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CHRYSLER SERVICE MANUAL
STEERING—431
nector assembly. Replace worm and connector
as an assembly, if any end play is detected.
If steering wheel free play does not exceed
% inch, it is an indication that the condition is
caused by one of the following:
Steering gear arm nut loose on gear shaft.
Tighten to 120 foot-pounds torque.
Loose front wheel bearings.
Steering linkage — check for worn or loose
tie rod ends. Loose steering knuckle arms.
Front wheel alignment.
Binding at king pins and bushings or at other
pivot points in front suspension.
b. Poor Recovery oi Wheels to Straight-Ahead
Position (Both Directions)
This condition may be caused by low tire pres-
sure, binding in front suspension parts, front
end alignment, etc. If the condition still exists
after checking and eliminating these possible
causes, make the following checks to determine
exactly what is causing the difficulty:
Disconnect linkage from the steering gear
and start engine. With engine idling, use a
torque wrench on the steering gear arm nut
and check the torque required to turn the gear
shaft from one extreme to the other. The read-
ings should be approximately equal and not
exceed 40 foot-pounds in either direction. If
reading does not exceed 40 foot-pounds, it is an
indication that the difficulty is caused by one of
the following: binding — tie rods ends, steering
knuckles, king pins and bushings, and front
wheel alignment.
If the reading does exceed 40 foot-pounds, it
is an indication that the difficulty is caused by
the Power Steering Unit. To determine the
exact source of the difficulty, start engine and
recheck the torque required to turn the gear
shaft each time one of the following possible
causes is checked:
Steering wheel to column jacket interference.
Steering column jacket bearing. Remove
steering wheel, jacket, shroud assembly and
steering tube. Recheck torque and, if reading is
40 foot-pounds or below, replace the bearing
and position, as outlined in preceding item. If
reading is not below 40 foot-pounds, proceed
with next item.
Gear shaft adjustment too tight. Adjust gear
shaft. If condition still exists and the torque
reading increases considerably when passing
through the center of gear travel, it is possibly
due to excessive chamfer on the center tooth of
the gear shaft. This condition does not apply to
units incorporating the equal tooth gear shaft
(identified by absence of chamfer). Units built
with the equal tooth can be identified by an "O"
stenciled on the end of the steering gear shaft or
cross shaft.
Remove gear shaft from unit and check for
excessive chamfer on the center tooth of gear
shaft. (It is not necessary to remove unit from
car.) The width of the chamfer flat on the center
tooth should not exceed %
G
inch. If it does,
replace shaft.
If torque reading still remains above 40 foot-
pounds, remove the unit and proceed with
checking.
Worm bearing pre-load too tight. Place unit
in holding fixture, connect test hoses and refill
reservoir. Remove worm shaft oil seal. Start
engine and check torque after readjusting worm
bearing pre-load. If torque is still too high, it
may be caused by worm shaft binding in the
connector or connector guide rails binding in
housing. Replace parts as necessary.
c. Poor Recovery of Wheels to Straight-Ahead
Position (One Direction Only)
Make checks, as outlined in previous item, to
eliminate the possibility of the difficulty being
caused by the front suspension or steering link-
age parts. After these possibilities have been
eliminated and the condition still exists, center
the control valve until equal torque readings are
obtained in each direction.
d. Unequal Steering Effort
Unequal steering effort may be mistaken for
"lack of assist in one direction." To establish
if such a condition exists, check steering wheel
turning effort as follows: With engine idling
and front wheels on floor, turn steering wheel
at a normal rate of r.p.m. from one extreme to
the other, and note the amount of turning force
required. After this check, turn the wheel in the
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