[alien]

Hey all - how do you check a steering box that's not in a vehicle for play???

I assume you'd grab the input end of the box with some vice grips on the splines and turn it back and forth to see if there's play between the movements on the vice grips and the pitman arm splines?

Is there another / better way?

Cheers

[alien]

anyone?

[want33s]

I usually hold the input shaft tightly by hand and then try to shake the pitman arm back and forth. You will soon know if there is any play that needs adjusting up.

[alien]

yeah cool, basically what i was thinking. ta!

[Gwagensteve]

The FSM has a procedure for checking starting torque on the box with a fish scale. As this has to be done with the drag link and steering shaft disconnected, you could follow it for a "bench check"

I don't believe you'll feel any obvious play even in a box that's shagged - it's all about starting torque. You adjust the box up until the correct starting torque is reached. If the box then goes tight off centre, its worn out and the FSM calls for replacement - there's no spare parts available.

Steve.

[alien]

makes it hard to buy a good second hand one doesnt it? =)

[Gwagensteve]

Sure does.

I reckon it's getting hard to find a sierra steering box that's any good these days - with the youngest about 14 years old... they've all been around the block.

Steve.

As an aside, if you follow the procedure in the FSM, the box gets adjusted up much tighter than I think anyone would do it by feel. My guess is that quite a few boxes get binned that are still good because they're not adjusted up tight enough.

having said that, if you're out of adjustment and the box still has play.... it's for the bin.

[alien]

yeah that's where my current one is at - its got a fair bit of play and i'd like to address it at some point =)

i considered using it as an excuse to upgrade to power steering, but by all accounts people are losing steering lock out of that deal which kinda puts me off.

[Gwagensteve]

They shouldn't. My vitara box and vitara pitman arm will swing my wt diff lock to lock.

I think it's due to the PS walking the axle left and right.

Steve.

[alien]

i thought a vitara pitman arm & box wouldnt fit to a sierra steering setup? wasnt it jimny box or bust?

[Gwagensteve]

No, they don't bolt in, but once installed, there should be no reason to loose lock - the box throws far enough.

Steve.

[want33s]

alien wrote:

i thought a vitara pitman arm & box wouldnt fit to a sierra steering setup? wasnt it jimny box or bust?

YES, Vitara powersteer box does bolt in to a Sierra if you use the BenT adapter kit or make your own.
Vit needs adapter but has same pitman length as Sierra.
Jimny bolts straight to chassis without an adapter but pitman is shorter than Sierra so some steering lock can be lost.

[alien]

ahhh i see - that's where i was getting mixed up.

i wonder how hard it is to engineer it... shouldn't be too bad i wouldnt think?