Steering - Can't leave well enough alone

[bannind]

I have a 79 Ford auto tilt column in my 67. Just sitting in the garage with everything off, I can turn the wheel 15-20degrees before I feel it 'tighten'. All of the linkage is new and I see the ujoint at the steering box moving the shaft coming out of the box. What can I do to tighten up that 'play' in the box?

Side note - do I just take off the wheel to replace the PRNDL shift indicator light?


thanks,
dan

 

[Crush]

That light is part of the turn cancelling harness. cant replace it that I have ever seen without replacing the whole wire harness for turn signal. as far as the degree movement, assuming you have power steering, 15 to 20 degrees that is normal even in most vehicles. without the engine running and the power steering going. the wheel will turn and take up all slack in all commponents before trying to move the wheels so it seems excessive but is pretty normal, unless everything is a solid connection such as universals on the steering column and heim joints on every tie rod end connection. I beleive manual steering shou,ld be a little tighter and you may be able to adjust the steering box or have it rebuilt to take out some play

 

[DirtDonk]

Been awhile since I actually looked at one, but I'm pretty sure that the light bulb is in fact replaceable. Your '79 column certainly should be anyway.
There should be a twist-to-remove module under the steering wheel.

For the steering you need to isolate where the resistance is coming from. This might mean disconnecting some of the linkage.
Were you doing your test with the full weight of the vehicle and the tires on the ground? Power steering or manual?

For testing all the individual parts for excess play, you do want the tires on the ground. But to test for something binding, you want the tires of the ground so you can move the individual components back and forth.
It could be as simple as old bound up axle u-joints, or it could be ball-joints, or it could indeed be the steering box. Only one way to find out though.
And this one way also lets you make sure that the steering gear box is centered when you're going straight down the road too.

So, disconnect the draglink from the pitman arm and steer the box back and forth again. If it binds up you know it's in the box or the column. Disconnect the column from the box because you're going to have to do it anyway and see where it is.
It's very possible someone in the past has "adjusted" the preload screw to take up some slack and turned it too tight. You could then be feeling the on-center position which is tight to begin with, but you'd never know it normally. If too tight though, it will bind up. Time for a look-see inside or a full rebuild.

If it no longer binds up without the draglink, you know it's not the box but instead is downstream in the linkage or components.
If so, disconnect the tie-rod from one or both steering knuckles and rotate each knuckle by hand. If you feel binding in one or both, you've just narrowed it down some more and you know you might as well rebuild the steering knuckle areas.
This includes ball-joints AND u-joints while you're in there.

And speaking of "while you're in there" as we often do, you might as well repack and properly adjust the wheel bearings. You're going to have them all apart anyway, so doing so is a no-brainer.

Good luck.

 

[Crush]

dang Paul I believe you are correct. I looked at a turn signal cancelling wire harness i have on the workbench and sure enough it is removeable.. i guess being so small i thought it wasnt. too bad this one is all messed up. thats why its on the bench. had to replace it with another extra i had but its wire was cut off so i put it in anyway

 

[Broncobowsher]

I have a 79 Ford auto tilt column in my 67. Just sitting in the garage with everything off, I can turn the wheel 15-20degrees before I feel it 'tighten'. All of the linkage is new and I see the ujoint at the steering box moving the shaft coming out of the box. What can I do to tighten up that 'play' in the box?

Side note - do I just take off the wheel to replace the PRNDL shift indicator light?


thanks,
dan

Completely normal. You are flexing the torsion spring in the spool valve. That is the spring that keeps the ports centered and when flexed allows the power in the power steering to happen. When it "tightens", you are hitting the internal stops and going manual steering. The softer that spring is, the less effort you need to turn the wheels (easier to get into the assist).

With the engine running that will be fine.