How loose is your steering??

[Ben KVX]

Just curious, how much free play do you have in your steering wheel? Say traveling down the freeway how much side to side freeplay do you have, mine might be normal just feels a little looser than most vehicles. If so, is there an adjustment? Thanks.:confused:

[creeg]

Mine is pretty tight. I dont offroad, so it gets a lot of street action whcih Im sure keeps it pretty tight.

[blacksambo]

This one is simple; the VX shop mannual allows .30 to 1.1 inches of steering-wheel free play. Anywhere in that range is okay. If you don't like yours, the adjustment is also simple. Simply release the outer nut on the top of the steering box and tighten down the inner screw a tad. Simple enough?

[Ldub]

Look here... http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=51703&postcount=4 :_wrench:

Just gotta L:heart:VE that good ol' search function...:smilewink

[nfpgasmask]

Funny you mention this because I think my steering has gotten a little loose over the years. When I went to visit my mom in FL last month, I drove her 96 Trooper around for a bit. MAN that was loose.

Bart

[Ldub]

i don't see the flat head screws and the bolt? where is it exactly, cuz can't find it.

Tell ya what...you become a site supporter, & I'll go outside tomorrow & take pics in the freezin' az cold to help you...:naughty:

[Ldub]

...:rolleyesg

[WILLY]

maybe the site should charge a membership fee and then it could be called the vehicross cult or better yet days of our vx's.OMG:_shrug:

[Ldub]

maybe the site should charge a membership fee and then it could be called the vehicross cult or better yet days of our vx's.OMG:_shrug:

It was just an offer...if you don't wanna contribute...DON'T!!!

You ROCK!...:thumbup:

[Gussie2000]

Hey guys what's up !

Mines is very loose though,the dealer where i bought the VX had alignment performed a year ago,but i think it needs alignment again.

[Y33TREKker]

Maybe this thread will help.

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles.htm/88



EDIT: Forgot to mention earlier that this thread (and pictures) was brought to you compliments of the Vehicross.info search function.

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=6728&highlight=steering+box

:p

[Ben KVX]

Thanks guys, I ordered a repair manual last week, it should be here today. I was just a little jumpy with the question. I'll still accept some pictures in the cold if the offer still stands.

[Y33TREKker]

The thread I listed has pictures. Granted, they're not pictures from a VX, but if you can find your steering box, you should be good to go.

[tom4bren]

"but if you can find your steering box"

Just follow the steering column from the firewall down & forward. Where it ends is the steering box in question.

[Y33TREKker]

"but if you can find your steering box"

Just follow the steering column from the firewall down & forward. Where it ends is the steering box in question.

Just giving a guy the benefit of the doubt. Old habits die hard.

[VehiGAZ]

The procedure works, but there are limits to how much slack can be recovered with this. I have tightened my balls (heh-heh-heh) as much as the adjustment screw will go, but there is still a little slop in the steering. Two guys who have worked on my VX (including an alignment shop) insist that there is no loosey-goosey play in the suspension and steering rack, so I assume I'm at a point where I can't get it any tighter without replacing the steering box & Pitman arm, and probably all of the bushings.

Anyway, IIRC, the steering box with the adjustment screw is either right behind or right in front of the radiator on the right side as you look at the engine bay in the VX. Not too hard to spot - it looks just like the one in the picture in the planetisuzoo link.

[etlsport]

its right in front of the radiator.. i was getting confused by it being called a steering box.. since its actually a cylinder...

its the silver cylinder half hidden behind the foam on the right side of this pic.. the blue wire loom at the bottom of the radiator runs right underneath it

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/air_horn_008.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9825)

[Ldub]

its right in front of the radiator.. i was getting confused by it being called a steering box.. since its actually a cylinder...

its the silver cylinder half hidden behind the foam on the right side of this pic.. the blue wire loom at the bottom of the radiator runs right underneath it

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/air_horn_008.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9825)

Ummmmm...NO, that's the A/C condensor, I believe...:smilewink

[etlsport]

hm.. whoopsies.. i dunno what i was thinking.. in that case it must be right behind the radiator lol.. ive tightened my power steering before.. guess it was a long time ago

[Ldub]

hm.. whoopsies.. i dunno what i was thinking.. in that case it must be right behind the radiator lol.. ive tightened my power steering before.. guess it was a long time ago

Hey...it happens, wait till ya hit fifty...:rolleyesg...:sighwgray

[tom4bren]

"Just giving a guy the benefit of the doubt. Old habits die hard."

