Steering Box Adjustment

1982 DODGE RAM
634,200 MILES
Avatar
DINKYDONK
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
drifts all over the road. looks like a nut with a spanner nut behind it. Play in steering wheel. Don't know what else to say..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
May 22, 2013 at 7:32 AM
Advertisement
Avatar
CARADIODOC
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 34,306 POSTS
What are you looking at? Why are you looking at it?

The most common cause of steering wander is a worn steering coupler between the steering gear box and shaft coming down from the steering wheel. Those can be rebuilt if you can find the parts. The gear boxes also commonly got out of adjustment. The pitman shaft can be adjusted by loosening the lock nut on top, then turning the adjuster screw in a little. Those can be tricky and over-tightening it will cause the steering to bind when driving straight ahead. It will want to bounce off to one side a little giving the impression of of sloppy steering. If you try to adjust that just tighten the screw 1/8 turn at a time and drive it. Do that a few times as long as the sloppy steering keeps getting better.
May 22, 2013 at 11:03 AM