steering box repair

[Jonno]

Hi,
I recently decided to attempt restoration of the steering box for my FE (actually an EK column). Decided to do this a) because the column became full of crap during bead blasting and b) it seemed cheaper than buying a reco one for $600. Anyway, I obtained the 'small parts repair kit' from Rare Spares which appears to have all the required goodies BUT how the Hell do you get the old ones out?? Both the two brass bushes and the two metal 'races' which abut the ball bearings are in almost inaccessible places and have almost no lip protruding that you can get any tool on to. Has anyone tried this before? Also anyone know of the correct grease to load up the column with afterwards?

thanks, Jonno

[FCwagon]

Hi Jonno,
For what you're attempting to do the box must be out of the vehicle and requires a total dismantle. To undo the ball tubes the column needs to be rotated to the right spot etc. The workshop manual explains the process but you do need lots of bench space.
Pre-assembly - all parts can be greased with a molibdenum base grease (and to stop the ball bearings rolling off on the floor) then there is some good Penrite steering box lube to fill the box to the required level. This stuff is sticky as all get out & keeps running out of the bottle even when you stop pouring.
Leigh

[Jonno]

Hi Leigh,

The column is out of the car and dismantled....but the manual doesn't seem to be helping me much.  It goes into great detail about the ball tubes and how to deal with these but I don't think I will go near them since they are not provided in the RS kit. The 4 parts which are supplied are the two bushes which go in the steering box itself and the two smaller (circular) ball bearing races which guide the steering shaft. These both appear to be pressed into place and, while I can easily see how you would press them in, I have no idea how you would get any sort of tool on them to press them out....

Jon

[nicko]

your ball tubes are the worn out part that gives sloppy steering, now you have dismantled dont bother putting back in car without replacing new bearings in tubes,
or you will have completed a useless exercise

[Jonno]

OK thanks nicko...I didn't realise that but it also then seems kind of wierd that RS don't supply those in their repair kit???

do you know where I could some appropriate ball bearings?

Jon

[FCwagon]

The worm and "nut" are the parts that usually wear most but a combinationation of these and worn bearings causes the free play.
The tubes are merely guides for the ball bearings that run or "recirculate" between the worm & nut so they don't usually require replacing. You can get new ball bearings from most bearing suppliers. I'm not sure if the manual lists the diameter, but they can get the size from a sample. If you can't source new main parts then you might reduce the play by assembling the worm 180 degrees to where it was in the nut - then you're straight ahead position isn't on the original worn spot.
Leigh

[bob_hawke]

hey can i ask whether the ball tubes and the other bearings spoken about here are the same for an EH steering box?
and jonno how much was the kit from rare spares?

thanks

[Jonno]

Hi Bob H,

my parts catalogue only goes up to EJ but they are the same right through to then.

The RS kit is $100 or so but only includes the ball bearings and races for the steering shaft and two bushings for the Pitman shaft. This is very odd for a couple of reasons: a) the repair manual reckons that 'under normal circumstances very high mileages will be covered before bushings need replacing'....so why supply these? b) the general opinion (see comments to this post) seems to be that the ball bearings in the ball nut are most likely to need replacing....but these aren't in the RS kit!  Also it seems near on impossible to get the steering shaft ball races out anyway as they are pressed into recesses which don't allow any access....doh!

Anyway, for info the ball bearings in the ball nut are the same size as those supplied in the RS kit for the steering shaft. They are 0.28 inch diameter or 7/25ths...but you will need 54 of them (not 20 as in the kit).  Since this all happened I have found this place which sells steering box components separately...may be of more use to you:

http://www.ehfspares.com.au/index.asp?catID=747&listtype=2

hope this helps, jonno :-/

[bob_hawke]

cheers jonno thanks heaps
my steering really needs a look at its hard to keep in the same lane at highway speeds, must still be the original untouched one. most of the parts should be the same, might just have to look into getting some bearings from somewhere

thanks a lot for the help

[RET]

Bob,

There's no guarantee that's caused by a worn steering box, though.  Kingpins, wheel-balance, tyres and suspension all play a part too.

Example:  the steering at high-speed in my modified was a bit wander-y, although the free-play in the box didn't seem that great.  Cause?  Free-play of the pitman arm on the spline of the steering box, ie the nut was tightened all the way on the threaded part, but the pitman arm could still move up and down about three-sixteenths.  One inexpensive, thick washer later, and it's a different vehicle to drive on the motorway.

Example: an FC I drove briefly years ago was also a wanderer, with a dreadful pull to the left.  It was so bad the first time I drove it, I ran off the road.  (Fortunately this was on a farm...).  Cause? The sway-bar lug on the lower A-arm was busted off on one side.

Example: an FC wagon I drove once wanted to switch lanes all by itself.  It was frightening to drive.  Cause?  Radials on the front, cross-plies on the back.  (Not legal, BTW).

Example (I didn't drive this one):  A 70 series tyre on one side, an 80 on the other.  It was NASCAR training material, almost like having one foot nailed to the floor!

So the moral is: don't go pulling your steering box apart until you've exhausted other possibilities.

cheers
RET

[bob_hawke]

Cheers RET,
thanks for the info, i was wondering wether it was possible for something other than the steering box holding the problem (might prove to be a bit cheaper if it is)

many thanks