steering problem!
steering problem!
Hello all, just picked up a 97 hardbody with a little tailgate damage and just needed some tlc for $750 bucks. battery was dead and the person thought something bad was wrong.The steering is weird with it, it doesent pull either way and the steering wheel is centerd but when i turn to the left it makes 1 complete rotation and stops. If i go back to center the steering wheel will go to rotoations 2 the right. Theres no grinding or power steering noise it just stops with one turn... any ideas?Thanks and this forum looks pretty usefull i'll be on it alot.
-
Desert Rat
- Posts: 1969
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:57 am
- Car: 2014 370Z M6 Base Coupe
2017 Frontier 4.0
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Quad Cab 4x4
1977 F150 4x4 Shorty BUILT
2008 Boulevard C90T
Previous owner of a bunch of Nissans - Location: Mesa, AZ
- Contact:
Re: steering problem! (moc)
has it been wrecked? The steering stops are adjusted way in on one side and way out on the other maybe.
Does it seem like the truck turns a lot sharper to the right with the additional turns
Take it to an alignment shop. It might be toed way out. Is there any funky tire wear?
Does it seem like the truck turns a lot sharper to the right with the additional turns
Take it to an alignment shop. It might be toed way out. Is there any funky tire wear?
Re: steering problem! (Desert Rat)
Well i looked at the steering stops and the one on the passanger side never hits the stop its about 1 inch from hitting so something else is stoping it from turning more than 1 revolution to the left. It doesent get hard to turn or anything it just comes to an abrupt stop... feels the same as turning to the stop in the other direction.However the rear passenger tire is bald on the inside and outside of the tire. but other tires on the truck are fine.I dont want to take it to a mechanic cause most of them are tards and charge more than what its worth.thanks for the help.The passanger side bumper was hit just a little but i dont think it caused any structural damage I can hardly tell it is pushed in a little.
-
Desert Rat
- Posts: 1969
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:57 am
- Car: 2014 370Z M6 Base Coupe
2017 Frontier 4.0
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Quad Cab 4x4
1977 F150 4x4 Shorty BUILT
2008 Boulevard C90T
Previous owner of a bunch of Nissans - Location: Mesa, AZ
- Contact:
Re: (moc)
Yep, the toe is WAY out. They trashed a tire and rotated it to the back.
A decent alignment shop should have you back in business for about $60
A decent alignment shop should have you back in business for about $60
Re: (Desert Rat)
Not so fast with the alignment thing there DR....
There is one other possibility. There should be 1.5 turns in either direction of the steering wheel. Measure the length between the left side inner and outer tie-rods and compare that to the length of the right side. If they are not equal (or at least very close) then the alignment needs to be redone because the steering linkage wasn't centered properly when the alignment was done the last time.
IF they are equal or close to equal then the problem is most likely at the steering shaft. This is the shaft that connects to the top of steering box and it needs to be removed and re-centered.
There is one other possibility. There should be 1.5 turns in either direction of the steering wheel. Measure the length between the left side inner and outer tie-rods and compare that to the length of the right side. If they are not equal (or at least very close) then the alignment needs to be redone because the steering linkage wasn't centered properly when the alignment was done the last time.
IF they are equal or close to equal then the problem is most likely at the steering shaft. This is the shaft that connects to the top of steering box and it needs to be removed and re-centered.
Re: (Big-Bird)
well figured some stuff out this weekend.The stop that was hitting was inside the steeringbox itself. therefore I disconnected the pitman arm from the steering box and centered the wheel the best I could based on the locks that were inside the steering box. In doing this the keys on the pitman arm were way off so I took a drimmel to the keys and wa-la it slid back on the post coming out of the steering box and steering is equal now with 2 to the right and 2 to the left.The truck fram is bent from my measurements (driverside rear sits 1 1/2" higher than passenger side at the frameabove the rear wheel).
I think it will be ok now we shall see with timeThanks for the help.
I think it will be ok now we shall see with timeThanks for the help.
-
raymundojr
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:54 pm
- Car: nissan cefiro 2006
Re: (moc)
Ok,its a good idea that you disconnected the pitman arm.But I think,u should also see to it that the nissan CV boot is okay aside from re centering the steering box.
Re: (raymundojr)
Did I read that last post correctly from MOC? He took a dremel to thesplines on the pitman arm shaft to recenter the steering wheel? That is not normally how this issue gets resolved. But if what you did worked for you then ce-la-vie.
A typical Nissan Truck steering schematic.
The correct area that should have been taken apart is called the 'joint-to steering' gear pinch bolt which is located ahead of the steering box. Take a look at the top left image on this scanned page.
A typical Nissan Truck steering schematic.
The correct area that should have been taken apart is called the 'joint-to steering' gear pinch bolt which is located ahead of the steering box. Take a look at the top left image on this scanned page.
Re: (Big-Bird)
alright look at it like this. The pitman arm was disconnected and I centered the steering based upon the stops inside the steering box. like this the pitman arm would not go back on so it wouldnt matter what adjustments I did on the top side of the steering box like this I would have to turn 1 full turn to the left to get the pitman arm to slip back on (the splines coming out of the bottem side of the steering box only go on at 1 exact place due to the notches) so this notches are what I drimmeled out. Thanks for the advice tho.
Re: (moc)
Like I said..if what you did worked for you then ce-la-vie. ( Alls well that end well )
But it does have me scratching my head wondering how this issue occurred in the first place. Perhaps the steering box was rebuilt at one point and the sector shaft (the shaft the pitman arm attaches to) was out of sync with the worm gear. When I rebuilt my first steering box out of 5 ton Chevy, I was out 1 tooth on the sector shaft and that would have made the steering wheel go out a full turn. Luckily it was caught while I still had it on the bench.
But it does have me scratching my head wondering how this issue occurred in the first place. Perhaps the steering box was rebuilt at one point and the sector shaft (the shaft the pitman arm attaches to) was out of sync with the worm gear. When I rebuilt my first steering box out of 5 ton Chevy, I was out 1 tooth on the sector shaft and that would have made the steering wheel go out a full turn. Luckily it was caught while I still had it on the bench.
Find Your Forum!