I'm thinking there is still/we need to pin down whats worn/binding that is causing the issue then lube it (unless it is strickly a dry/no lube issue that is causing this & I'm doubtful). I would want some lube that is at least semi viscous so it flows to every crevice. IIRC used some gear oil as is one time way back & it did not leak out the bottom seal. Ebergs' concoction, he melted some good Mopar grease in the tube (it was green) in a saucepan & added several ounces of gear oil (iirc) so it would flow.

You're right on many counts.

Actually just had a super pleasant conversation with firm feel about all this for about ten to fifteen minutes. The man I spoke with actually had the very same symptoms I am having on his own car. His, as it turned out to be, and likely what he said mine might be is that there were a bad run of quick ratio worm and sectors in the early to mid 2000's, where there were burrs and other defects. He thinks it could be that the ball bearings got hung up on something (burrs or other bad manufactured part) and then eventually let go and felt normal to him too. The bearings that rode in the cage around the worm eventually all fell out as the cage widened up and opened up for the excess pressure when it bound up on him. They quit selling them for quite some time as they just couldn't have the liability problems. My 20:1 worm was made or labeled 04/07.

This makes sense to me. Same symptoms exactly.

He addressed lube and said that in Reality very little is needed and this likely isn't this cause of any of the problems I have now.

As an update I was about to go test the car again here and had the same binding and grinding issue as before despite three successful lock to lock turns on the ground earlier today.

Summer is short for me where I live, I think I've decided it's coming out and being shipped to them for whatever it needs. I do t want to risk my life or others and also don't want to trash my car.....

As an update:

It turns out the worm gear failed, and three of the four bearing guides broke. Not sure if the guides broke because of a poorly machined worm or what..

The part was a mopar performance 20:1 ratio worm, with only about 500 miles of use on it. The box it came in was dated 04/07, so the worm was made prior to that. Apparently there was a known bad batch of worm gears manufactured in the early to mid 2000's so this one may be/may have fallen into that date range.

I updates this post to let others know that may have this part in their cars to be cautious.

Noted (& appreciated).

Possibility that the cross shaft adjustment is simply too tight. At dead center (the "high spot"), there is normally more torque required - this should be the zero lash, straight-ahead point. If it wasn't centered when the adjustment was made...and the person who did the toe-in adjustment was sloppy or lazy...

Try backing it off a half-turn just for giggles.

A pretty close adjustment can me made, BTW, in the car. Ask after you see the result of the above.

Rick

Thanks Rick but the problem was that the Worm blew apart. See a couple posts above your last one.
Cheers