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Steering box slop
Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:03 pm
by flyingbrick
My '90 gq's steering box has a little slop/slack in it - the wheel moves freely 10ish degrees from left to right before it starts moving the wheels- I'd say that the internal gear clearances are too large and loose.
Is there any easy way of remedying this? has anyone had one of these boxes open before?
Anyone got one sitting around spare that they could sell me- Not too keen to pull mine out and open it up as it could become a huge and unwanted addition to the project.
Also is there any way you can raise the power steerings pressure to give increased assistance?
-Nathan
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:00 am
by GQTROL
Don't bother rebuilding them yourself, its just not worth it. 2 options for improvement....
Get a reco'd steering box from a post 1996 GQ. Its a bigger unit (similar size to GU) and will bolt up as they kept the same taper and diameter hole on the arm as the earlier boxes.
Take your existing one to a reconditioner and get them to open up the internal valving to increase flow. A mate had a late model GQ box on his 89 GQ, but put his original one back on after it had this mod done to it...reckoned it was better than the late model box.
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:25 am
by kbushnz
Hi Yah
You can adjusted the slop out. Here is a post from another forum. (Aussie Nissan one)
What makes you think its te pump. if its sloppy and its not a tie rod end then it will be the steering box and you can adjust it. If you pull the rubber flap off on the inner guard on the top of the steering box you will see a big tall nut (19mm) with a small bolt down the middle (about 8mm). It you crack the nut 1/2 a turn just to loosen it and then hold the nut and screw the small bolt in that will remove the free play in the box. DONT do the bolt up tight you want to back it off if the bolt stops turning as when you turn it can cause the steering to lock up, just take it up bit by bit and you still want a bit of slop od it will drive like crap
I have the same in my Prado... Undo lock nut, turn in set screw (in my case) till it stopped, backed it off 1/4 turn and tried steering, if its too tight, backed it off a bit more. When it feels good, lock nut and check again.
Hope this helps
Calvin
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:34 am
by darinz
GQTROL wrote:Don't bother rebuilding them yourself, its just not worth it. 2 options for improvement....
Get a reco'd steering box from a post 1996 GQ. Its a bigger unit (similar size to GU) and will bolt up as they kept the same taper and diameter hole on the arm as the earlier boxes.
Take your existing one to a reconditioner and get them to open up the internal valving to increase flow. A mate had a late model GQ box on his 89 GQ, but put his original one back on after it had this mod done to it...reckoned it was better than the late model box.
Most from 94 on wards have the bigger box. It appears the ones with the lights in the guards also have a bigger box. Well lets put it this way, the one in my winch truck is from a 94 and it is the same as the one in my 96 GQ and the others I've looked at are the same. (cause I'm not challenging the Nissan encyclopedia
)
So getting the valving opened increase the power but does it stop them blowing apart?
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:40 am
by GQTROL
darinz wrote:GQTROL wrote:Don't bother rebuilding them yourself, its just not worth it. 2 options for improvement....
Get a reco'd steering box from a post 1996 GQ. Its a bigger unit (similar size to GU) and will bolt up as they kept the same taper and diameter hole on the arm as the earlier boxes.
Take your existing one to a reconditioner and get them to open up the internal valving to increase flow. A mate had a late model GQ box on his 89 GQ, but put his original one back on after it had this mod done to it...reckoned it was better than the late model box.
Most from 94 on wards have the bigger box. It appears the ones with the lights in the guards also have a bigger box. Well lets put it this way, the one in my winch truck is from a 94 and it is the same as the one in my 96 GQ and the others I've looked at are the same. (cause I'm not challenging the Nissan encyclopedia
)
So getting the valving opened increase the power but does it stop them blowing apart?
My bad, you're dead right, it is 94 onwards.
Not sure if it stops them letting go totally. Warren will have to chime in with a progress report, cos it was Spuddy who did it to his (old) truck.
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:52 pm
by darinz
Will have a chat with him and see. My new truck will be a lot lighter in the front so might be an option instead of the really expensive 94 to 96 boxes.
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:45 pm
by flyingbrick
kbushnz wrote:Hi Yah
You can adjusted the slop out. Here is a post from another forum. (Aussie Nissan one)
What makes you think its te pump. if its sloppy and its not a tie rod end then it will be the steering box and you can adjust it. If you pull the rubber flap off on the inner guard on the top of the steering box you will see a big tall nut (19mm) with a small bolt down the middle (about 8mm). It you crack the nut 1/2 a turn just to loosen it and then hold the nut and screw the small bolt in that will remove the free play in the box. DONT do the bolt up tight you want to back it off if the bolt stops turning as when you turn it can cause the steering to lock up, just take it up bit by bit and you still want a bit of slop od it will drive like crap
I have the same in my Prado... Undo lock nut, turn in set screw (in my case) till it stopped, backed it off 1/4 turn and tried steering, if its too tight, backed it off a bit more. When it feels good, lock nut and check again.
Hope this helps
Calvin
Legend!!
I just lept outside and tightened things up as they should be (but not too tight
). Pretty happy now thanks!
My gregory (or something) manual describes the same thing but in a more confusing way.
-Nathan
Re: Steering box slop
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:24 am
by GQTROL
darinz wrote:Will have a chat with him and see. My new truck will be a lot lighter in the front so might be an option instead of the really expensive 94 to 96 boxes.
Depending on how light it ends up (not sure if you're going coil-over / by-pass shocks in the front?) and how your sprung / unsprung weight distribution ends up, you may well get away with a standard box and not even need to modify it?
Interesting to note the ongoing problems Aussies are having with pitman arm and sector shafts in GU boxes too
