Steering Problems with high steer (1 Viewer)

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DeadguyLLC

DeadguyLLC

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Sep 8, 2015
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27
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Location
Bushkill. PA
Website
danhenk.com
I have a 1978 FJ 40 with a SOA lift and 35" tires. I installed a high steer kit from 4x4 labs, and use a saginaw box with a two piece jointed shaft for power steering. Before the high steer kit, i had a serious case of bump steer. After installation, and the switch to a two piece shaft and new box via George at Valley Hybrids, steering was great for a while. Then i hit a pothole, the box skipped a gear (I am told it does this so the wheel doesn't lock up), and now my steering wheel was tilted up on the right.
I tried adjusting the front drag link, but there is aver little adjustment in the beefy high steer arm. So I pulled the wheel and repositioned it for the correct angle. Gradually, my steering has grow worse. I have to do these minor corrections as I wonder down the road to keep the vehicle straight, and it seems to turn sluggishly at first and then it dramatically turns too much. I checked toe angle and steering fluid level and both look fine. Any suggestions?
 
Post up some pics.
 
steering gear boxes do not skip a gear.

need more pics inside the engine compartment.

with the paint off the modified shock tower, I'm guessing the steering shaft needs support.
 
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Looks like u have 3 ujoints on your steering shaft. Which is fine except u need a pillow block of some sort on one of the shafts. Without it u probably have some pretty terrible steering. I probably wouldn't drive it actually because u risk binding the steering shaft and loosing control.
Another Old Red Farm Truck - Page 2 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum
Need more pics though of your steering shaft to tell for sure. Pretty hard to see whats going on. How many ujoints are on the shaft?
 
I was told by a spring shop that specializes in these boxes that they do indeed skip a gear in a bind. That's where I got the idea from. If they don't, I have no idea what happened. I have triple checked everything else and it's tight.
It's a two piece shaft, with a carrier bearing attached to the inside frame rail for support. You can see it right above the middle of the shaft joint.
 
I used to have a one piece shaft, and the steering box was mounted on the outside end of the frame rail. The pitman arm was really long and had already snapped in half once. George from Valley Hybrids talked me into the two piece flaming river shaft and a new steering box I could mount inside the frame rail.
 
Maybe the steering box needs adjusted for the slop or a possible rebuild.

The way the box is positioned looks really good.

Is the drag link parallel to the axle looking straight down to the ground?

Jack the front end, grab a tire and feel if there's any slop in the linkage.
 
As others have said, your steering shaft angles are pretty wild. It looks like it was routed that way to go under that funky motor mount and if the joints are not binding, they must be close. I'd be nervous about driving it set up like that.

My next step would be pulling the box off the truck and cycling it by hand. It's also possible that your steering shaft (female splines) is loose on the male input shaft on your steering box.
 
The steering shaft angles are not that bad have seen
Way worse in hot rods
Your description of the way the box is working now
There is something wrong in the box
It's not centered
Put a piece of tape at 12 o'clock Try turning it full right counting turns from center now count turning left should be double what turning center to right was
Never heard of a box skipping without something broken
Have seen twisted and broken sector shafts
Have ran up to 47 in tires on same style steering box
And never had one skip
Replace the steering box if that is what moved
 
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I may be wrong, but shouldn't that set/lock screw and nut be lined up with the flat area.
IMG_1714.JPG
 
AKcruzr said:
I may be wrong, but shouldn't that set/lock screw and nut be lined up with the flat area.
View attachment 1406615
Click to expand...

If it's the correct Borgeson (or similar) there are two set screws 90º apart, and the joint is bored for the DD shaft, meaning the set screws are there hold the shaft in place, not to keep it from turning. If that's not the case, then there is a problem!
 
The set screws are just to hold the shaft in place. So, what I'm getting here, is that the problem is most likely the box? It's fairly new, like just a few months old, but that doesn't mean it's fine
 
Is there a particular reason why you didn't use the standard motor mount location on the side of the block????
 
I got it like this, with e current motor mounts. It has a 454 GM big block V8 in it, so I am sure the mounts had to be changed.
 
something is odd here. you stated when the box was on the outside frame rail, you snapped the pitman arm in half.
now you switched to this setup and are having other issues.
new box from Georg? have you called and chatted with him?
what connection is there between the box and the steering shaft?

I would sett the front end up on jackstands, rear wheels checked and have someone turn the wheel from side to side and see how everything is rotating. set back on ground and have the engine running and do the same check.

who did the spring over? caster could be off causing some wander, spring bushings could be worn, U-bolts loose, trunion bearings loose or failing, wheel bearing issues.

I think you need to start from the beginning and check everything related to the front end.
 
The input into the steering box is a correctly splined U joint from Flaming River. The wheel bearings are new, I had to swap to new knuckles to get the later, bigger bolt pattern. Castor angle is fine, and the front bushings are new-I installed them with new shackles myself. Then it snowed, so I haven't done the back of the front leaf springs.
I emailed and messaged Georg to no response. I'll try calling him tomorrow.
 
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