Steering Gear: Adjustments

Adjustment of steering gear in the vehicle is not recommended because of the difficulty encountered in adjusting the worm thrust bearing preload and confirming the effects of the hydraulic fluid in the gear. Since a gear adjustment is made only as a correction and not a periodic adjustment, it is better to take the extra time and make the adjustment correctly the first time.
Since a handling stability complaint can be caused by improperly adjusted worm thrust bearings as well as an improper gear over-center adjustment, it is necessary that the steering gear assembly be removed from vehicle and both thrust bearing and over-center preload be checked and corrected as necessary. An in-vehicle check of steering gear will not show a thrust bearing adjustment error.
Valve assembly and seal drag should be 1-4 inch lbs. Thrust bearing preload should be 3-4 inch lbs. in excess of valve assembly and seal drag.

Fig. 4 Aligning Stub Shaft:

Fig. 5 Aligning Pitman Shaft Master Spline:

Fig. 6 Checking Over Center Rotational Torque:

1. Rotate stub shaft back and forth to drain fluid.
2. Turn pitman shaft adjuster screw counterclockwise until fully extended, then turn back one full turn, Fig. 4.
3. Rotate stub shaft from stop to stop and count the turns.
4. Starting at either stop, turn the stub shaft back one-half the total number of turns.
5. When the gear is centered, the flat on stub shaft should face upward and be parallel with side cover and master spline on pitman shaft should be inline with adjuster screw, Fig. 5.
6. Rotate stub shaft 45° each side of center using a torque wrench with handle in vertical position, Fig. 6, record the highest drag torque measured on or near center.
7. Adjust over-center drag torque by loosening adjuster locknut and turning the pitman shaft adjuster screw clockwise until correct drag torque is obtained. On new steering gears (under 400 miles) add 5-11 inch lbs. to previously measured worm bearing preload. Do not exceed total preload of 18 inch lbs. On used steering gears (400 miles or more) add 4-5 inch lbs. to previously measured worm bearing preload. Do not exceed total gear preload of 13 inch lbs.
8. Hold adjuster screw and torque adjuster locknut to 20 ft. lbs.