Steering Gear Adjustment

Adjustment of steering gear in the vehicle is not recommended because of the difficulty encountered in adjusting the worm thrust bearing preload and confirming the effects of the hydraulic fluid in the gear. Since a gear adjustment is made only as a correction and not a periodic adjustment, it is better to take the extra time and make the adjustment correctly the first time.

Since a handling stability complaint can be caused by improperly adjusted worm thrust bearings as well as an improper gear overcenter adjustment, it is necessary that the steering gear assembly be removed from vehicle and both thrust bearing and overcenter preload be checked and corrected as necessary. An in-vehicle check of steering gear will not show a thrust bearing adjustment error.

Valve assembly and seal drag should be 1-4 inch lbs. Thrust bearing preload should be 3-4 inch lbs. in excess of valve assembly and seal drag.