Hi-End Steering box
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From: NJ
Hi-End Steering box
I'm hearing a rattle going over bumps, and after replacing and tapping on everything in the front end, it seems when i tap on the pitman arm, I hear the same rattle. Anyone know if there is any box out there that is better than the stock from Ford?
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From: NJ
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From: NJ
just checked. def the shaft the pitman arm is attached to. There looks like some kind of adjustment bolt on the top center of the box. Looks like its in-line with the shaft. I put a socket on it, and tried to gently crank on it. It feels tight, but I don't want to muscle it and really F it up.
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Don't play with that adjustment. It sets the mesh between the input shaft and the output shaft (forget the terms for the gears right now).
If you tighten it up too much, it'll bind - at the WORST time. And it'll bind up more as it warms up.
Loosen the lock nut, and crank down on the bolt in 1/4 turn increments.
Is there any play in the box itself, as in, with the engine running, turn the steering wheel back and forth, how much can you turn the wheel before the pitman arm starts to move?
If you tighten it up too much, it'll bind - at the WORST time. And it'll bind up more as it warms up.
Loosen the lock nut, and crank down on the bolt in 1/4 turn increments.
Is there any play in the box itself, as in, with the engine running, turn the steering wheel back and forth, how much can you turn the wheel before the pitman arm starts to move?
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From: NJ
no play turning the steering wheel.
Ahh. I didn't see that the shaft had a allen hole. So loosen the big ole lock nut holding the pitman arm on, then stick an allen wrench in and crank that in 1/4 turns...until....what the rattle stops I guess.
Ahh. I didn't see that the shaft had a allen hole. So loosen the big ole lock nut holding the pitman arm on, then stick an allen wrench in and crank that in 1/4 turns...until....what the rattle stops I guess.
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That rattle is very weird... something else is jingling maybe?
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nope. I can feel the the movement when I grab the tie rod and shake it. Its very very slight, but enough to make noise tapping on it with a rubber mallet, or driving. All the tie rods have been replaced, just about everything in the front end has been replaced. That shaft is where the rattle is coming from, I'm sure of it. 
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Try cranking down on the adjustment. Just keep track of how much you tighten it down, and if it never cures the rattle, back it out to the original position.
AND - if you do tighten it down and it helps the rattle, make sure it doesn't bind going lock-to-lock, both cold and hot.
AND - if you do tighten it down and it helps the rattle, make sure it doesn't bind going lock-to-lock, both cold and hot.
I'll have to wait until Sunday for that. I have gig's thru saturday, and can't afford any down time if I end up F'ing it up.