Steering box adjuster - allen key adjuster stuck?

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Jcauli82

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Instead of the Jeep shaft, I would recommend the Flaming River U-joint to just replace the rag joint. The Jeep shafts have a rubber insert that keeps the two halves 'glued' together and if that gets too hot they can un-couple as your going down the road. That's usually only a problem with headers but it was a risk I wasn't willing to take.
Amen on the flaming river u-joint .....about the best thing I've done to my front end so far.

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Rigid90sMTB

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Well does anybody know? You guys said to get a flaming river u joint so which part # do I order? Really need to fix this steering asap
 

RichLo

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NP. Good choice on how to tighten up the steering. That was the last thing I did after a full steering overhaul including a new redhead steering box and that U-joint improved the steering more than any other single part I replaced.
 

Wilecoyote

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Not to highjack the thread but I put about a 1/8th of a turn on mine and it did tighten the steering and fixed a clunk in the steering when turning hard right. I still have some trouble w wandering when the wind is gusting 15mph or more driving 70mph on the highway. I notice there is a lot of play in the gear box when the engine is off but its much tighter when the engine is running. I assume their should not be alot of slop in the box when the pump is not spinning, but the truck steers fine around town and on the highway when the wind isn't howling.
 

Junior_357

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If all the front end parts are good, then the rag joint needs to be replaced. The rag joint is made out of a tire like rubber, and wares out in time. Since the rag joint connects the steering shaft to the steering box, when this rubber looses its stiffness, you will get play in the steering wheel. This play can be as much as 1/8 of a turn or even more. The allen bolt your fooling with, will not remove this play. It is there to set drag on the inner shaft more or less, and will not remove play in the steering shaft.

It will remove SOME play in the steering box, since that adjuster screw modifies the engagement pattern on the gears in the box. But even just a little too far in can (and usually does) create a binding situation in the gearbox...and then you have what RichLo was referring to...catastrophic damage to the gearbox. I have adjusted them correctly in the past...and it does help. But as already noted...this is a last-ditch band-aid approach on a vital component for maintaining control of you 2T vehicle...so do it at your own risk.
 

Junior_357

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Add that I am glad to see a rousing endorsement of the Flaming River U-joint...since I just ordered one for my 1992 C1500. Hope it takes care of the nasty 1/8-turn dead spot each side of dead center. That slop makes it hard to make minor adjustments when my lowered truck starts tram-lining on the lousy roads around my house.
 

Aparke4

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I did the flaming river joint and the install was pretty straight forward... but I think it exposed more the fact that I have a worn out gearbox as there is more play in steering wheel with the joint. The truck does have 267k and I do not have much service history of anything steering related, especially with old hydro boost and oil line leaks. It is worth the time to replace: I need to do the idler and pitman arm + new steering stabilizer to really see how worn out my steering box is (just did new TRE's/ still slop in steering wheel...going down the line til the box is last)
 
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