Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

[Donald H.]

I'm hoping Gary sees this post and will give me some guidance.

I'm using a couple of his articles and the service manual to rebuild my 1966 steering box. I have removed and installed all the bushings, bearings and such.

I installed the worm shaft with worm nut in the housing and set the lash (mine is at a little between 4 and 5 inch pounds). And I am using an inch pound dial torque wrench.

I got the lash screw gap to .0015. Then I installed the pitman shaft into the housing. I am having difficulty getting the pitman lash set to the desired 11-14 inch pounds. I have the lash screw just about all the way down and I have only gotten to 10 inch pounds.

Can I increase the lash on the worm shaft to increase the overall lash to get more at the pitman shaft?

Or did I do something wrong?

Thanks,
Don Harris

[Donald H.]

Re: Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

I think I've got it now. Another 1/4 turn and I have a little over 11 inch pounds. Just not much thread left on the lash adjustment.

[Jim D.]

Re: Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

The picture of the lash screw looks the same as mine after I rebuilt it.

[Gary R.]

Re: Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

I just got home, spent the week in Lake George NY, didn't see any C1-C3's though.

Don,
Preload should be 5 in/lbs and STEADY on the needle. If you see it jumping around the ball screw radius is usually bad. Once I finish all the box prep work I install new end bearings and setup the bare ball screw to see if the preload is smooth. If it is jumping around with just the ball screw then you're never going to get it dialed in. At that point I install a new worm assembly. Once the preload is correct I check the pitman shaft,(sector), to see where the lash it. 14 is too much, keep it between 12 -12.5 total. Many times the center tooth is rolled and you may find it too deep. Now with some early castings, they setup deep regardless. I believe it has to do with the castings, I always check this. I have over 700 sets of new gears so I may go through several sets until I get the match I want. The preload is 5, the lash 12-12.5 at high center, side play in common bushings may fall anywhere between 004-006" all depends on the parts used. I fit the bushings to 002" but use bushings I have made to my spec first.

[Donald H.]

Re: Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

I just got home, spent the week in Lake George NY, didn't see any C1-C3's though.

Don,
Preload should be 5 in/lbs and STEADY on the needle. If you see it jumping around the ball screw radius is usually bad. Once I finish all the box prep work I install new end bearings and setup the bare ball screw to see if the preload is smooth. If it is jumping around with just the ball screw then you're never going to get it dialed in. At that point I install a new worm assembly. Once the preload is correct I check the pitman shaft,(sector), to see where the lash it. 14 is too much, keep it between 12 -12.5 total. Many times the center tooth is rolled and you may find it too deep. Now with some early castings, they setup deep regardless. I believe it has to do with the castings, I always check this. I have over 700 sets of new gears so I may go through several sets until I get the match I want. The preload is 5, the lash 12-12.5 at high center, side play in common bushings may fall anywhere between 004-006" all depends on the parts used. I fit the bushings to 002" but use bushings I have made to my spec first.

Thanks very much Gary.

[Gary R.]

Re: Gary Ramadei - need help with steering box rebuild please

You're welcome Don.

Now in a perfect world your high center and factory chisel mark will be the same. The real corvette world is not perfect, far from it. I have found original boxes, 63-82's with the chisel mark or "D" flat off high center many times. Some are dead nuts the same, others are off 5-10-15 degrees. True center is 1/2 the distance lock to lock however many times the true center and high center are not the same. Keep in mind once in the car the box will never travel lock to lock and is referenced from the center.

I will be covering steering boxes next month as part of my seminar at Carlisle.