I've got quite a bit of play in my 77 4dr steering wheel (about 2"). Do these steering boxes have a history of this? Does the steering box have adjustments, or is it a replacement item. Is this the logical place to try to fix it, or elsewhere? I can't find any loose fittings when I shake the tires when on jackstands. Seems pretty solid for a 27 year old car. Grant
Grant you might check your idler arm bushing where it attaches to the steering linkage...pull the passengers side tire and work the drum back and forth...the linkage will ride up and down if the bushing is shot.
Thanks riporter, I have it on jackstands now, guess I'll leave it there until the weekend. Your tip should save me time, and I appreciate it! If it's not the idler arm bushing, should I continue to suspect the steering box? Grant
If your other bushings look ok...yes...my problem was the faster I went the looser the steering got...replacing that bushing really tightened things up for me...but it was definitely shot...I had almost an inch of play in it
the rag-joint is the cloth connecter between the column and the steerbox , cloth i.e. rag-joint look right above your steerbox and you cant miss it, if it is bad your steering will have about that much play in it. they were put in there to help for softer steering and if you curbed it it didnt break your wrist. not too expensive and not too bad to change
you might also consider having the whole frount end checked out by a professional. I'm pretty lucky a local tire shop checked everything out for me, put in a new tie rod in and gave me an awesome wheel alignment for fairly cheap $160 Canadian with labour. The tie rod wasn't to hard to find for the shop luckily, and i was really happy with the result, took that major squeek out of the frount end. I have play in my steering too, so I'll probably replace the steering box everything else looked fine.
I would have to say it is the control valve the control valve on these cars are horrible and very well knowen to go especaily if they sit for a long amount of the the little rubber seal on the control vavle drys up very easliy and breaks away, jack of the frount end get someone to turn the steering wheel and look and see if the pitman arm moves and but the tires dont if this is the problem its the control valve i had the exact problem replaced the control vavle worked good as new.
Well, my 77 Mav sat in a garage for 7 years, so every rubber piece has had to be replaced. What is a control valve on the steering system, and where do I find it?
Umm i wish i could take a picture but i dont have a digital camera what it is it has about 3 hoses going to it one or two from the power steering pump and another to the ram and one i think from the steering box, the pitman arm comes off the steering box and the on the other end of the pitman arm it connects to the control vavle , these cars are extreamly well know for these things going on them these are one of the worst thing parts they put on the car they work GREAT as long as there new and kept in good shape, my advice would be to add so powersteering sealent this protects them and will make them last longer. i hope you can find it from my info. It will be on the drivers side turn the wheel all the way to the right(as if you were turning right) and look in the fender well you should just be able to see the end off it mine is black, but it is brand new these thing also have a bad tenacey to get really super greasy.
Here is a pic ... It is attached to the driver side of the steering center link ... You can't miss it ...
