Steering wander

[Pinger]

Excess toe makes for goofy steering. Things are OK 'dead straight", but then the steering wheel turns, and the vehicle gets "darty".

Is that excessive toe out?

While I'm here asking questions.... My 1999 C2500's steering wheel is crooked (about 30 degrees crooked) and I want it corrected. The only place I can see to do this is on the adjustable arms that toe is adjusted with but mine are seized with corrosion and will need some force (and other trickery) to free. What worries me is distorting them (opening them up) such that they subsequently lose their grip (the grip they are supposed to have when adjustment is complete) and the steering slips?
Are my fears valid? Any tips for dealing with these? (Replacements in the UK may not be easily available in current times).

 

[alpinecrick]

Is that excessive toe out?

While I'm here asking questions.... My 1999 C2500's steering wheel is crooked (about 30 degrees crooked) and I want it corrected. The only place I can see to do this is on the adjustable arms that toe is adjusted with but mine are seized with corrosion and will need some force (and other trickery) to free. What worries me is distorting them (opening them up) such that they subsequently lose their grip (the grip they are supposed to have when adjustment is complete) and the steering slips?
Are my fears valid? Any tips for dealing with these? (Replacements in the UK may not be easily available in current times).

Somebody installed the pitman arm a tooth or more off.
Hypothetically you can adjust the steering arm with the tie rod adjusters, but if you have it aligned the adjusters won't necessarily be turned the same amount.

 

[Pinger]

Somebody installed the pitman arm a tooth or more off.
Hypothetically you can adjust the steering arm with the tie rod adjusters, but if you have it aligned the adjusters won't necessarily be turned the same amount.

Well spotted!
Among the paper work that accompanied the truck, there's a receipt for a new Pitman arm. Pity the previous owner didn't go back to the garage that fitted it and demanded they do it right. Makes my life a shitload easier though - cheers!

 

[Supercharged111]

Somebody installed the pitman arm a tooth or more off.
Hypothetically you can adjust the steering arm with the tie rod adjusters, but if you have it aligned the adjusters won't necessarily be turned the same amount.

Mine have always been splined so that this would be impossible without some serious brute force and ignorance. I have managed to get the steering shaft back onto the box crooked a couple of times. It's boggling how effortlessly it can slide into the wrong position there.

 

[Pinger]

Mine have always been splined so that this would be impossible without some serious brute force and ignorance. I have managed to get the steering shaft back onto the box crooked a couple of times. It's boggling how effortlessly it can slide into the wrong position there.

Are you saying that it isn't a misaligned Pitman arm that is the cause of my crooked wheel?
Should I be looking at the steering column where it meets the steering box? Would that have been disturbed in fitting the new Pitman arm (ie box removed from truck to fit Pitman arm)?

I agree with alpinecrick when he says the adjusters will be turned a different amount. They will. An acceptable amount - but not ideal. I'd prefer to make the correction elsewhere (and found out the hard way that at the steering wheel is not the place to do it!)

 

[Supercharged111]

The Pitman arm is splined so that it can only go on one way. The box has to come off of the vehicle to replace the pitman arm on a 4x4, so there's your opportunity to put the shaft back on the box wrong.

 

[alpinecrick]

Mine have always been splined so that this would be impossible without some serious brute force and ignorance. I have managed to get the steering shaft back onto the box crooked a couple of times. It's boggling how effortlessly it can slide into the wrong position there.

A lot of the pitman arms no longer have the "notch" (for lack of better term) that indexes the pitman arm to the output shaft on the steering gear.

But you are correct, the steering shaft is another point that can be installed with the index incorrectly--I should have remembered that because I've done just that in the past........

 

[east302]

Are you saying that it isn't a misaligned Pitman arm that is the cause of my crooked wheel?
Should I be looking at the steering column where it meets the steering box?

The end of the steering shaft does have a flat spot (or whatever it’s called) to fit onto the gearbox, so it would be pretty easy to check. In theory, you’re supposed to insert this metal rod tool into the bottom of the steering wheel housing to lock the wheel when the shaft is disconnected. That keeps the wheel from turning and damaging the airbag clock spring. When correctly aligned, it will be an equal amount of steering wheel revolutions from left stop to center to right stop.

 

[east302]

A lot of the pitman arms no longer have the "notch" (for lack of better term) that indexes the pitman arm to the output shaft on the steering gear.

I’m making a mental note to look out for those. There’s no way I’d get it back on exactly right.

 

[Supercharged111]

My Moogs have had the notch.