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Steering Gear Adjustment

leathermaneod
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leathermaneod

leathermaneod

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lol that's ok. I was hoping @Buzzinhalfdozen Or @Wild and Free would chime in since they suggested it haha. So what is it about those darn lower control arm bolts that causes them to seize up? I think I spent about an hour on the sawzall trying to cut that bolt on each side of the arm. It didn't even look rusty at all but the nut wouldn't budge! Just like the other side....

Edited by leathermaneod
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Wild and Free

Wild and Free

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Its been a while since doing one but like stated above once the cam bolt moves it is easy to see what direction one needs to go with it. Pretty sure the hash mark or the marker hole looks like you have already replaced one needs to go to the forward most point as that is the high side of the cam as you can see how it is offset.

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leathermaneod

leathermaneod

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Thanks guys! I should hopefully be getting this done tomorrow provided the dealer gets the bolt, nut, and washers. I ordered it Friday and stupidly did not confirm that it all comes together. I just told them to get the bolt....I'm really hoping it all comes together or I'll be waiting a few more days :-(

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leathermaneod

leathermaneod

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Alright so I got everything back together and caster maxed out. It definitely helped my return to center, most noticeably at higher speeds like 55 up, still not perfect though...at low speeds it still seems pretty poor to me, but I honestly don't remember how it was before my new steering gear....for example, if I make a 90° turn like in town, 3rd gear so pretty slow, it will only return to about 2 o'clock to the right or 10 o'clock to the left....does that sound normal? Is there anything else I can do? I may give Ryan a shout today and see what he says....

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dripley

dripley

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I would have to agree with Bill on that one. It took me some getting used to after buying mine. Then I go home and the wife makes me drive her old Dakota and the Saturn she has now. Both with R&P steering. What takes 3" on my wheel takes a 1/2" on hers. So much difference.

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leathermaneod

leathermaneod

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Thanks guys. I do have a tendency to expect more than I should out of this truck, so it's good I have you guys to keep me in check lol. I hadn't even thought of tires before, but it probably doesn't help that I have a Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ with like 5/32 on one side and a toyo MT with like 12/32 on the other side lol. I also have a weird squeak from my control arm bushings on the drivers side now. I notice when getting in and out or if I press down on the bumper. Not sure what that's about. Those bushings were replaced over the winter, I just had the arm out last night to clean them up, add antiseize, and pinch the arm a little more so it had a better grip on the bushing. Then I set the caster to max on both sides. 

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Wild and Free

Wild and Free

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18 minutes ago, leathermaneod said:

but it probably doesn't help that I have a Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ with like 5/32 on one side and a toyo MT with like 12/32 on the other side lol.

 

:doh:, If you are truly serious in that I would say you spent a ton of time and money chasing Kasper the Ghost for nothing.:spank:

18 minutes ago, leathermaneod said:

but it probably doesn't help that I have a Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ with like 5/32 on one side and a toyo MT with like 12/32 on the other side lol.

 

:doh:, If you are truly serious in that I would say you spent a ton of time and money chasing Kasper the Ghost for nothing.:spank:

 

For what you spent on trying to fix the steering you could have had a new matching set of tires and had a good steering rig there alone.:think:

 

Heck on both my rigs just a 5 psi difference in tire pressure alone can make a huge difference in steering quality.

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Wild and Free

Wild and Free

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It will affect the steering in all sorts of screwy ways but it should not "hurt" anything other than your mind trying to figure out your issues when it is out of the closet now so to speak.

Heck looked at your town of Watertown NY, I have a brother in law who lives just outside of Buffalo NY, He works at Praxair headquarters there and just recently bought an 05 Cummins and is hitting me up for advice all the time now lol.

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dripley

dripley

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You will be surprised when you put a new set of tire on there. Night and day. I used to have a S-10 chevy with manual steering. New tire I could palm the steering wheel. by the time they were wearing out it took two hands to steer it at low speeds. 

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leathermaneod

leathermaneod

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Very interesting! I am in kind of a crapy situation with tires right now lol. I need to get something figured out. Wish I could find a used hankook dynapro MT so that I could have a matching set up front. They are discontinued and very expensive where I have found them....

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