I have a 1950 1/2 ton and have rebuilt the steering box After assembly the parts were centered on worm gear and assembled after putting steering wheel on and centering the wheels and steering wheel. The wheel turns 2 turns to the left and 2 1/2 turns to the right when wheels are centered and steering parts are returned to the same place as was before disassembly. Both wheel stops are set to the same setting. Any help in this matter would be greatly apperated.
Centering The Steering Box Go get a plastic degree wheel & disconnect the drag link . Tape the degree wheel to the steering wheel & turn it as far as it'll go in one direction , being *very* careful when it stops ,zero the degree wheel and turn the steering wheel as far as it'll go in the other direction , being sure to carefully count the total number of degrees from one extreme lock to the other , write that down and divide it by two ~ now zero the degree wheel again and turn the steering wheel 1/2 the # of total dregees & STOP ~ (don't sweat the steering wheel orientation) , center the degree wheel to zero and tru turong it from this point , to each left and right extreme , if the # of degrees is equal in either direction , the box is now well & truly centered . Remove and adjust the steering wheel as necessary , then re - connect the drag link . That's all there is to it and , you'll discover that most of these trucks were assembled a degree ot ten off when new so now the steering geometry will be spot on and make your old truck (car , whatever , this works for everything) drive noticeably better . Remember : now , after you've centered the steering box , is the time to set the toe - in to 0° or 1/8" . If , after setting the toe , the steering wheel isn't perfectly centered , loosen the tie rod clamps and roll them equal amounts to adjust the steering wheel ~ DO NOT change it's position on the steering box shaft ! . Then , finally , you can go back and fiddle with and adjust , the steering stops . It is critical to do this all in the correct order or you'll chase your tail forever . This can be printed out and taken out to the rig as a ' cheat sheet ' ~ it may sound complex reading it here but it's not , just do each step in order and you'll be happy with the end result .
That is SO true, Nate. Each time I read one of your step-by-step instructions I wanna print it out, 'cause I'm sure I'll need it at some point. You must have worked intimately with these trucks for some time. I'm sure I speak for a lot, if not ALL of us here, when I say We really do appreciate your expertise, and your willingness to share it with us, (sometimes over and over again) Thanks.
My Service Notes You're welcome . Yes , I worked on an old truck , once ya know . The neat thing is : most of my Tech Tips work on pretty much anything with wheels & engine . I write these things for a variety of different Vintage Vehicle Forums and I've been told that sold folks have ledgers full of them , mostly mine but also others because " Cheat Sheets " are an invaluable resource , you copy 'em & take out to the shop , look at 'em 1/2 way through the job , make notes & diagrams scribbled in the margins etc. then toss out when done . I try to tweak them for the specific application whenever possible . Trust me when I tell you that the good people here have taught me WAY more than I can ever repay .
