angle of 60 series steering box and DW

[slickrock]

I have done a full write up on installing a 60 series steering in a 40 and have installed a 60 series axle. I am tracking down some death wobble that comes and goes and I am on to looking at my steering box.

I noticed that the pitman arm sits at 90 degrees to the boxes shaft. Now here is my issue, my steering box may be angled forward by a degree or two causing my pitman arm to point the slightest bit down. And this might be causing my problem. If it is, I need to pull the box, weld up the holes for the bolts, and rethread new ones to square up my box.

What I need to know is what is the angle of your pitman arm coming right off the steering box shaft. IF it is right at 90*s, I found my issue. (The pitman slants down towards the TRE after about an inch from the shaft. I need to know the angle of the arm right off the shaft of the steering box).

Also, if my steering box is not 90 degrees to the axle, would this cause a slight wobble?

 

[Poser]

What is your caster angle set at and how did you measure this?

 

[Poser]

Did you get this all figured out?

 

[Mace]

So far, three separate threads and none of them are answered..

 

[grant5127]

Bolt them on and go.......

Never a issue........

 

[Poser]

Have you replaced the leaf spring and shackle bushings yet?

Are you sure that the u-bolts are secure?


Did you rebuild the 60 series front axle when you swapped it into the 40? Or are you running something that was just removed from one vehicle and installed into another?

Did you replace the steering knuckle bearings?

If so, did you verify steering knuckle bearing pre-load?

Were the seals on the rear of the steering knuckle when you verified the steering knuckle preload?

What did you use to verify the steering knuckle bearing preload was accurate, or what did you adjust it to and how?



Again, what is your caster set at and how did you go about measuring your caster angle?

 

[Isotel]

Slickrock, Post up photos of your setup too.

Angle of steering box has nothing to do with it! many boxes including Factory setups are not at 90 degrees

 

[slickrock]

I am lagging on pictures. Club is going to Calico Friday and we have been working on our rigs and getting gear ready. I can drive it now with only minor wobble from 40 to 45. Not dangerous, just annoying. I took out the 4* shims, the bottom leaf, and ran a stabilizing bolt through the center of the shackles.

Everything checked out on Poser's list , big yes or as per FSM.

I will post pics when I get back Monday. The only thing that is not new or replaced on my entire steering, which ran fine for about 2 years (with the stock axle but started to get wobble, and now it started again with the 60 series axle) until it started to the wobble at 45, is the steering box. It was a used one when I got it and I think that it may be the culprit. .

 

[Poser]

Everything checked out on Poser's list , big yes or as per FSM.

You answered nothing...



Did you rebuild the front axle?

If so, what items were replaced?

Did you install new knuckle bearings?

If you did install new knuckle bearings, what was the knuckle bearing preload?

What did you use to verify these numbers?

Did you verify the knuckle bearing preload with the wiper seals on the back of the knuckle housing?

 

[slickrock]

You answered nothing...



Did you rebuild the front axle? yes

If so, what items were replaced? see below

Did you install new knuckle bearings? SOR Front Wheel Bearing Kit- Major Shim & Gasket Set-

If you did install new knuckle bearings, what was the knuckle bearing preload? Per FSM (can't remember off my head,and used fish scale for inner nut.

What did you use to verify these numbers? Fish Scale, torque wrench, Foot LB and Inch LB.

Did you verify the knuckle bearing preload with the wiper seals on the back of the knuckle housing?
Sorry, can't remember, but followed FSM and SORs rebuild instructions, so what ever order FSM said, I did [/QUOTE]

I need to stress, the same thing was happening with the 40 axle that ran fine for two years with the 60 series box. out of no where wobble. Decided to replace everything including TRs, and TREs, with 60 series axle. Drove fine for a few days, then started to get random wobble again (especially after a wheeling trip). Then it went away for a few days to finally start again. Now wobble is about 80% of the time and 20% rides straight and true.

This is why and it is the only ting left, is the steering box.

 

[Mace]

I have asked a couple of times so far, how did you mount the 60 series axle?? Did you outboard the springs?

Also, how is the 60 steering box bolted to the frame? Did you sleeve the frame? Any slop in the steering wheel?

 

[slickrock]

OH forgot to respond to that. Yes the springs were out boarded. Everything lined up great and everything was square.

Sleeved frame, no slop at all in the wheel.

 

[Mace]

Have you provided any pictures of the setup yet?

 

[Poser]

Have you provided any pictures of the setup yet?

 

[slickrock]

tonight guys

 

[Poser]

tonight guys

right....

OK I suck and fell asleep before uploading the pictures

But hey, that was just your brakes. It is not like it is your steering.....

 

[slickrock]

These are the best pictures I could get right now guys. By the time I got home from work, it was getting dark and I needed to load the rig on the trailer and get all my camping gear loaded up. Not to mention the nagging wife who wanted me to do a thousand things before I went to Calico for the weekend.

These picks were taken on my Palm and the best I can get since it is on a trailer. I will take more when I get back.

Dan

 

[John Smith]

It may be an optical illusion but I would say your pinion looks like it is kind of pointed up towards your transfer case which gives you crappy caster unless you cut and turn. I would ditch the steering stabilizer also since it is only going to mask any slop issues you have.

 

[Mace]

Please tell me you have more support than it looks on that front shackle hanger..

 

[Pin_Head]

The angle of your box and pitman arm aren't going to have anything to do with DW, but the angle of your drag link could be a contributor, because you are going to have some bump steer. As your springs compress, it will turn right.

There are two factors that contribute to DW and you need both. There are so many things that are potential contributors, which makes it hard to fix.

1) Slop or play in anything that locates the wheel. This includes the lug nuts, wheel bearings, knuckle bearings, U bolts, spring bushings, shackle hangers, tie rod ends, steering box and frame cracks. It is the sum of all the slop that it important. From what you have described so far, you don't seem to have checked all of these possibilities.

2) A side to side initiating and propagating force that makes the wheels oscillate. The things that contribute to the propagating force include wheel alignment (caster and toe in; too little or too much of both) and wheel run out. The things that can intitate the wobble include hitting a bump (railroad tracks are notorious for starting DW) or bump steer. A steering dampener can change the probability of DW happening at a particular bump or the speed at which it happens, but it is not a cure.