New power steering box pulls to one side? Help!

Posted By: Michael Ecks

New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/22/14 03:18 AM

During an overhaul of my engine bay I put in a re-manufactured power steering gear box to replace the loose and leaky original. When I started it up and ran new fluid through the system I noticed that my wheels locked all the way to the left. Turned the steering wheel side to side and it steers very rapidly back to the left. Does the same with the wheels in the air or on the ground on gravel.

I don't want my shake down trip with the new engine to end in me driving into an oncoming semi.

Is there an adjustment somewhere I don't know about to correct this? It doesn't pull hard, like it is fighting me, but it would sure steer me into a hard left if I let go of the steering wheel for a second.

If there is an adjustment, pictures would be awesome!

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/22/14 03:22 AM

Quote:

During an overhaul of my engine bay I put in a re-manufactured power steering gear box to replace the loose and leaky original. When I started it up and ran new fluid through the system I noticed that my wheels locked all the way to the left. Turned the steering wheel side to side and it steers very rapidly back to the left. Does the same with the wheels in the air or on the ground on gravel.

I don't want my shake down trip with the new engine to end in me driving into an oncoming semi.

Is there an adjustment somewhere I don't know about to correct this? It doesn't pull hard, like it is fighting me, but it would sure steer me into a hard left if I let go of the steering wheel for a second.

If there is an adjustment, pictures would be awesome!

Yup...crazy huh?

The valve on top of the box that the return hose and pressure hose connects to needs to be adjusted.

To do that you loosen the bolts a little and tap on the valve forward or backwards with a hammer until the wheels are centered. That pretty much all there is to it. Tighten down the bolts when centered.

Pictures?

Posted By: VL21

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/22/14 03:42 AM

Put jackstands under the control arms, no weight on the tires, just tap it back and forth til it doesn't pull.

It won't move much, and it doesn't take much.

Just barely loosen the bolts.

Good pic

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/22/14 04:29 AM

Quote:

Quote:

During an overhaul of my engine bay I put in a re-manufactured power steering gear box to replace the loose and leaky original. When I started it up and ran new fluid through the system I noticed that my wheels locked all the way to the left. Turned the steering wheel side to side and it steers very rapidly back to the left. Does the same with the wheels in the air or on the ground on gravel.

I don't want my shake down trip with the new engine to end in me driving into an oncoming semi.

Is there an adjustment somewhere I don't know about to correct this? It doesn't pull hard, like it is fighting me, but it would sure steer me into a hard left if I let go of the steering wheel for a second.

If there is an adjustment, pictures would be awesome!

Yup...crazy huh?

The valve on top of the box that the return hose and pressure hose connects to needs to be adjusted.

To do that you loosen the bolts a little and tap on the valve forward or backwards with a hammer until the wheels are centered. That pretty much all there is to it. Tighten down the bolts when centered.

Pictures?

Dang the Mopar engineers anyway for designing the power steering boxes that way

Posted By: Twostick

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/22/14 06:00 AM

I had a friend of mine nearly get his arm torn off with one of those. He had changed the valve on it and didn't know it had to be calibrated. He reached in thru the window thru the steering wheel to start it and when it lit, the wheel instantly went full power full lock. He couldn't reach the key being all tied in a knot but he could get a good grip on the wheel with his free hand and with the help of a massive dose of adrenalin he managed to twist or distort the steering shaft enough to get free of it.

It will likely take tapping it all of a 1/16" to get it to "neutral".

VERY sensitive adjustment.

Kevin

Posted By: Michael Ecks

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/23/14 03:57 PM

Thanks guys, worked like a charm. Probably the easiest thing I've done on the car in years. Glad I only had a slight pull, sounds like some people have had real nightmares starting up with their arm through the steering wheel.

For future readers, I had to tap the valve toward the rear of the car to correct steering to the left. Not sure if it is a rule or just how mine was acting.

Posted By: roe

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/23/14 05:51 PM

Off topic but sweet ride. It looks good with the wheel and tire combo. What are they?

Posted By: Rustydog

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/23/14 06:23 PM

Those wheels are nice. I have a set too. They are now discontinued. They are from Z racing and at the time were sold by Sears. They also had a chrome version too.

Posted By: Michael Ecks

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/23/14 08:31 PM

Thanks guys. They are from the discontinued Z Racing line way back in the 90s as said, got a steal on them when I worked at Western Auto (Sears). I liked them because they looked modern but not too flashy which is why I got the silver instead of chrome. I only see a couple sets a year, usually on old jeeps and trucks. Don't think I have ever seen another set on a car. I keep my eyes open for another set to have powdercoated in graphite or another dark shade, but they just aren't out there like some other wheels.

cheers

Posted By: Rustydog

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/24/14 06:24 PM

I have a 70 Challenger RT/SE with a Ray Barton 472 stroked Hemi. When the car was finished I drove the car to Ray Bartons place in Pa to show him the car. He liked the car but he has seen just about everything before. The only thing that he really did like were those wheels on my car. He asked where I got they and how much were they.

Posted By: roe

Re: New power steering box pulls to one side? Help! - 04/24/14 10:56 PM

You guys have any side profiles of your car with those wheels on? Did they ever make them with the 5x5.5 wheel pattern? I was planning on 20" steelies all around on my truck, but those would look great instead.