how slack is slack.. - steering box.

markv6

New Member
my steering wheel is turning like a boat wheel!
how do i adjust it so there is enough take up but not to much to stiffen it?
:D
 
Hello Mark,
Jack the front of the car and support on axle stands. Move the steering wheel back and forth looking at movement in the road wheels whilst an assistant undoes the locknut on the top of the steering box and screws in the adjuster until the play is imperceptible without tightness in the steering wheel.
Tighten locknut and put car back on its wheels.
This is for manual steering. I think it is the same for power steering but I've never had power steering on a P6.
Regards, John.
 
hi mark
john is quite right about the adjuster and lock nut, but you do need to make the adjustmentwith the vehicle on the ground to load up the steering, then jack the car up and check for stifness at right full lock and left full lock.
this is because the main amount of wear in the steering box is in the straight ahead possition. there would be nothing worst than aproaching a round about and going straight across the top of it. anyway i personaly like a bit of slack cos it makes it a bit more interesting on the motorway with strong crosswinds.
cheers
nick
 
Hello Nick,
You didn't put a bid in for the police-type front spoilers (for the V8) that appeared on e-bay recently then, did you?
They are supposed to help with crosswinds at motorway speeds - (most of the members of the West Wales branch, when it was operating, had these fitted to their cars - I think that they may have had a mould).
Regards, John.
 
You don't get stifness at full lock with a P6 box, the clearance increases as the lock increases because of the design of the worm. The clearance needs to be adjusted to virtually zero in the straight ahead position and should remain constant for about half turn either side of straight ahead and then increase. The manual explains it all.
 
Greetrings from the US of A. I had a lot of 'play' in my 1967 TC and found the idler box (on the Right hand side, opposite the steering gear) had loose bolts that held it to the frame. I snugged them up and it made quite a positive difference in the 'slop' the streeing wheel had

Bill
 
Just goes to show it pays to check old posts on here:D Sorted out my crossmember problem thanks to a free lump of steel and a mig welder, back end is nice and quiet now:D but it did show up how sloppy the steering was, I thought I might have to get a new box, and after reading this and playing about with the adjuster its sorted
 
Greetrings from the US of A. I had a lot of 'play' in my 1967 TC and found the idler box (on the Right hand side, opposite the steering gear) had loose bolts that held it to the frame. I snugged them up and it made quite a positive difference in the 'slop' the streeing wheel had

Bill
Hi Bill

Did you have the wheels off the ground when you checked and tightened the idler?

Thanks
Mick
 
Hi Mick,

Bill may not respond as his post was in 2004 :oops:. However, I'm doing the exact same thing with my V8.

The manual says jack the front wheels off the ground, although the above alternative comments make sense. I'll have a go in the next few days & report back.
 
If you have the wheels off the ground you won't know the exact point at which the free play ends and the wheels start moving. You won't see it by eye, but with the wheels on the ground you will be able to feel it.
 
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