A week or so ago I was here asking about steering upgrades. What I really should have asked about was replacement parts. But, that's besides the point.

I ended up adjusting my steering box top screw. It didn't help but a tiny bit so turned it back mostly where it had been.

Recently I noticed that the play in the steering was even worse and it would have trouble returning to center indicating the box was too tight.

So, (was in a hurry this morning driving my son to work) I got in there and loosened it about a half turn and hit the road.

And, holy smokes it's almost perfect! It feels as tight as it did 10 years ago. (If only my wife had the same adjustment. )

So, I'm good I guess. But I thought I might post it here in case turning it counter clockwise might help anyone else.

Could it have anything to do with overtightening it first then backing it off?

 

Looks like you might have just randomly stumbled bass ackwards into a lucky quick fix, has this happened to anyone else?

I'd love to tighten up my steering with a one quick turn of a screw.

 

1/2 turn ccw is a lot. It will be interesting to see how this turns out, just be careful driving in traffic.

 

Don't know which way to turn it to tighten, but I'll turn it a little, if that makes it looser, I'll turn it the other way.

 

 

Well, I'm not sure if I mentioned this in the other thread. When I tried tightening it, I had my wife helping and after each quarter turn I'd ask her to check the play.

I know now I probably should have tried driving it a little between adjustments because by the time she said it felt a little tighter in the driveway it was no longer returning to center when I did finally drive it. Plus the play and the squeaking were still there, just a tiny bit reduced.

I lost count of how many times I turned it since it was so many. I'm guessing like 7 to 8 1/4 turns. I know, I thought it was too much then too... but I figured I'd get a new steering box if this broke it.

So anyway when I turned it a whole half turn backwards it was going back to a spot that was likely ahead of where it originally was.

Damn, now that I think about it more... Lucknuts got damn lucky again. Woot! Give it up to God.

 

Oh, wait. Here's where I was confused.

The day I adjusted the steering box, when I realized I had overtightened it, I did my best to put it back almost where I found it. I couldn't be sure so I tried to err on the side of leaving it a little tighter than it originally was (like 1/4 turn), but I was guessing.

So, when I turned it way back ccw, it seemed to me I was turning it back past where it originally was.

But, I guess since I have no way of knowing it'll just be a mystery. Sorry for wasting yer time, guys.