first... bare with me, this story is a little stupid.
My GP has had sloppy steering for some time now. It has trouble keeping straight and wonders with road bumps or depressions. The steering box is one of the few things never been changed on this car. Since the car is sitting right now with driveline out, I thought, what better time to upgrade the steering box... this should solve the sloppy steering.
I bought a Jeep steering shaft, and I bought a Cardone reman'd steering box, the F41 2-1/2 turn quick ratio box. It cost $118 if I return the old core. To my knowlege, my GP did not have quick ratio. So I drive out to my friend's garage where I'm doing all the work, with all the parts, to change the box.
I find out, that with the current box, steering has 2-1/2 turns lock to lock... So I put the shaft on the new box, and 2-1/2 turns again. So it looks like I already have a F41 quick ratio box, and I've bought this new one for no reason.
After much debate, I decide, the old box is old and has many years of abuse, so I decide to change it out anyways. And I bet steering will feel smoother and crisper with the new box.
With the wheels off the ground, my old box seems to have some play before wheels start to turn. So this must be the play in my steering, right?
So yesterday, I pulled out the old box, and installed the new one. It fought me, took some time to make sure I geared it correctly on the pitman arm, but I got it in. So I hooked up the shaft, and started turning the wheel. And this new box seems to have that same play as the old, and it doesn't feel quite as smooth as the old one...
And after some examination, I notice my pitman arm has some play on the center link joint as well! So maybe my steering box was never the issue, and it was the pitman arm?
Long story short... Have I wasted my time?
I've put good money into this new box, but it doesn't feel any different from the old. Right now, I don't have any power to it (no engine there to run pump), so I'm just turning it by hand with the wheels off the ground.
should it feel noticeably different from the old one?
should I take it back out, return it and get my money back? And see if fixing the pitman arm will sort of the sloppy steering?
Trying to gauge if I've wasted my time and money here, before I hook up the pump
thanks for reading,
My GP has had sloppy steering for some time now. It has trouble keeping straight and wonders with road bumps or depressions. The steering box is one of the few things never been changed on this car. Since the car is sitting right now with driveline out, I thought, what better time to upgrade the steering box... this should solve the sloppy steering.
I bought a Jeep steering shaft, and I bought a Cardone reman'd steering box, the F41 2-1/2 turn quick ratio box. It cost $118 if I return the old core. To my knowlege, my GP did not have quick ratio. So I drive out to my friend's garage where I'm doing all the work, with all the parts, to change the box.
I find out, that with the current box, steering has 2-1/2 turns lock to lock... So I put the shaft on the new box, and 2-1/2 turns again. So it looks like I already have a F41 quick ratio box, and I've bought this new one for no reason.
After much debate, I decide, the old box is old and has many years of abuse, so I decide to change it out anyways. And I bet steering will feel smoother and crisper with the new box.
With the wheels off the ground, my old box seems to have some play before wheels start to turn. So this must be the play in my steering, right?
So yesterday, I pulled out the old box, and installed the new one. It fought me, took some time to make sure I geared it correctly on the pitman arm, but I got it in. So I hooked up the shaft, and started turning the wheel. And this new box seems to have that same play as the old, and it doesn't feel quite as smooth as the old one...
And after some examination, I notice my pitman arm has some play on the center link joint as well! So maybe my steering box was never the issue, and it was the pitman arm?
Long story short... Have I wasted my time?
I've put good money into this new box, but it doesn't feel any different from the old. Right now, I don't have any power to it (no engine there to run pump), so I'm just turning it by hand with the wheels off the ground.
should it feel noticeably different from the old one?
should I take it back out, return it and get my money back? And see if fixing the pitman arm will sort of the sloppy steering?
Trying to gauge if I've wasted my time and money here, before I hook up the pump
thanks for reading,
