7 tooth steering box turns not equal right to left

[marc silva]

I have been racking my brain (or whats left of it) for 6 hours tonight trying to get equal turns out of my re-built 7 tooth steering box. Am I missing something? I have tried everything I can think of. I have had it back apart 6 times with no change. I get a little more than 1 1/4 turns to the left and 1 turn to the right.

Any suggestions? Should I just leave it alone? Is that the way they are? Never paid much attention before as the thing was totally shot with almost a full 1/4 turn of slop. It could have been that way before I just don't know. It's driving me crazy.

Thanks
Marc

[CarlG]

Do you have the short Pittman arm?

[Fullraceflathead]

A 1/4 turn variation is not much.
I think you are seeing the slack in the meshing gears when you change directions.

[marc silva]

I have a stock Pittman arm. After sleeping on it I think my drivers side steering arm is bent. When I got the car the axel was back about an inch on the drivers side. I changed the axel but did nothing with the steering arm.

[Brian T]

The symptom points to the car having a shortened pitman arm, when the steering turns to the right the sector contacts the inside of the steering box housing and not the steering stop, either a adjustable drag link or use the stock arm will fix it, I made a adjustable link for my Double A, which needs all the help you can get when turning.

I just posted this and saw your comments about the left steering arm and that you have the stock pitman arm, go with the steering arm.

[Jim Brierley]

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Could very well be a bent steering arm.

[katy]

The symptom points to the car having a shortened pitman arm, when the steering turns to the right the sector contacts the inside of the steering box housing and not the steering stop, either a adjustable drag link or use the stock arm will fix it

How about a slight bend in the shortened pitman arm to make up the difference?

[Brian T]

Originally Posted by katy

How about a slight bend in the shortened pitman arm to make up the difference?

That could be done, you would have to remove, heat and bend, and refit to try it, I think Marc is on the right track, ---- what's good about the adjustable link is you can fix the stop to stop situation and fine tune the steering wheel alignment, even when there is a slight bend some where.
I have often wondered if the venders that re-ball these steering arms place then in a jig and check to see how close they are to factory specs.

[tbirdtbird]

he says he has a stock arm #4