Steering box on '95 chevy 2500

rrman61

Well-known Member
I have slack in my steering box(power steering) on my 2 WD 8600 GVW chevy.how hard is it to tighten up/get rid of the excess slack in the box?Truck has 297000 miles on our great (sarcasm intended) La. roads!
 
unless its just a small amount and you can adjust it with the sector screw, you dont, the steering box has to be replaced, when i did my 95, apparently there are known defects on the factory box, the replacement will have the fixes built into it, its not too bad a job, if you have a decent set of tools, but a helper is good the box is fairly heavy. also carefully check the idler on the other side for slack, thats another common part that fails
 
It is easy to adjust.

Best to jack the front up so you can feel the steering. The way the gears are cut, there is a "tight spot" when the gear is set straight ahead. As you adjust it, you will be feeling for that "tight spot".

Set the wheels straight ahead. Turn the wheel to lock, then turn to other lock while counting the turns. Then go back 1/2 the number of turns. That will center the steering gear.

Look on top of the gear housing, there will be a jamb nut on a short screw. Loosen the jamb nut, then turn the screw in until you feel slight resistance. Then turn the steering wheel slightly back and forth, feeling for the tight spot. Repeat the process until you can feel a slight tightness when turning the wheel back and forth. Once you can feel the resistance, back the screw off ever so slightly until the tightness is gone, lock down the nut.

Have you checked the grease in the gear? If it is sloppy, chances are the seals may have leaked. There is a plug on top of the housing, fill it with 90-140 weight.
 
any auto parts store [napa, carquest ect] can get one, exchange, there not too bad,a few hundred, about half what a dealer wants for one, if you have some time , and dont need the truck, rock auto can save more, be sure to check the shipping costs, the thing is heavy. this is one part you dont want to get off ebay or simaler site, for one,if its a factory box it will have the same problems yours does now, and if its off a wreck, you may not get a good box, be sure to completely check out the steering linkage, be sure it is the box, plus if any other parts need attention now is the time to do that too, when installing be sure the new box is centered [ wheel turn side to side, haveing 1 turn to the left and 2 to the right when your all done really spoils your day
 
That box does not have gear oil in it, as some have stated. It is lubed entirely by power steering fluid. The box also needs to be removed from the truck to properly adjust. Adusting as stated below will result in having the on-center feel right, but it will still have slack due to the input shaft bearing slack. The input bearing preload can only be adjusted off truck, empty of fluid, and with an inch pound beam torque wrench. I can get you the procedure and specs if you want, but any local parts store can get you a reman unit for under $200. Adjusting an old gear also can make them start leaking. Also make sure the pitman arm is tight, would recommend replacing it just to be sure while the gear is off.
 
Double check your pitman arm, doesn't take much slack there to make it wander bad.
 

My experience was the gear mesh at and just to both sides of straight ahead position wore enough to give you the slop you feel at the wheel.

So when I did the adjustment, it removed the slop, but then it was too tight in the unworn part of the gears that you only used making real turns. So it was a compromise, it was a little better, but nowhere near new.
 
Sprint, I had him confused with someone else that posted about a 1 ton with manual steering.

Correct, power steering is lubed by the fluid, not by grease in the gear box.
 

Have you had it checked out by a good alignment shop it not its money well spent. They will be able to tell you what it needs, I spec with those miles its been worn out two times :lol:

My 94 front end was worn out at 150K it got a complete rebuild with $Moog$ parts, Moog is the only way to fly.

The first pittman arm the splines were stamped wrong I never could find enoufh adjustment to center up the steering wheel. A few weeks ago I ran across the splines stapled wrong on another new arm (moog) :evil:

My new box has a very small leak it drives so good I add fluid to it every 6 mo's. I drive it less than 1K a year. It the best driving truck I have ever driven I drive a lot of trucks so I will put up with it. A new box should get a set of new hoses they are cheap.

Next issue in a parking lot maneuver on a quick turn the power steering pump would wine. One day the pressure hose went to leaking I replaced it along with the return hose the wine went M.I.A. :D It must have been a restriction in a hose.

For those that have to replace the pittman arm take the steering shaft lose, pitman arm and the bolts that mount the box to the frame. You can maneuver it to get the arm off with the hoses still attracted. You can gamble and leave the steering shaft on but the stress will case it to leak at the input seal.
 
Sprint 6 has the best advice. I worked at SSG where the steering boxes were made. About the 97 time frame there was a design change to the input shaft bearing assembly on 2500 and 3500 non EVO vehicles to help with warranty issues. The box can only be adjusted correctly off the vehicle as the input shaft needs to have the bearing preload set before adjusting the lash. You can just adjust the lash in the vehicle, loosen jam nut and with an allen wrench turn the screw clockwise not more than a 1/2 turn at a time. If you tighten the lash to tight you will have memory steer as the vehicle will not want to return to center after turning. The main cause for to much play in the C/K trucks is most often the pitman arm. The grease fitting is often missed because it is hard to see and or get a grease gun on it. The idler arm on the opposite side of the frame also wear out for the same reason. If you have a helper, have them turn the steering wheel back and forth a 1/4 turn or so while you are under the hood watching the intermediate shaft turn the steering input shaft. With a flash light watch to see if the pitman arm on the bottom of the gear moves instantly when turning the wheel. If it does the pitman shaft to relay rod linkage is shot. If the pitman shaft does not move the sector gear needs to be adjusted. Do this while the wheels are loaded on the ground as it will be easier to find the slop.
 

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