Binding Steering

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: WinnieGypsy  (Original Message)
Sent: 8/10/2005 3:05 AM

In dire need of troubleshooting tips...on 1973 Winnie Brave (Dodge 318 with hedders - 1 ton 18' chassis)

Not sure how to T/S for binding. Have been told my kingpin(s) were bad, then told they were alright. Even when jacked up, am hitting a "hump" just left of center when turning the wheel. Had steering column taken apart due to fried wire; this problem seemed to start shortly thereafter. Had column disassembled and re-assembled again, and now problem is less severe, but still there. At low speeds steering has WAY less play (is sticky almost), but does also momentarily stick at high speeds. Am under the understanding that P/S pump would not work intermittently - is either good or bad. Have visually checked linkage for binding - seems o.k. Belt o.k. and fluid too.

I'm left thinking the problem is either kingpin or steering gearbox related, but not sure how to go about isolating (eliminating possible high dollar repairs to determine the one that will get me back on the road).

My Winnie is my home and only vehicle. I'm a novice auto mech and cannot afford hours of shop troubleshooting in addition to the possible $500 and up repairs that likely need done. In other words, pointers and suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Thanks much.



From: denison
Sent: 8/10/2005 6:53 AM

Though it seems at first to be a steering box adjustment problem, we might need more specific info to help. When the steering column was taken apart and put back together, was the steering box adjusted in Any Way? The mechanic might have noticed your steering wasn’t snug, and did the expedient adjustment, without mentioning it. If it wasn’t adjusted, then I would expect you would have the same amount of steering play as you had before. And the amount of steering play wont change between low speed and high speed, but if the power steering pump is misbehaving, it might seem that way.
The usual way for a mopar power steering pump to intermittently misbehave is for the flow-control-valve/regulator-valve to be sticking, due to dirty oil contaminated with tiny rubber particles - usually when its over 15-20 years old. The result is that the "assist" you get from the power steering can be uneven, can come and go erratically. This could possibly be what you feel as the steering "momentarily sticking at high speeds". This pump misbehavior is often more noticeable until the p.s. fluid is all warmed up. A p.s. pump can also have a drive belt so loose that it wont spin the pump consistently, and you wont necessarily hear a belt-squeal. You can easily check for an oily p.s. belt. If the pump is low on fluid, you would hearing a moaning sound when turning the steering wheel.
Any problem caused by your power steering pump acting goofy wouldn’t always occur at a particular angle of the steering wheel. So if this happens only when the wheel is turned to the left or right to a specific position, then it isnt that pump.
Simplest first; There is a "thumb" of some kind near the top of the steering shaft, inside the steering column, whose purpose is to cancel the turn signal. It would be located where the turn signal switch is mounted. If some wiring or part of the turn signal switch assembly was interfering with this "thumb" it might cause a noticeable "hump" feeling. This would happen when the wheel was at that position, whether it were almost straight ahead, or when the steering wheel were turned a further complete turn to the left or right. If the "hump" only happens when the wheels are nearly straight ahead, then its not anything rubbing inside the steering column.
The common reason for the steering to feel sticky when pointing straight ahead, or close to straight ahead, is because the adjustment on the steering box for the pitman shaft "preloading" has been set too tight. This adjustment never tightens by itself, but it can be done in about 1 minute by someone in a hurry to take out steering play - who doesn’t want to do the Correct Procedure, and adjust the steering shaft preloading first! The steering shaft preloading adjustment takes longer, and is harder to reach.
I will send you an email with a .pdf attachement, telling how I adjust my steering box. It isnt a complex adjustment, though one that is commonly neglected. The document also explains how to check your kingpins and bushings for wear, and to check/adjust the toe-in. That isnt very hard either, except for getting dirt in your eyes.
Its always possible you have a combination of problems too. There is a "pot joint" where the steering stub shaft comes up from the steering box, and connects to the steering shaft that goes into the column. If this has been damaged or reassembled wrong, it might cause some hangups. The purpose of this joint is to allow for slight mis-alignment between the steering column, and the steering box, and to isolate the steering column from the movements of the steering box, as the frame and axle go over rough roads. That joint is supposed to be free to slide in and out a little bit, but should have zero angular freedom. If you ever take the steering shaft out yourself, be sure to open up that joint and pack it with grease.
I grease my kingpins and bushings each 1000 to 2000 miles, and it is necessary to jack the axle up so the weight is off the wheel, to properly grease them.



