Sactownog Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I need to remove my steering box and shaft. I need to rebuild it. I am thinking I need to take off the shaft 1st. the top of the gear box looks like the shaft has a LARGE nut that will require a 16" crescent wrench to unscrew then the shaft will pull out. IS THIS CORRECT? 2nd, I will remove 4 bolts from the frame and the steering gear box will come off of the frame. can someone tell me if this is the correct steps to remove driving shaft and gear box OR DOES IT COME OUT AS 1 WHOLE UNIT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylormade Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Comes out as a unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 8 minutes ago, Taylormade said: Comes out as a unit. so I need to remove 4 bolts on frame then pull whole shaft out from bottom front of car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchris Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Sactownog said: I need to remove my steering box and shaft. I need to rebuild it. I am thinking I need to take off the shaft 1st. the top of the gear box looks like the shaft has a LARGE nut that will require a 16" crescent wrench to unscrew then the shaft will pull out. IS THIS CORRECT? 2nd, I will remove 4 bolts from the frame and the steering gear box will come off of the frame. can someone tell me if this is the correct steps to remove driving shaft and gear box OR DOES IT COME OUT AS 1 WHOLE UNIT? First you need to disconnect the drop arm from the tie rod, then the 4 bolts that hold the steering box to the chassis. I find then its easiest to remove the steering wheel and drag the whole lot up through the floor (having of course removed the floor boards/panels). Maybe remove the steering wheel first rather than later, oh and there will be wires running down the inside of the steering column that need to be disconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobless Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Yup, just pulled mine, one unit, still looking for wheel puller, tried a few ways but still no dice, so pulled the whole unit out through the floor, easier, than wasting more time on wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Yep. Before first, clean it up a bit so you don't mess up the inside of the car when you take it out. 1st, steering wheel off. 2nd, disconnect wires (is your light switch on the bottom of the steering box?) including the horn wire, as well as any hand throttle connections (maybe they were gone by 1933). 3rd remove steering arm = drop arm = Pitman arm. 4th remove four bolts. 5th remove steering box with column as a unit. If the front of the car is high enough and the splash tray is out, you may get it out downwards. Otherwise, as above, through the floor. Watch the head lining etc.! The big nut is the adjustment for the top bearing in the steering box. The owner's instruction book will tell you how to adjust it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 OK, I have the steering wheel off, I removed the center wire. (there are no throttle connections or anything else connected to steering shaft) I currently have the vehicle jacked up in the front, I want to try and pull the steering shaft/box out through the bottom, I do not want that dirty gear box in my pristine interior. I guess I will try and pull it down before I remove the floor board's and go that rout. thank you for the help. I am sure I will come back on here with questions on how to rebuild this steering box. ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS A REBUILD KIT TO PURCHASE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 (edited) You might find you have to pull at least some of the floor so you can tilt the top of the column down a bit if the front of the car is not high enough. Rebuild kit is unlikely. The rebuildable parts are the top and bottom bearings, but they don't wear much if lubricated; the bottom seal; the bushes on the sector shaft. You will be very luck to find a good worm and sector. They were made with a taper so that as they wore, they could be adjusted to remove it. But eventually they are worn too much in the middle to adjust out without binding at the ends (towards full lock). No doubt you have discovered this in trying to adjust it. I also had an O-ring put in the outer end of the sector shaft bush to keep the oil in. Many here will direct you to Lares Corp. I took mine to a local machine shop. The only work really is to rebush the sector shaft and perhaps fit a modern seal in the bottom. I did the rest. The top and bottom bearing cones were NLA although I found some cups. Anything you do to the worm and sector is more difficult; maybe a clever shop can regrind it. There aren't many coatings that will stand up to the shear forces in steering - they generally just peel off the worm. Remember to refill with semi fluid grease, NLGI 00, NOT chassis grease. If POs have put chassis grease in there, you will find it up inside the column, between the outer case and the steering shaft. Edited October 17, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 SPINNEY, You are a wealth of knowledge. I will try tonight to get the floor of the cab out where the peddles are, my issue last time was figuring how to get the floor past the gas/brake/clutch peddle. any hints how to get the floor out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) Not much knowledge on removing the floor from a LHD '33. Mine is a '30 RHD. The gas shaft comes through the steel part of the floor, which stays in place. The top board had a cut-out for the pedals and the starter pedal. Just remove the screws and it lifts out with a bit of rotation. How similar is your floor to that in Taylormade's Daphne? Maybe his restoration topic will help you? I just remembered you covered your floor with sound deadening so understand your reluctance to remove it! P.S. Just remembered, you need to release the column from the top bracket on the bottom of the dash! Also, my drag link is pretty long so there is plenty of room in front of the steering box before the axle gets in the way. Your steering box may be closer to the front axle. From memory, mine came out into the car coz the exhaust pipe is in the way as well as the "splash pan". Edited October 18, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 I am told there are adjustments on the steering box. Anyone know what they adjust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) Do you have an Owner's Instruction Book for your car? It is detailed in there. I'll look mine up for you. I have a feeling I have posted it before somewhere. Three adjustments: the big nut is to set the clearance on the top and bottom bearing = up-down movement on the steering column and wheel, on which the worm is pressed. Then there is a screw with a lock nut on the inside (engine side of it) that positions the sector shaft and sector left to right. Then there is the cover that last adjustment was in for up-down of the sector shaft. Have a look at this topic. Edited October 18, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 2 hours ago, Sactownog said: I am told there are adjustments on the steering box. Anyone know what they adjust? I Concur with Spinneyhill's suggestion to get a copy of the "instruction book" (owner's manual) that shipped with the car. There is a wealth of information about how to maintain your car in there, stuff that later was found in the factory service manual when they started issuing those. It is possible that the '33 Dodge and '33 Plymouth have the same or at least similar with respect the steering box. Here is how I adjusted mine: https://www.ply33.com/Repair/steering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 On 10/16/2018 at 10:09 PM, Taylormade said: Comes out as a unit. so I need to remove 4 bolts on frame then pull whole shaft out from bottom front of car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sactownog Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 SO I am at the point that I may or may not take it apart. I am still undecided. it came out pretty easy, straight through the bottom. now I need to figure out if I take it apart. will I be able to get it back together or is there a rebuild kit needed. I am not sure if I should just take apart, clean, the re-install Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) See other topic. It is easy. You can't put it together wrong, although you might have to fiddle around a bit to make sure the steering wheel sits right when back in place. Pay attention to the direction of key way at steering wheel and how the wheel sits for its position coz you need to set it up right later. This bit is just geometry. Edited October 22, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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