Just helpin out. Location descriptions or even pics can be confusing. What's at the end of the steering column ... ain't.

"The procedure works, but there are limits to how much slack can be recovered with this."

True - it's really just adjusting backlash so success not only depends on the amount of wear but also on what's worn. I tried it on an old Dodge years ago & it didn't help - in that case the worn parts were not part of the steering box.

"wait till ya hit fifty"

Still 1+ years away ... BWAAAAHAAAHAAAH

[don moore]

Hey...it happens, wait till ya hit fifty...:rolleyesg...:sighwgray
..thx ..I cant wait....sept..

[rowhard]

Thanks guys, I ordered a repair manual last week, it should be here today. I was just a little jumpy with the question. I'll still accept some pictures in the cold if the offer still stands.

Send it back for a refund. the workshop manual and electrical manual are available here for free, and you can download it to your computer then print the pages you need when you need it.

[lasturbo]

So I was "catching up" on some of the steering adjustment threads for play but has anyone experience a click/clunk felt in the steering and/or steering column when you move the steering wheel back and forth slightly? Maybe the "play" is causing it if it is excessive or tight????

[psychos2]

there is a flexible joint in the steering column. mine feels loose. shawn

[crotchrocket]

Since replacing my upper ball joints i have realised my steering is slack too!!! But the play looks to me to be coming from the joint between the steering shaft from the steering box and the shaft to the wheels. I think thats a ball joint too ??

[tom4bren]

In the shop manual available in the Download Section, the process for adjusting steering play is on page 2A-13 (it's page 184 of the pdf file). The pic on page 2A-20 (pdf page 191) helps too.

Crotchrocket - look on page 2A-21 (pdf page 192). Can you tell if that universal is still tight? What about the splined shaft?

[crotchrocket]

Thanks tom, I think it’s the joint between the pitman arm and the centre track rod assembly (from what I remember it’s a ball joint but cant see it on the manual). Im in my office so will take a look tomorrow when its light

[tom4bren]

I hope that it's not the ball joint on the center link. I was told that the ball joint is not available by itself, you have to replace the centerlink.

BTW, that ball joint is a beeeotch to break loose. I worked at it for hours when I was installing my diff drops. When working on CSTYLES, we messed his up so bad, he had to replace the centerlink.

If you get yours apart, make sure you put 'anti-sieze' on it when you reinstall.

[crotchrocket]

will look onto it!! Thanks bud, if its at all messed up i'll get some second hand parts of a newer frontera B

[nemo]

I looked at mine late yesterday and talk about hard to get at there is not much room to use any wrench and too tight for a rachet. I went to get my liquid wrench to see if that will help loosen it up but could not find it so I going to get a can today. It looks like it would be really easy if you remove the fan shroud, does anyone know if that is true?

[SilverBullet75]

I just did this adjustment this weekend... Holy cow what a difference!

No need to remove the fan shroud. I doubled-up (end to end) two combination wrenches to make a long, almost 2 ft long box wrench. Worked like a charm. I only had to turn the center screw from about 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock until it stopped, then re-tightened the lock-nut.

VERY happy with the result of this.

Hey Jim (99VC), you may want to do this on yours. I remember it had a little slop when I owned it. VERY easy adjustment. Took about 2 minutes... most of which was getting the tools out of the box. :)
---JIM---

[handeeman]

I've got almost no (or very little) slack in mine. Besides T4B won't cut me any.

[tom4bren]

Must be the wide bucket ... provides a stable platform.

[handeeman]

Must be the wide bucket ... provides a stable platform.

To quote a former bestus bud of mine, "I have no response to that."
:dan_ban::dan_ban::dan_ban::dan_ban::dan_ban:

[mdf]

Thanks to the forum for saving me another repair.

My steering had gotten progressively loose and looser until it was scary. As usual, I searched the form and found a solution.

This fix works very well...that is once I let PB penetrating catalyst soak in the nut for a full day and then picked up a Craftsman universal ratcheting flex wrench to lossen the nut..quite a tight space to work.