Steering Box 1950 Dodge Wayfarer

[Dodge City]

My steering wheel has a lot of play, about three inches. I took the side cover off the steering box and removed a couple of shims which helped a little. I then took the cover nut off the adjusting screw and locking retainer and screw wouldn't move either way. I Managed to get the plate removed, but screw would not budge. I struck it with an impact driver and hammer a few times and it wiggles just a little but will not loosen or tighten. I noticed the adjusting screw has a keyway notch cut into the side of it, am I missing something here?

Any help is much appreciated!

[Dodge City]

Whatever I tried I could not free up the adjuster screw or slide it out sideways. So thinking about it a moment I thought what does the screw do? It pushes the gears closer together so I didn't screw the top plate down all the way down leaving it about a 1/3 of an inch from flush then bolted it together, pushing the gears closer like the adjuster screw does. Then I would check play in the steering wheel unbolt the plate again twist it out a few more turns bolt up the plate check play etc. until I got the setting correct. No more play in the wheel!

[ptwothree]

I can't find this procedure in the service manual....what page is it on?? 

[Dodge City]

Dang ol'screw would not budge no matter how much force I used. 

Page from the Cowboy Life manual,  "do what it takes to get the job done and move on"

[JBNeal]

So if the shims move the worm gear, the adjusting screw moves the sector gear so that the gears' contact area increases or decreases, which is how steering wheel play is increased or reduced.  If'n ya cannot move this adjusting screw, you might have a binding issue that could affect the bearings and gearbox casting itself.  It almost sounds like the sector is jammed in the gearbox, either from old grease buildup or some wear on the pressed bearings, or the pitman arm might be binding on the gearbox casting.

 

I followed grey beard's advice and jacked up my '48, adjusted the gearbox for the high spot, and it went from wandering between the ditches to tracking true effortlessly. 

 

additional information - grey beard's steering box adjustments

[Andydodge]

That "keyway" is for the "star" lock washer that was originally on the outside of the cover which has a small piece on the inside of the centre hole in the washer and allows the washer to "lock" the adjustment that is made raising or lowering the pitman shaft and therefore the rollers against the worm on the steering shaft..........BTW......do you have a workshop manual?................it should cover the various adjustments etc for the steering box..........andyd 

[Andydodge]

Just noticed that there is another thread on here....."Steering Gear Adjustment Bushings" that has an exploded view taken from a shop manual and shows the washer etc........worth a look...........andyd 

[ccudahy]

These might help!

 

[Dodge City]

4 hours ago, Andydodge said:

That "keyway" is for the "star" lock washer that was originally on the outside of the cover which has a small piece on the inside of the centre hole in the washer and allows the washer to "lock" the adjustment that is made raising or lowering the pitman shaft and therefore the rollers against the worm on the steering shaft..........BTW......do you have a workshop manual?................it should cover the various adjustments etc for the steering box..........andyd 

I have a shop manual. Also researched the forum real good before tackling the job. Every thing went textbook until I found the adjusting screw locked up. Wouldn't budge even with an impact and hammer. Didn't want to break anything from brute force so backdoored a solution. Now no play in the steering wheel. No binding (did have to add another shim back in that I had taken out because it had some drag on the wheel)  I still have the star lock retainer in place on the cover plate which I noticed was what the notch  on the adjuster screw  was for after I had asked the question.

Appreciate your valued input!