Repair advice wanted; Tight steering box

[John Newell]

Hi again.
Five days till the best event of the year, and I still have a whole page of tasks to do... Cam going in crankcase tonight... etc!

Thus the plan of stripping the steering box and going right through it, is long gone!

Can anyone advise please on the likely issue and remedy for a tight box!

I recall some 5 or so years ago adjusting something so that the mesh was a bit tighter, giving less free play.
Over time, it has gradually got tighter. Initially it only got noticeably tight when the steering was loaded during a high g turn. Now it is tight all the time. Quite stiff in fact.

I know it is in the box and not the drag-link or axle, as I have just rebuilt, lowered and fitted another front spring, so had the whole axle assembly out.

I have searched on here but could not find anything relevant. Also had a brief look in both green & red books but nothing jumped out at me.

Thanks in advance
John
Christchurch
New Zealand

[Duncan Grimmond]

My (limited to two rebuilds) experience was with changing the casting to a lowered angled version. the first was easy-peasy, straight swap. The second was a pain as when the three bolts were nipped up the whole thing went into seized mode. I ended up using a thinner shim and making a very slightly thicker gasket in thin card. All has been OK so far but I'm waiting for it to prove itself in heavier use.

[Speedex750]

Hi John,

You don't say if it's tight all the way through the travel or just at the straight ahead position? Also that's it's not just heavy steering at slow speeds which isn't unusual. It's hard to envisage that the clearances have tightened up if they were previously well set, the likely explanation is that the lubricant has dried or leaked away. Try reapplying some thick oil or grease through the nipple on the top, there's other threads on here extolling the virtues of various products but anything will be better than dry gears.

If that doesn't have a noticeably positive effect then it's steering box out time (though, depending what's in the way, with a bit of ingenuity it can be done insitu). Again there's other threads on here about setting up a steering box. There's three adjustments and you need to do them in the correct order; firstly end clearance on the steering column (can you feel any up and down movement at the steering wheel?), then the end clearance on the drag arm (does it go in and out of the box?), finally the gear meshing slackening the three cover nuts and pulling the cover with the lateral nut. You should look for just the feel of a tight spot at the straight ahead position when the drag link arm should be vertical.

I hope you get a better feel to the steering; it is important!

Dave

[Mike Costigan]

Oil is better than grease; the latter works its way up the column and drips onto the driver's lap!

[John Newell]

Hi John,

You don't say if it's tight all the way through the travel or just at the straight ahead position? Also that's it's not just heavy steering at slow speeds which isn't unusual. It's hard to envisage that the clearances have tightened up if they were previously well set, the likely explanation is that the lubricant has dried or leaked away. Try reapplying some thick oil or grease through the nipple on the top, there's other threads on here extolling the virtues of various products but anything will be better than dry gears.

If that doesn't have a noticeably positive effect then it's steering box out time (though, depending what's in the way, with a bit of ingenuity it can be done insitu). Again there's other threads on here about setting up a steering box. There's three adjustments and you need to do them in the correct order; firstly end clearance on the steering column (can you feel any up and down movement at the steering wheel?), then the end clearance on the drag arm (does it go in and out of the box?), finally the gear meshing slackening the three cover nuts and pulling the cover with the lateral nut. You should look for just the feel of a tight spot at the straight ahead position when the drag link arm should be vertical.

I hope you get a better feel to the steering; it is important!

Dave

Thanks for your reply Dave. It's very useful.
When up on axles stands the steering is very stiff in all positions and in both directions. Stiffness the same rate everywhere.
I had wondered about lubricant. Wondering if I can drive Penrite Groil in with a grease gun... Hmm.
Have searched on this new site with nothing coming up. Am I searching the wrong way somehow, or are these threads on the old forum?

The column end play; is that adjusted by threading the column in or out, on the big thread at the box?

And how is the end clearance adjusted?

Please forgive the newly questions, without a lot of research. I'm armpits deep in sand bending a new tuned-length exhaust manifold. Juggling lots of other engine rebuild tasks too.

Regards John

---

Hi John,

You don't say if it's tight all the way through the travel or just at the straight ahead position? Also that's it's not just heavy steering at slow speeds which isn't unusual. It's hard to envisage that the clearances have tightened up if they were previously well set, the likely explanation is that the lubricant has dried or leaked away. Try reapplying some thick oil or grease through the nipple on the top, there's other threads on here extolling the virtues of various products but anything will be better than dry gears.

If that doesn't have a noticeably positive effect then it's steering box out time (though, depending what's in the way, with a bit of ingenuity it can be done insitu). Again there's other threads on here about setting up a steering box. There's three adjustments and you need to do them in the correct order; firstly end clearance on the steering column (can you feel any up and down movement at the steering wheel?), then the end clearance on the drag arm (does it go in and out of the box?), finally the gear meshing slackening the three cover nuts and pulling the cover with the lateral nut. You should look for just the feel of a tight spot at the straight ahead position when the drag link arm should be vertical.

I hope you get a better feel to the steering; it is important!

Dave

Thanks for your reply Dave. It's very useful.
When up on axles stands the steering is very stiff in all positions and in both directions. Stiffness the same rate everywhere.
I had wondered about lubricant. Wondering if I can drive Penrite Groil in with a grease gun... Hmm.
Have searched on this new site with nothing coming up. Am I searching the wrong way somehow, or are these threads on the old forum?

The column end play; is that adjusted by threading the column in or out, on the big thread at the box?

And how is the drag arm end clearance adjusted?

Please forgive the newly questions, without a lot of research. I'm armpits deep in sand bending a new tuned-length exhaust manifold. Juggling lots of other engine rebuild tasks too.

Regards John

[Dave Mann]

Can the control tubes be easily slid out, I came across a Seven with tight steering requiring both arms to heave it round when jacked up. The cause was a mangled control tube, once I got it out the steering was nice and free.

[Speedex750]

Hi John,

Keep asking questions alongside playing with the bits; it's how we all started learning.

You need to locate the problem before trying the adjustments. Disconnect one end of the drop link to totally eliminate the stub axles and steering joints. Is it completely tight (which would suggest the column is tight) or is there some slack when changing from one direction to the other - suggesting there is some internal clearance? Try lubrication if it's tight all the way and the suggestion of the control tubes could be valid but outside of my experience.


Yes: screw the column in and out, after slackening the through nip bolt, if there's end clearance at the wheel. Some boxes have a second position for the locking peg bolt.

The drop arm spindle end clearance is adjusted by shimming behind a mushroom shaped button INSIDE the steering box. You can feel its location on the bulbous left side of the box. If you're doing a full box rebuild you also have to take into account the cover gasket thickness here.

Then try either removing insitu the cover of the box or slackening the three nuts and the adjuster slightly. Knock it out of mesh by turning the steering wheel and then pulling the mesh gradually in with the adjuster nut. It's more obvious when you see it than to describe.

Dave