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(237)
STEERING GEAR AND TIE RODS
ADJUSTMENTS
7-5
(4) Steering gear or tie rods adjusted too
tight
(par.
7-5)
.
(5) Front wheel alignment incorrect in one
or more angles (par. 6-31).
(6) Frame bent or broken (par. 9-2).
c.
Rattle or Chuckle in Steering Gear
(1) Insufficient or improper lubricant in
steering gear (par. 1-5).
(2) Excessive back lash between ball nut
and pitman shaft sector in straight ahead posi-
tion or worm thrust bearings adjusted too
loose (par. 7-5). NOTE: On turns a slight rat-
tle may occur, due to the increased lash be-
tween ball nut and sector as gear moves off the
center or "high point" position. This is normal
and lash must not be reduced to eliminate this
slight rattle.
(3) Pitman arm loose on shaft.
(4) Excessive looseness in tie rod connec-
tions.
(5) Steering gear loose at mounting brac-
kets.
PITMAN
SHAFT
ADJUSTING
SCREW
~
Figure
7-5-Steering Gear Adjuotmenls
7 -4 ADJUSTMENT OF STEERING GEAR
AND
TIE
ROD
IMPORTANT : Never
attem pt to
adjust
steer-
ing gear
while it is connected to tie rod. Steer-
ing
gear must
be free of all outside load in
order to pro
perly
adjust worm thrust bearings
and the lash bet
ween
ball nut
and
pitman shaft
teeth.
1.
Disconnect
steering tie rod from pitman
arm by
unscre wing t
ie
rod plug until bearings
will
release the ball stud. See figure
7-4.
Check
ti
ght ness
of
pitman arm nut with 18"
wr ench.
2. Turn steering wheel gently in one direction
until it stops, then turn it back one revolution.
CAUTION: Never turn wheel hard against
stopping point as damage to ball nut assembly
may
result.
3. Check for lash between ball nut and pit-
man shaft by working the pitman arm. If a
perceptible lash does not exist, loosen lock nut
and turn pitman shaft adjusting screw coun-
terclockwise, until lash can be felt when work-
ing pitman arm. See figure 7-5. This separates
the worm thrust bearing load from the "high
point" load caused by close meshing of ball nut
and pitman shaft teeth.
4. Turn steering wheel slowly from one ex-
treme position to the other. Wheel should turn
freely and smoothly through entire range.
Roughness indicates faulty worm thrust bear-
ings or brinelled races. Hard pull or binding
indicates misalignment of steering gear as-
sembly in mountings, or an excessively tight
adjustment of worm thrust bearings. Any mis-
alignment must be corrected before steering
gear can be properly adjusted.
5. If binding
exists,
loosen the four steering
gear to
f
r ame bolts and the two steering col-
umn bracket bolts. Center steering column in
the cutout in dash panel and tighten column
bracket bolts, then tighten the steering gear to
frame bolts. If binding still exists, check the
steering gear column jacket for evidence of
being sprung which is usually indicated by a
rippled or wavy surface, particularly at the
lower end
.
A sprung jacket will throw the
steering shaft upper
bearing
out of line with
worm thrust bearings and create side pressure
on steering
shaft.
NOTE
:
If steering gear was
Figu,e
7-6- Ad lusting
Worm
Thrust Bearing s
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