From: HeavyHaulTrucker
Sent: 8/16/2005 7:49 AM

WinnieGypsy, here is the technique for checking your kingpins, so you can rule them in or out:

1. Jack up one side of your steering axle so that the wheel is several inches off of the ground.

2. Grip the tire with one hand on the top of the tire, and one hand on the bottom of the tire; get a firm grip. You can also place a long bar under the tire and use it to raise the tire/ wheel assembly.

3. Try to wiggle the entire tire/ wheel assembly vertically.

4. If you can wiggle the assembly more than 3/4 of an inch to an inch in each direction, your kingpin on that side is bad and needs to be replaced.

Do this on both sides. If you don't get an abnormal amount of play on either side, you can rule out the kingpins.

John



From: WinnieGypsy
Sent: 8/19/2005 5:38 AM

John,

Thanks so much for the tips. I am a lone soldier right now, but will have my uncle in the next couple days to help me t/s this. Will definitely use the technique you suggested - I appreciate it!

Leah



From: Oldbag373861
Sent: 8/20/2005 12:53 AM

Hey, My steering is kind of stiff while pulling into my driveway after a road trip last week. While camping I noticed that the steering box was leaking oil on the blacktop at a campground (always a popular thing, especially when the sewer valve is dripping a bit too). Is there a way to replenish the oil in the box? A filler plug perhaps? A heavy equipment mechanic friend of mine said that generally you can use 15-40 oil in these boxes. All I see is a plate on the side of the box held on with 4 bolts, and what looks to be an adjusting screw with set nut in the middle. But I don't see any potential filler plugs.



From: denison
Sent: 8/20/2005 8:24 AM

I dont recall what kind of chassis your Winnebago is on, but when the steering box leaks, power steering fluid is what would come out. You have to remove the engine cover and put power steering fluid back into the reservoir at the top of the power steering pump. Dont use motor oil, it will ruin the rubber seals inside the power steering system, and the power steering hoses too.
If it were low on power steering fluid, it would get hard to steer; around tight corners at first, and soon would be hard to steer in any direction other than pretty much straight ahead. When the oil is that low you would probably be able to hear a soft moaning or groaning sound, as the pump is pushing air bubbles along with the oil. This itself wont hurt the power steering pump.
If the power steering box is leaking badly, it needs fixed. I fixed a leak that mine had, (a pint of fluid per driving day) but it was a fair amount of work, as I dropped the steering box and its bracket off the vehicle to do it. It can leak from several places; the top seal, the pitman shaft seal, and the O -ring at the bottom front of the unit...
BUT, the first place to look for a leak would be from the rubber hoses between the power steering pump and that steering box. The hoses are not very hard to replace, just a dirty job. A new high pressure hose might be hard to find. It is possible you could take your old hose to a shop that makes up or replaces hydraulic or power steering hoses, and have them put on new high pressure hoses. If the metal part of the hose assembly is too rusty though, this wont work. My high pressure hose split one day as I was turning around in my driveway. I got a length of the correct type of hose, and just used 3 hose good quality hose clamps on each end of the hose, to clamp it onto the old steel lines. The steel braided hose is meant for use with the swaged ferrules, but my makeshift repair has held up for several years now, and about 16,000 miles.
If your winny is later than a 74 or 75, it might have hydroboost brakes, where the power brakes get their power from the power steering system. In this case you will have more than one high pressure hose, and you should replace all of them. With that hydroboost system, losing power steering fluid means you lose your power brakes too. !!!!



From: WinnieGypsy
Sent: 9/5/2005 3:16 AM

Thanks all, for the tips. I am thrilled to announce my uncle and I have seemingly fixed the problem with lube. I was able to rule out my kingpins and isolated the problem to the column itself after having disconnected the drag link to inspect. Turns out, the bottom bearing on the column was the culprit. After lubricating this bearing, the binding (sticky hump) went away. My joints, bushings, and kingpins were in dire need of greasing as well, so in the process of isolating and fixing this problem, I learned how to do this. Thanks much, fellow Winnie lovers, for your help. As soon as gas prices ease (hope hope hope) I will be back on the road again!
Leah