them help.

In hopes of giving that final *improvement*, I gave the steering box adjustment screw one more quarter turn. It didn't improve the response at all, but only slowed the return of the steering to center.

Sometimes it's the small things.


--Matt

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-Aug-02 AT 09:16 PM (EST)]Hi Matt, you probably have the gearbox adjusted too tight. Read the procedure I wrote in the post "steering gremlins". Also, after I had the caster and camber adjusted by a shop that knew how to do it, my truck was much more stable going down the highway. Tim, the seals only keep fluid from leaking out of the gearbox, they are not causing the problem.

 

Mike,
My bad. I was thinking there were 2 internal seals on either side of the internal gear and pressure built up for the turn would wnat to relieve it via self-centering. I loosened the adjustment screw 2 turns and it seemd to help a little but it also increased the play in the wheel so I tightened it back 1 turn. It's OK--the more I drive it (now with PS) the more I get used to it and after another week or so I probably won't even care.
Thanks,
Tim

 

Mike W,
Thanks for the step by step reference. It's very clearly written. Next time I'm under the truck I'll have to try it.
--Matt

 

Joe's theory is starting to make a believer out of me. It is easy to adjust the sector too tight. I made a minor change, maybe 1/8 inch. When I later checked by the manual, I found out that I had it too tight. I once had a 70 Bronco with manual steering. The needle bearings on the worm were shot. I made bronze bushings. They lasted about two weeks before being turned into dust.

 

Is it possible to unscrew the adjustment screw completely out of the gear box or will it stop at the loosest adjustment? Seems like the looser it is the more apt the steering is to self-center. The trick is to find the loosest point at which this happens and there is the least amount of play in the wheel.