89 B250 steering box adjustment?
From : ht
Q: i have an 89 b250 van power steering 318 auto. the steering sensitivity is very light. the slightest amount of pressure on the steering wheel when driving will result in major movement of the vehicle across the road. in addition it is a constant adjustment act to keep it running straight. it feels like it is just a feather in the wind and has no real ground gripping feel to it. if you dont concentrate totally on it it will wander all over the road not to mention get pushed around by the air flow of larger vehicles passing or meeting it. it has new bilstein shocks on the front which improved the ride and absortion lots but did nothing much for the light steering response. the steering wheel will just move a nominal 1 inch or so left to right to move the wheels when parked and turning the wheel to check it. the steering box has what appears to be an adjustment of some sort on the top of it a cast ring with what looks to be about a 5/8 bolt head in it. is this steering box adjustable and what would the procedure and direction would it be opened and turned to tighten it up if it can be tightened to reduce the super-light touch of the steering -- thanks.. ht .
Replies:
From : ht
on sun 07 dec 2003 161045 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote why dont you tow the wheels out a little more so that you can really have some fun! ok ill bite. lol seriously why would toeing it out a little bit more let me really have some fun what fun lol does it seem like the toein is out too far now or what because when the front end is toed out it will wander side to side when you are driving. the least little correction on the steering wheel will tend to make it dart to that direction. toe out is not good. it needs to have a little toe in to make it steer correctly. bks suggestion of an eighth inch is probably fairly close. you would need to look up the spec to be sure denny ok that makes sense. i was just confused. ill do that of course next week but are there no adjustments to be made to the steering box ratio to tighten it up im grasping at straws trying to find a fix for something that might not be fixable... -- thanks.. ht .
From : ht
on thu 04 dec 2003 194353 gmt gary glaenzer nobulltrans@mchsi.com wrote usually when its like that the toe-in is set to zero have the alignment checked ok what should it be set slightly outward to create resistance while rolling is this not set to zero toein a factory spec or something discovered to solve this specific problem -- thanks.. ht .
From : ht
on thu 04 dec 2003 231448 gmt honeybs@radix.net beekeep wrote on thu 04 dec 2003 193315 gmt ht munged89roadtrek@addressmyrealbox.com wrote i have an 89 b250 van power steering 318 auto. the steering sensitivity is very light. the slightest amount of pressure on the why dont you tow the wheels out a little more so that you can really have some fun! ok ill bite. lol seriously why would toeing it out a little bit more let me really have some fun what fun lol does it seem like the toein is out too far now or what just take a tape measure and measure the distance between the tires front and back. they should tow in about 1/8 inch. i am guessing you are saying the correct toein to help this condition is 1/8 inch in instead of out correct sorry im confused and showing it arent i -- thanks.. ht .
From : denny
on thu 04 dec 2003 231448 gmt honeybs@radix.net beekeep wrote on thu 04 dec 2003 193315 gmt ht munged89roadtrek@addressmyrealbox.com wrote i have an 89 b250 van power steering 318 auto. the steering sensitivity is very light. the slightest amount of pressure on the why dont you tow the wheels out a little more so that you can really have some fun! ok ill bite. lol seriously why would toeing it out a little bit more let me really have some fun what fun lol does it seem like the toein is out too far now or what because when the front end is toed out it will wander side to side when you are driving. the least little correction on the steering wheel will tend to make it dart to that direction. toe out is not good. it needs to have a little toe in to make it steer correctly. bks suggestion of an eighth inch is probably fairly close. you would need to look up the spec to be sure denny .
From : beekeep
on thu 04 dec 2003 193315 gmt ht munged89roadtrek@addressmyrealbox.com wrote i have an 89 b250 van power steering 318 auto. the steering sensitivity is very light. the slightest amount of pressure on the steering wheel when driving will result in major movement of the vehicle across the road. in addition it is a constant adjustment act to keep it running straight. it feels like it is just a feather in the wind and has no real ground gripping feel to it. if you dont concentrate totally on it it will wander all over the road not to mention get pushed around by the air flow of larger vehicles passing or meeting it. it has new bilstein shocks on the front which improved the ride and absortion lots but did nothing much for the light steering response. the steering wheel will just move a nominal 1 inch or so left to right to move the wheels when parked and turning the wheel to check it. the steering box has what appears to be an adjustment of some sort on the top of it a cast ring with what looks to be about a 5/8 bolt head in it. is this steering box adjustable and what would the procedure and direction would it be opened and turned to tighten it up if it can be tightened to reduce the super-light touch of the steering -- thanks.. ht why dont you tow the wheels out a little more so that you can really have some fun! just take a tape measure and measure the distance between the tires front and back. they should tow in about 1/8 inch. beekeep .. .
From : gary glaenzer
usually when its like that the toe-in is set to zero have the alignment checked i have an 89 b250 van power steering 318 auto. the steering sensitivity is very light. the slightest amount of pressure on the steering wheel when driving will result in major movement of the vehicle across the road. in addition it is a constant adjustment act to keep it running straight. it feels like it is just a feather in the wind and has no real ground gripping feel to it. if you dont concentrate totally on it it will wander all over the road not to mention get pushed around by the air flow of larger vehicles passing or meeting it. it has new bilstein shocks on the front which improved the ride and absortion lots but did nothing much for the light steering response. the steering wheel will just move a nominal 1 inch or so left to right to move the wheels when parked and turning the wheel to check it. the steering box has what appears to be an adjustment of some sort on the top of it a cast ring with what looks to be about a 5/8 bolt head in it. is this steering box adjustable and what would the procedure and direction would it be opened and turned to tighten it up if it can be tightened to reduce the super-light touch of the steering -- thanks.. ht .
From : denny
on sun 07 dec 2003 161045 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote why dont you tow the wheels out a little more so that you can really have some fun! ok ill bite. lol seriously why would toeing it out a little bit more let me really have some fun what fun lol does it seem like the toein is out too far now or what because when the front end is toed out it will wander side to side when you are driving. the least little correction on the steering wheel will tend to make it dart to that direction. toe out is not good. it needs to have a little toe in to make it steer correctly. bks suggestion of an eighth inch is probably fairly close. you would need to look up the spec to be sure denny ok that makes sense. i was just confused. ill do that of course next week but are there no adjustments to be made to the steering box ratio to tighten it up im grasping at straws trying to find a fix for something that might not be fixable... -- not really. that set screw on top of the box you really dont want to mess with. it is a lash adjustment on the pinion gear. if the teeth would wear and have a little play you could tighten it up a little with the adjustment screw. over the last 30 some years i have seen veryvery few that needed adjustment. usually it is the bushing on the sector shaft that wears causing play in the gear box. if you tighten that screw up the best way that i can explain it is that you have the feeling that you are trying to balance on top of a ball. it is very tight dead center and as soon as you turn a little bit either way it seems to go too easy. bks suggestion of the tape measure will work but it would be better to just get it aligned and be done with it. denny .
From : ht
on sun 07 dec 2003 165801 gmt denny wddodge@woh.rr.com wrote explain it is that you have the feeling that you are trying to balance on top of a ball. it is very tight dead center and as soon as you turn a little bit either way it seems to go too easy. bks suggestion of the tape measure will work but it would be better to just get it aligned and be done with it. denny ok thanks its going to the shop tomorrow. -- thanks.. ht .