Expert: Brad Sears - 3/30/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have alot of play in the steering wheel going down the road.Checked the steering gear box and was wondering, is it common for the steering gear box to rotate 25 to 30 degrees in either direction when steering.Doesnt look like the mount is cracked or broken. Worried about letting my kid take it anywhere.Too easy to over correct if something should happen.     Thanks, you guys are great

ANSWER: You need to check this free play when the engine is running. To determine if it in the box or the linkage is simple. Turn the steering shaft back and forth and watch the pitman arm (the output arm on the steering box) for movement. It should parrot the shaft movement without hesitation. From there on it becomes a two man job. One person to turn the steering wheel back and forth and one to watch each joint and arm for looseness. If there is no looseness and you still have this 35 to 30 degrees of movement then you could try a steering box adjustment. The steering box could also be  asking for a rebuild.
Brad

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for the quick response, the thing that really puzzles me is that there are three area where it mounts to the frame.The stearing wheel will turn 1/4 of a turn rotating the gear box before the wheels even move.Thats with motor running or not. How does that gear box move so much if its bolted to the frame?

ANSWER: Are you telling me that you can see the gear box moving when you turn the wheel? Are you looking under the hood and having some one else turn the wheel when the car is not moving?
Brad

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes sir, It will rotate.I had it on the rack when I had some tire work done and the guy let me look at it and there was no break in the mount.Unfortuneatly,couldn't be up in the car to turn the steering when it was on the rack though.Even had my son turn it and I checked the bolts on the body member and they seem tight and don't move when you turn the wheel.I know that there are steering gear insulators there but that much movement seems to be a little to much.Havent seen another bird around here to check out theirs. I also have copy of original shop manual and it says nothing about movement and those books are pretty descriptive. Thanks for your time.   Larry

Answer
If it were my car I would have the box off the frame in a heart beat and check to make sure that the bolt holes in the frame were being torn out or that the bolts were not damaged and could not be tightened or appeared tight due to damaged threads.
Brad