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Someone earlier has recounted screwing up the steering box bearings when reassembling after attempt to service or alter the shims at the front of the box.
I noticed I was having trouble getting the front cover back on the box correctly. There seemed to be about a sixteenth of an inch clearance. It just would not set home correctly. I tried tightening the four bolts, but that only bent the cover.
The problem was the rear bearing dropped slightly out of its race as I was messing with the shaft while the front cover was off.
The solution was simple. The steering wheel was off, so I simply turned the steering shaft, screwing it forward enough to reach the rear bearing (the top is removed to do this). Using some axel grease, I secured the rear bearing in its correct place on its race on the shaft and then turned the shaft, making it go back up into the box, positioning the rear bearing correctly between its shaft race and box race.
Bingo. The front cover went right on, holding the front bearing and its front race and shims all in the exact correct position. (I had straightened the bend in the cover first).
Tricky problem, but simple solution.
FWIW.
[ 03-19-2004: Message edited by: Brian N. ]</p>
I noticed I was having trouble getting the front cover back on the box correctly. There seemed to be about a sixteenth of an inch clearance. It just would not set home correctly. I tried tightening the four bolts, but that only bent the cover.
The problem was the rear bearing dropped slightly out of its race as I was messing with the shaft while the front cover was off.
The solution was simple. The steering wheel was off, so I simply turned the steering shaft, screwing it forward enough to reach the rear bearing (the top is removed to do this). Using some axel grease, I secured the rear bearing in its correct place on its race on the shaft and then turned the shaft, making it go back up into the box, positioning the rear bearing correctly between its shaft race and box race.
Bingo. The front cover went right on, holding the front bearing and its front race and shims all in the exact correct position. (I had straightened the bend in the cover first).
Tricky problem, but simple solution.
FWIW.
[ 03-19-2004: Message edited by: Brian N. ]</p>
