Steering box problem (not steering)

[ryan]

I have an 85 pickup with high steer and I stripped out one of the holes on my steering box. I figured out that the original push pull steer box has the same end pice as the crossover, so I switched them without loosing any of the bearings. Well, I must have done something wrong, because when I hooked it all back up, and turned my wheels all the way to the right, the tires hit the bump stops, but my steering wheel kept turning. Know my steering wheel turns without turning my pitman arm. Some how, I think that the piston fell off that cork screw shaft and all my ball bearings must have fallen out, because I can still move the tires and the wheel, but they do not turn each ohter. What do I need to do to fix it? Is there a certain way that you have to assemble it?

[KToy]

need more description or pics.

you can turn one way but not they other....?

did u tighten all the bolts specially the pitman arm bolt ?

[ryan]

The problem is internal. The steering wheel spins freely and does not turn the output shaft for the pitman arm. I can turn the pitman arm by hand and it does not turn the steering wheel. So, somehow I assembeled the box wrong when I swaped parts. The part is the section where the fluid enters and leaves the box. There are four bolts that hold it on and when you pull it out it pulls off the little splined shaft that the steering colum hooks to, and that is hooked to a cork screw shaft the pulls and pushes the piston inside the box. I don't have any picks, but it is the first part they pull apart on the tech section of this site.

[KToy]

what year truck... if its 89 or newer then you broke your steering shaft under the dash toyot had a recall for it about 3 months ago. the ujoin or something breaks on the steering column with big tires.

[KToy]

even though its an 85 i would check under the dash to see if u broke something on the steering wheel column.

[ryan]

I went back and read my posts and realized that it didn't make much sense. Sorry.
Everything is fine from to steering wheel to the box, and everything is fine from the box to the tires. It is something inside the box that has malfunctioned. I assembled my box wrong and need to know the correct way to assemble it.

[KToy]

buy a new box :)

[ryan]

I would, but I just had it tapped by rocklogic, so I am hopeing to fix it.

[KToy]

then i would assume u have something off in your steering setup like ur arms or something.


pics WOULD really help.

or im sure someone here could come look at it for u depending on where you live.

[ryan]

I can not figure out how to post a picture.

[zig80toy]

I'm a little lost here. Your using a modified push pull box for crossover steering? What do you mean by "same end piece"?

[ryan]

I would post a picture to help but I must be stupid because I can't figure it out. The part of the box that the hoses attach to is removeable. This section of the box is the same as a push pull box, so I swaped them. I have come to realize that this is a bad idea, because all those little bearings fell out that go around the piston and that cork screw shaft. I just had an idea to use heavy grease to stick the bearings in place and not surcome to gravity and fall out. Any other ideas would be great, expecially how to post pics.

[ryan]

I figured it out. :grin:
This is the piece I swaped, and all those little balls need to go inside some grooves inside the piston.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/ryansadler/steerbox2.jpg

Here is the piston with a pile of bearings inside. Those bearings need to stay in their grove in about three full circles, which means some of them have to sit upside down before I can put that shaft back in.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/ryansadler/Steerbox1.jpg
Hope this helps.

[ryan]

The heavy grease worked.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/ryansadler/piston2.jpg

See that little tube on the out side, from the inside of the piston it looked like ports for fluid to lube the bearings, but to my surprise, it was a passage way for the bearings to go through to form a continuous loop. The openings were just bent enough to not allow for the bearings to fit through.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s34/ryansadler/piston1.jpg

Nothing like doing it the hard way.