Steering gear troubleshoot 40 truck

R

RET

Junior Member
I am getting only 1 1/3 turns (lock to lock) on my steering wheel after a total rebuild on my 1940 truck steering box. Ive read it should be 3 turns lock to lock. What should it be? It seems like not enough.
 
RET said:
I am getting only 1 1/3 turns (lock to lock) on my steering wheel after a total rebuild on my 1940 truck steering box. Ive read it should be 3 turns lock to lock. What should it be? It seems like not enough.
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Truck? How large?
The 1/2T. pickup truck and the passenger cars have about 4 1/4 turns lock to lock.
 
Does anyone have any insight to what is possibly wrong and how to correct this? I bought the rebuilt kit from Dennis Carpenter and followed any and all instructions on here and youtube. The sector and worm gears can only mesh only mesh one way.
 
Not enough information.
Is the steering box fully installed in the truck?
You have to assume it is something you did. Work your way back one step at a time.
Did you "center" the steering box (with front wheels straight) before attaching the pitman arm?
 
Centered the box pitman arm and steering wheel with the woodruff key on the shaft. No linkage attached to the pitman arm. Gears look the same as original ones from the box.
Seems like the gear mesh ratio is off but that can't be. Its on the truck.
 
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Can the gear mesh be off when installing the sector gear? iIt seemed it could only go straight in on the worm gear.
 
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The worm gear has nothing to limit its travel. You should be able to turn it continuously in either direction before you fit the sector. So the sector doesn't need to be "timed" with the worm. I'm only guessing but I would expect the sector should be able to rotate close to 90 degrees, lock to lock.
 
After reading this thread I walked out and checked my 41 1/2 ton and the total turns lock to lock was three and one half. I never checked that before so now I know. As for your limitted rotation as stated above we need pictures. Tim
 
I rebuilt my 37 steering box, with all new components. When I first tried it I had limited turns, the pitman arm shaft that holds the sector was not clearing the steering box. The pressed in shaft for the gear had to be ground to clear the steering box housing.
 
Ah. I just thought the problem might be the column lock cylinder at the column mount to the dash. I had a problem with it being frozen when the column was out of the truck. Once I get out there again later today I'll get back and report on it. This is so if someone else has a lock to lock problem.
 
RET said:
its mounted on the truck
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good to know...

in that case there may be physical obstructions that are blocking the tie-rods or steering arms, etc., from reaching their limits (this was previously mentioned, or implied, in a previous post by another contributor).

as steering devices are usually employed that inherently have more travel than necessary available to them and need to be artificially limited to prevent tires from rubbing on fenders, etc.

you could even be having problems with the spindles and king pins...

but to verify if the box or if the installation is the problem, it might prove beneficial to disconnect tie rod ends (and i understand this is much easier said than done) and manipulate the box independently from the steering wheel alone. and if it still proves to only turn a limited amount (which would mean, of course, the the box or the steering wheel or column was the problem), i might even go to the extreme of then disconnecting the steering wheel and column from the box and manipulate the box independently from everything so as to rule out the steering column and wheel, etc.

this is simply a process of elimination. :)

and in the end, if the box is the problem, i guess you could take it back to whomever did the rebuild. and if the installation was the problem, it should be readily apparent as to what's hitting what down in there in the steering area.
 
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Much thanks to all. Problem somewhat solved. I removed the steering column and with the steering wheel on the shaft I get full 3 1/2 to 4 turns of the steering wheel now. No obstructions at pitman arm and tie rod not connected to pitman arm. something inside the column is binding. Im going to try to remove all the shaft lock mechanism inside the column mount to see if it eliminates it all together. Yay. I don' have to remove the box and open it back up now. Crappy thing is I've had recent rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. Had to make a makeshift winch to hold the weight installing it. Any suggestions on a problematic column lock issue?
 
Does your steering shaft lock sleeve look like this?

584523


If so, you see that if the steering lock pin is extended, that it is impossible to rotate the steering wheel a little over a half turn in both directions.
 
yes the same. Looking down the shaft (it's out of the truck). I don't see any obstrustions. Maybe when it's installed the lock-in drops down and causes the shaft from rotating? I might try to remove the pin from the column mount and see ir It clears things up. thanks
 
RET said:
yes the same. Looking down the shaft (it's out of the truck). I don't see any obstrustions. Maybe when it's installed the lock-in drops down and causes the shaft from rotating? I might try to remove the pin from the column mount and see ir It clears things up. thanks
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If so, it would be impossible to move half a turn. Something else is hanging this up.

Pictures would sure help!
 
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