Steering box rebuild, what's the trick with the balls??? (1 Viewer)

[Godwin]

In the final stages of putting a steering box together and I am having difficulty in getting the balls back into the piston. I've tried several ways and either have some jam up inside the piston, or fall out the rear, or with all 33 fed in cannot push the hoop with the other 11 in deep enough.

Any tricks to this? The FSM is not helpful.

 

[Infinity00]

If no one else gets back to you soon, I’ll dig into how I did it. I remember it was hard to get it started but then it became really easy once I figured out the trick. I think I used a small non-metallic tool to help push them around while turning or wiggling the worm gear they get fed into,then once they were moving it was easy to feed them all in. But don’t quote me on that. Like I said, if no one who does this a lot, gets back to you I’ll try to follow up and add more information.

 

[Godwin]

I've been feeding them in through both holes, wiggling and turning the worm gear and most will go in. It's getting down to the last few that are problems. In turning the worm gear some want to push up and out of one of the holes, or if turning the worm gear outward balls fall out of the piston.

I'll try using a small tool to push them around.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I lined the cage w/ thick gear grease, added the balls, fit the other side to it, small zip tied both sides together. Then added balls to the piston twisting and turning as said above then pressed the cage in. Cut the zip tie and pull it out. No problem.

 

[FJ40Jim]

For future reference, doesn't the FSM say not to pull the ball nut off the shaft? There's nothing to service in there, and you just drop the balls on the floor and get them dirty. Balls should be spotless for precise steering.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, That's true, but when taking the box apart sometimes it gets away from you and the balls fall out,ask me how I know. Mike

 

[Godwin]

For future reference, doesn't the FSM say not to pull the ball nut off the shaft? There's nothing to service in there, and you just drop the balls on the floor and get them dirty. Balls should be spotless for precise steering.

I seem to learn best from my mistakes

 

[FJ40Jim]

Well, at least your balls are cleaned & lubed now.
Enjoy!

 

[Godwin]

For future reference, doesn't the FSM say not to pull the ball nut off the shaft? There's nothing to service in there, and you just drop the balls on the floor and get them dirty. Balls should be spotless for precise steering.

Precise steering in reference to the FJ60

 

[Godwin]

Got it. This was about 1/2 walking away and coming back to it to try a new approach. I inserted the worm gear fully into the piston nut and began feeding balls into the more central hole. Wiggle and turn the piston nut and the balls would drop in. When I most, ca. 1/3 didn't count, of the balls into this hole I moved to the hole nearer the end of the piston nut and did the same procedure of feeding them in one or two at a time and wiggle and gently turn. Aligned the hoop and pressed it in as far as I could then tapped with a plastic hammer.

Balls waiting to go in swam in a clean pool of ATF.

 

[Godwin]

Cross shaft had a groove so I installed a speedi-sleeve. #99128 (1.257 - 1.263 in.) was the model number and size. The shaft went into the freezer overnight and when I was ready to install the speedi-sleeve it went into the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Because the cap supplied with the sleeve wouldn't work with the shaft I had to find something else for driving it on deep enough. Found this Toyota supplied SST . Fit was a little loose but it worked.

 

[Godwin]

To add a little more to this - shaft diameter was 32.00 mm, inner speedi-sleeve diameter 32.15 mm.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Now that’s darn impressive. I never thought about a speedi-sleeve there. Spiffy.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

This is the area that had the wear?

 

[Godwin]

This is the area that had the wear?

View attachment 1720342

No the area with the wear is just below and inside the spindle. I think the area you circled is where the teflon seal rides. The grooved wear point was where the lowermost seal rides, and now covered by the speedi-sleeve.

 

[Godwin]

Speedi-sleeve complication the outer diameter of the sleeve is just large enough that it cannot pass through the roller bearings.

I considered freezing the shaft with the sleeve to see if with that it would pass through the bearings but discarded this idea. If this would work then once expanded I don't think the shaft could ever be removed. At this point I'm going to carefully remove the sleeve and consider other options.

My opinion - don't use a speedi-sleeve to cover a groove.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

That stinks. Good luck.

 

[Godwin]

Very careful use of a Dremel with a cutoff wheel and the speedi-sleeve is off. This took a delicate touch. The shaft now fits of course but the groove remains. My next idea is to double up on the lower seal. I expect leakage because of the groove in the shaft but with a second seal installed it will ride in a new location and should contain the ATF.

In my mind this will work, reality may dictate otherwise

 

[FJ40Jim]

That works fine. Forego the second seal and simply drive in the new seal a little deeper so the seal lip is riding on New shaft material. That also fixes leaky t-case output, front main seal, etc.

 

[Godwin]

Used two seals because I already had the second and I wasn't sure where the first seal had been set in relation to the groove.

Couple of lessons learned:
1) don't mess with the balls lol: x 44)
2) speedi-sleeve will not work because of the roller bearings

Mounted up the resealed box this weekend and no leaks, that's the good part. Bad part I don't have the adjustments set properly because there's a binding in turning the wheel lock to lock.