Chevrolet CHEVY VAN G10 SERIES Service Manual page 268

STEERING 9-2
front end alignm ent, shock absorbers, w heel balance and tire
pressure for possible cause.
C orrect adjustm ent o f steering gear is very im p o rtan t. While
there are b u t tw o adjustm ents to be m ade, the following
procedure m ust be follow ed step-by-step in the order given.
1. D isconnect the b attery ground cable.
2. Remove the pitm an arm to pitm an shaft n u t. Mark the
relationship o f the arm to the shaft and then remove the
pitm an arm using T ool J-6632 or J-5504 (fig. 1).
3. L o o se n th e ste erin g g ear a d ju ste r plug lo c k n u t an d
b a c k th e a d ju ste r p lug off 1 / 4 tu rn .
ste erin g g e a r la sh a d ju s te r screw lock n u t an d b a c k
th e la sh a d ju ste r screw off 1 1 / 2 tu rn s. R e -tig h te n
th e la sh a d ju ste r screw lo c k n u t (fig.
4. Remove the horn b u tto n cap.
5. T urn the steering wheel gently from stop to stop, care­
fully counting the total num ber o f turns. Then tu rn the
w heel back exactly half-w ay, to center position.
C A U T IO N : Do not turn the steering wheel hard
against the stops w ith the pitm an arm disconnected
as damage to the ball guides may result.
6
. Loosen th e pitm an shaft lash adjuster screw lock n u t and
tu rn the adjuster screw a few turns in a counter-clockwise
direction (fig. 2). This relieves the load im posed on the
w orm bearings by the close m eshing o f the ball n u t and
sector teeth .
7. Using an Inch P ound T orque Wrench and Socket on the
steering w heel n u t, m easure the torque required to keep
the wheel in m o tio n . If the torque does n o t lie w ithin the
lim its given in the Specifications Section, w orm bearing
preload adjustm ent is necessary.
8
. To adjust the w orm bearings, loosen the w orm bearing
adjuster locknut and tu rn the w orm bearing adjuster (fig.
2
) until there is no perceptible end play in the worm .
Check the torque at the steering w heel, readjusting if
necessary. Tighten the locknut and recheck the torque.
N O T E : If the gear feels "lu m p y " after adjusting
the worm bearings, there is probable bearing damage
due to severe im pact or improper adjustm ent—the
gear must be disassembled fo r replacement o f dam­
aged parts.
Fig. 1-Removing Pitman Arm (Typical)
L o o sen th e
2
) .
TOO L—J-5504
TOOL—J-6632
9. A fter proper adjustm ent o f w orm bearing preload has
been obtained, sector lash adjustm ent m ust be m ade.
a. Check th a t all steering gear and side cover bolts are
properly torqued.
b. Turn the steering wheel from stop to sto p , carefully
counting the to ta l num ber o f turns. T urn the wheel
back exactly half-way to center postion.
c. T urn the lash adjuster screw clockwise to take o ut
all lash in the steering gear ball n u t and sector teeth ;
tighten the lock nu t.
d. Check the torque at the steering wheel, taking the
highest reading as the w heel is tu rn ed through center
position. Readjust if necessary to o b tain proper
to rq u e (see Specifications Section at rear o f this
m anual).
N O T E : If m axim um
turn lash adjuster screw counter-clockwise, then
come up on adjustment by turning the adjuster in a
clockwise m otion.
10. Reassemble the pitm an arm to pitm an shaft, lining up the
m arks m ade at disassembly; torq u e th e n u t to specifica­
tions.
C A U T IO N : The pitm an arm to pitm an shaft fastener
is an im portant attaching part in th a t it could affect
the performance o f vital components and systems,
and/or could result in major repair expense. I t must
be replaced w ith one of the same part number or w ith
an equivalent part if replacement becomes necessary.
Do not use a replacement part o f lesser quality or
substitute design. Torque values must be used as
s p e c ifie d d u r in g re a s s e m b ly to assure proper
retention of this part.
11. Install the horn b u tto n cap and connect the b attery
ground cable.
Fi9- 2-Steering Gear Adjustment Points (Typical)
specification is exceeded,
C H E V Y V A N SH O P M A N U A L