steering wheel play

K

KEN2939

Junior Member
just got my 29 A on the road. went through the brakes, shocks and suspension. some play in the steering wheel. all links and arms look good. any ideas. how can I check the steering gear and is it adjustable?? I also just picked up a 31. no play in the steering on that one.
 
If your 29 is a 7-tooth, you have limited options for adjustment. The later 2-tooth, as your 31 should have, is better engineering. The Ford Service Bulletins are your best source for addressing this issue.
 
I have NO experience with the 7 tooth model, However if it's a 2 tooth I can help you somewhat. To begin with, the 2 tooth has four adjustments, Two are bearing take ups. These four adjustments are supposed to be done in sequence! I'm pretty sure that the bearing are first, There are 2 cone bearings at the top and bottom of the worm. You will note that there is a 7/16 bolt with locknut. This bolt drives the the upper bearing race downward and takes up the slop in the 2 cone bearings. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! Just snug it till it stops! Too tight and you crack the race and you'll fell a click when turning the wheel. Next, you'll see a adjusting screw with a locknut again, snug the screw up and relock the nut. Check the play. You may have removed some of it already. Now it gets complicated! There are two more adjustments, The upper RH bolt of the side plate is an off center bolt that will adjust the fitting of the tooth mesh. If this looks familiar, The last one is a slotted screw that must be accesed from underneath. This is an off center arrangement like the other. Sorry I can't do better, but that will get you started.
Terry
 
I have my 7 tooth in pieces and on my work bench. I'm waiting on parts that were ordered and cleaning up the column and related parts getting reused. Some things I've observed as I was taking it apart, and this 7 tooth setup is the least desirable steering box made in my opinion. The sector shaft on mine was not sealed on the end, no o-ring on the end as the vendors now offer. Oil would have leaked out in a matter of days. The upper bushing on the steering shaft bushing is above the upper grease fitting. I have to question this design as my upper bushing showed the most wear of any place. The sector and pinion have no adjustment to take up clearance or lash between the gears in the centered position. There is an adjustment screw on the end of the sector shaft to take up end play. There are shims on the lower steering shaft bushing between it and the end of the column to take up end play on the pinion shaft, those have now been replaced with gaskets in the kit. There are thrust bearings on each side of the pinion gear same as what are on your front axle kingpins.There were only 3 brass shims left in mine and I suspect there might have been some already taken out in the past. Also my steering shaft has a lot of wear, and is rough probably a lack of lubrication. Down on the bottom end where your light switch mounts, there is a fitting with a felt washer that acts as a seal. Mine had chewed into the end of the steering shaft probably due to end play or it had been previously over tightened by someone that didn't know that the felt should have been replaced. Most of the vendors offer a fitting with a brass tube that pretty much goes up along the light switch rod inside of the steering shaft to help keep the lube from leaking down in the switch, but I think it could have been made longer, I'm sure I'm wrong as a longer tube might bind. To me it would be worth a try. I'm trying to not reengineer this steering box, but I'm considering welding a boss for a lube fitting or vent about the middle of the upper shaft bushing to be sure there is always lube up there. Lets face it, shafts and bushings are only going to last for a certain length of time, but I'm sure good maintenance will help a lot. I'll try posting pictures later now that I see somebody else is asking about a 7 tooth steering.

There is a reason a lot of people ditch the 7 tooth box and buy a F100 from Randy @ Mel's Model A. If you are going for fine point judging then that's another thing.
 
In addition to the good advice above, one additional item to verify is the pinch bolt for the Pittman arm. Mine was loose and caused a couple of inches of play in the steering wheel.
 
I had worn steering box to frame bolts that removed 1" play when replaced. The movement was very little and could only be detected by watching the bolts while someone else moved the steering wheel. Seems to be more common on the gas tank column support.

John
 
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