Ok, As you know my son was in my D100 and a lady turned in front of him and the RF was damaged and the truck was totaled.

When we went to drive it home from the wreck it would not turn left much at all. So we hauled it home. I assumed something was damaged in the steering gear itself. The truck hit hard enough that the strut rod bracket on that side has a crack where it welds to the frame. He also slid into the curb and it tore the belt in the tire and the rim had a little curb rash, but the rim is not even bent.

So I figure I would just go ahead and get a new steering box, all new tie rod ends and idler arm, and upper control arm bushings. just to be safe. I installed the steering box last night and it does the exact same thing! Turns left but not near far enough. The pitman arm has 4 large splines so it can only move in 1/4 turn increments. If I move it to the next spline I will have the opposite affect.

I don't see anything majorly out of the ordinary with the rest of the steering. The RH tie rod link may be slight bend and it is possible that the end of the Lower control arm may be twisted slightly. But I don't see anything that is keeping it from turning left.

What am I missing? It worked fine before the accident. Is it possible that the new unit is damaged.

Any help is appreciated.

Rick

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

The LCA has a stop on it that I believe the LBJ hits to prevent over-turning. Is it possible the LCA got bent, pushing the stop outward, hitting the LBJ sooner then intended?

I went back out and removed the pitman arm with the truck up on stands. The wheels move from side to side until they hit the stops on both sides. So the problem appears to me to be the gear box itself. I checked the lock to lock on the new box with the pitman arm off and it is just about 3.5 turns. I took the old box and turned it and it is just about 4 1/4 turns. That would appear to be my problem. But that still does not explain why the old box would not turn to the left either. Probably more than one thing going on.

The Rock auto catalog (where I got this) only lists a D150 not a D100. I assumed that those two would take the same box, but maybe not. I am about to give them a call.

Rick

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Manual or power box? Aftermarket guts were available for manual boxes, you may have got a manual box someone had changed the guts on previously.

Don't look at the number of turns lock to lock, look at the total swing of the pitman from one lock to the other.

Something else got mangled or is out of whack. You said you did tie rod ends - if they are far off adjustment I can see something like this happening

It is a power box. I have a 86 D100 setting right beside it and it is 4.25 turns lock to lock. The same as the old box I took out . The new box is 3.3 turns lock to lock.

Rock Auto does not carry anything for a D100 steering box. So I'm guessing they are different, although I can't imagine why!

Advance and AutoZone also do not list for D100.

Napa does but the only listing that they have says it is for 3 3/8 - 4 1/4 lock to lock. I don't understand that unless they are using the 4 1/4 one for both?

Red Head does have one but they are over $300. I may have to go that route anyway.

Rick

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

if it concerns steering boxes,, D100 vs D150 and lock to lock numbers ,,these folks would know,,

http://www.steerandgear.com/index.html