Steering box won't turn all the way left

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:07 am

On one of my last trail rides at some random point I noticed my steering wheel was almost up side down. I checked for anything obvious thinking I bent something, but found nothing wrong. After I got home I checked it out better and found at full turn left the steering as stopping about 1" before it hit the steering stop. I tried to adjust the drag link and The best I can get, it comes about 1/16" from hitting both steering stops. I just put this box in last year, less than 2,000 miles ago. It is the larger heavy duty box for the Cadillac heavy duty applications. The part that is bothering me, it seems like you can't get these boxes anymore? What should I do, send it out for a rebuild to somewhere like steer and gear?

SJTD · Post by **SJTD** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:52 am

I don't see how an internal problem could cause the steering wheel not to be centered when the wheels are straight ans still work. The column didn't slip at the box?

If nothing's bent maybe the whole axle/suspension shifted? Shackles? Bushings?

Post by **Stuka** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:16 am

It's your drag link. Most likely was not quite tight enough.

Just needs to be readjusted.

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jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:33 am

If the column slipped on the box, that wouldn't matter, the steering wheel would just be off. Wouldn't effect the steering box. As far as I know if you pull the column off the box, you can turn it in any direction as many times as you want. There is nothing to stop it.
The only thing I could think of was drag link slipped or something inside of box.
I adjusted the drag link and there is now not enough travel in the box to hit Left or right steering stop. It comes very close to them but doesn't hit, It just stops on its own. Normally the box would have way more travel than needed, the steering stops keep the tires from hitting the springs.

Post by **Stuka** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:41 pm

Well, the teeth inside the box are very large. No way for them to slip without something breaking. So if its not the drag link, then its got to be in the steering shaft someplace. I would probably move the box to dead center, and see where the tires and steering wheel are. Use the drag link to center the tires, and the steering shaft to center the wheel.

SJTD · Post by **SJTD** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 2:35 pm

The shaft wouldn't affect travel, could cause the wheel to be off center. Something else going on.

Are you sure you had travel to the stops before the off center incident?

RockRollin · Post by **RockRollin** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 3:17 pm

Are you running a dampner, did the mount slip? I know it wouldn't account for the off center, just a possibility of stopping the drag link.

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 5:21 pm

I am sure It had full travel before. I bought the box new and installed it. i adjusted the steering stops to keep the tires off the leaf sp like I said, this happened on the trail ride. I do have a damper on it. I don't think the damper is damaged, as after messing around with it, it does turn left and right, just not as much as before. I did recenter the box and adjust the drag link to recenter the wheels. to adjust the drag link short enough to recenter, I had to remove the adjuster sleeve and clean out the last 30 years of dirt that was packed inside of it. i have it pretty even, i want to say at full lock now, there is 1/16" gap to the steering stop. right now the steering wheel is vertical, instead of horizontal. i know when i put the lift in, i was able to straighten the steering wheel with the drag link. i know when i put the box in, i was able to adjust the wheel with the drag link. ive never taken apart a power box, but ive rebuilt manual boxes before.
the day it happened i just figured the column somehow slipped and the steering wheel was just off. but it was a huge charity wheeling event, and on the way out at the end of the day, with all these groups trying to get out at once, i noticed i had to make like 3 attempts to make a sharp left turn. something i think would have been 1 shot. that's when i decided to dig a little further and see what was going on.

Post by **Stuka** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 7:09 pm

Did you add a drop pitman arm since you installed that steering box?

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VOX · Post by **VOX** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 3:49 am

I would say that the last time the front end was aligned the technician failed to tighten the tie-rod adjuster sleeves and the threads skipped.

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:08 am

I put the drop pitman arm on a few days after the box I believe. About a year ago.

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:25 am

I can't imagine the pitman arm slipping on the box but that or something inside the box is the only thing I can see causing this.

Post by **Stuka** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:49 am

Wasn't thinking the pitman arm slipped. But drop pitman arms decrease turn radius because they are shorter.

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Tatsadasayago · Post by **Tatsadasayago** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:09 pm

Yup! Those drop arms definitely reduce turn radius! My turn circle increased about 6 feet after adding mine. Before changing it I had substantial bump-steer but could flip the U-Turn onto the frontage road near my house with plenty of room to spare. After I would hit the curb unless I went wide into the turn Class A style. I had to adjust the drag link to get the steering wheel centered but that caused me to lose turn radius to the right. In the end I centered the Pittman arm, centered the drag link adjuster then removed my aftermarket steering wheel and clocked it accordingly.

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 4:46 pm

This has nothing to do with adding the dpa. It has been on there for a year, this just happened last month.

AwesomeJ10 · Post by **AwesomeJ10** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:47 pm

cracked frame

carnuck · Post by **carnuck** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:59 pm

Loose steering box bolts or the pitman arm skipped.

Post by **Stuka** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 5:11 pm

carnuck wrote:Loose steering box bolts or the pitman arm skipped.

The pitman armed is keyed. Only way for it to slip is for it to strip all the threads, including the thicker keyed splines.

carnuck · Post by **carnuck** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:36 pm

Or the wrong sized shaft like someone recently found out while driving.

jamesdart · Post by **jamesdart** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 3:55 am

I checked it out again last nite. Had wife turning the wheel back and forth. Pulled off the steering damper its straight, extends fully and compresses fully. it's travel is centered with the wheels straight. Nothing is flexing out of the ordinary with the wheels being turned.

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