Wandering all over, im afraid ill roll over,,,,

You already started a thread about this so I will just copy my reply here:

Those are not 'adjustments' you can make to the steering. Those are set up adjustments for the box and unless done exactly right, the box will 'very' soon be garbage. Every one I have seen 'adjusted' in the truck has been scrap metal really soon after.

Maybe Bill has a link on setting up the manual box, I only have the pdf for the power box.

The top 'adjuster' is for the over center adjustment and on a power box needs to be tightened until the steering shaft needs 5 inch pounds to turn off center when it is out sitting in a vise. Almost impossible to get right in the vehicle with the steering shaft and drag link installed.

The left right slop adjustment is supposed to be from the adjuster plug on the steering column end, not the top one. The top over center one is set after the adjuster plug is set.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

[snip]

You've already been told -- by people that know their stuff -- that that's a bench setup, not an in-truck adjustment.

Yeah. Sear covers, diamond plate and stainless doodads will certainly help your steering problems. Don't forget to sock some money away for the funeral.

Not yours, the poor innocent sod you're going to kill when you lose control and hit him/her/them. Take it to a competent front-end shop -- one where a sledge hammer isn't the only tool on the wall -- and have someone who isn't guessing undo what you've "fixed". Now.

As though the roads aren't dangerous enough already....

-- Thank ghod it's Them instead of You.

SORRY, IM NOT SOME "WING-NUT" who doesnt know what hes doing, i do have machanincal experiance, but NOT with stering boxes, i spent my younger years restoring classic cars with my dad, im NOT certified but not just a sunny-shadetree machanic, hence the asking for a better manual than the one i have,

i also stated i WAS removing the box this weekend,

I DO NOT BUY TRINKETS AND DOOO-DADS FEOM SEARS,

i DO have a sarcastic way of writing, i DO get myself in too deep sometimes, I DO know enought to stay off the roads, i DO have a strip realy close,,realy close, to drive without traffic, any traffic at all, i DO ask stupid questions, but better to ask than not to,

and yes without a compitent book i know better than to go any further,

AND I DID ASK IF CHANGING TO POWER STEERING WAS PRACTICAL, as a new manual box is 200.00 and a power steering one is 130.00 plus all the other stuff id need, ,

SORRY IF IVE PISSED THE GROUP OFF, johnp and yes i do have my stupid days this must be one of them,

sorry i was havin a BAD day,the sears thing tripped my trigger, (i hate sears, and B-lows, hardware)

anyways, ive got the steering box off, the pitman arm has a 3-deg bend in it from the housing out to the end, of shaft, turning by hand feels real gritty, YES its toast, im figuring the people who i bought this jeep from, has hit something,,(you think?,HA?)

i checked into another manual box, 220.00

a power steering conversion kit with all, parts i need was only 275.00 out the door, so ive ordered it, again sorry if ive ofended anybody on the group. johnp

Not to worry, we all have bad days here....

Not a bad deal for the kit. Will the stock steering column fit?

It can be adjusted for length a bit I believe. There is a plastic filled crush joint on it that can be heated and moved to some degree, I don't know how much though.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

i was told its a direct refit, no adapting needed to the steering wheel, wheel, ill see, in a few days,

im now wondering how tough it would be to change out the steeing wheel to a tilt wheel, but im probably dreaming, i hate wiring,

That is a stock Saganaw steering column used in GM full sized vans, pickups, Vettes, Camaros, Acadians, etc and about any top part will just fit in. The wiring is also stock GM with stock plugs, so it basically is a plug and play...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

thanks Mike, i like plug-n-play, my guts gettin too big so its iether a new wheel or streching out the frame,,,grin

thanks again johnp

Changing out the column will be a bit frustrating with the dash in place, unless you're double jointed or can lift the truck a couple of feet. As Mike says it should be a standard GM unit but be warned that some folks have mentioned here that the tube length (the portion that extends from the dash down and through the firewall) might not be uniform across models/years. On the upside, the tube is held into the upper portion by a couple of screws below the signal switch, so playing mix-n-match should be a breeze.

Hmmm. I wonder if you can change out only the upper portion of the column, leaving the tube in place. That would mean you could do it without having the pull the dash or disturb the weather seal at the firewall and it would be _much_ easier. Either way there's a bearing at the top of the column and one at the bottom, while you've got it apart check both of them and replace as needed. The bottom one is probably long gone. Quadratec sells a repair kit with bearing, collar and spring clip.

Don't worry too much about matching trim color: The upper portions take Krylon Fusion paint for plastic very well.

The only wiring that you'll have to contend with are the ignition switch held in a bracket low on the tube on the right hand side and hooked to a single harness connector and the signal light wiring. The signal connector is clipped to a bracket above the ignition switch and it too only fits one way. That part is a snap.

-- Thank ghod it's Them instead of You.