anyone out there that knows the best or right , or easiest , or correct way to adjust the steering box on a 41 chev deluxe . ive had my stock a arms/ shocks rebuilt . new coils ,have replaced all worn parts . not many ,as the car has 55k on it .noticed the shaft the pitman attaches to could be pushed up about .25 inches .then discovered the adjustment bolt on top was loose . i snugged it up and tightened the lock nut . took most of the play out of the wheel . but im sure thats not all there is to it . also what is the best lube . i dont want to pack it with gear grease , as i think it is to thick .i was thinking maybe stp or something similar .like i said the front end is in good condition . i just need to find someone smart enough to set the alignment . ive just eyeballed everything so far .thnx for the informed input, bill
you could start out with Chevy's ideas, and see how far that gets you. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1941/41csm225.htm
thnx , ive got that manual . with my VERY limited educatonin , i cant really figure out the prostses ! information doesnt equal knowledge . and knowledge isnt indictave of wisdom . 2 outa three would help ! one outa three . NOT SO MUCH !
You said the shaft was loose, so you adjusted the screw (the one with the lock nut) on top, and took out the play, right? (we'll do this one step at a time...)
yes , i did . but the manual shows loosening b and a .which makes no sense to me . then the next page looks to be a different box ?
The adjustment they are talking about with A, B, and H is the end play on the shaft that goes up to the steering wheel. Is that loose? If it's not loose, then you should be able to leave it alone.
You want to tighten the nut on top of the steering box down just snug, and then back if off until you have about 2" of free play in your steering wheel, going back and forth. If you have it too tight, the wheels will not want to come back to center after making a turn. Toe in / toe out is set just like any other front wheel drive car. Camber is set by adjusting the part I circled. If it is too worn and "sagging" , the old school method is to carefully heat it up with a torch, and use a set of hydraulic spreaders to bend it outward so that you can get enough adjustment. You want the wheel to lean in just slightly at the top when you are done. Caster can be set with the same part, by moving the point of top attachment forward or backwards. You can use a bubble level which rests on the rim, not on the tire, to tell if you wheel is leaning in or out.
The box doesn't actually change. What they did was to take it out of the car, and put it in a vise, so you can see it from a different view, as they adjust the last part, which is the gear mesh. There are three different adjustments. The first is the shaft that goes to the steering wheel, where you adjust it for slight drag as you turn the wheel. The second is where you adjust the end play in the shaft that the pitman arm attaches to, to get it so it has no end play. The third is where you loosen the bolts that hold the halves of the gearbox together, then turn the eccentric bolt J, to get the mesh between the gears just right.
You should use Chevy steering box grease which you can get a Chevrolet parts dept. It won't melt under hi heat conditions .
last I checked, the Chevy grease had been discontinued years ago.... Some type of #00 weight grease is what you need. Corn head grease (for those who live near agriculture) works well.
Chevy grease is no more. John Deere Corn Head grease AN102562, is a good replacement for it. https://jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/...alMultiPurpose.htm#_Special-Purpose_Corn_Head
got the corn head grease ordered . cant wait to see how it works . played with the cam adj. . steering better , but not great . i guess i could be expecting to much from 1941 tech.. drove it at 65 mph and didnt have to change my shorts .any faster and the huck brakes come in to play . sure tempted to clip it . but im trying to keep it simple. caster adj. who probably really help , but i dont have a clue how to do it right with the tools and abilities i have !!
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