I've got my car back on the road now after suspension rebuild, GC box, and fresh alignment. There is noticeable "play" in the straight ahead position. The guy at the alignment shop mentioned the box may need to be adjusted (I assume by the set screw). How common would it be for a 90,000 mile jeep box to be worn like that? The car feels real squirley at highway speeds as a result. That doesnt seem like a lot of miles but I'm no expert on steering boxes either. Did I just get a bad box :(

Thanks....

You have new tie-rods, centerlink, balljoints, bushings, etc?

A good alignment shop should have adjusted the steering box if the play is that bad and makes it drive as you say. JMO

Yes.

Andre, my GC box with supposedly 58k miles had a touch of slop. I turned in the set screw about a 1/8 of a turn, feels real good.

Here is the "bench top" procedure:

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/RBGDisassembly&RepairPics4.doc

I just adjusted mine using this method. I have also adjusted it 1/8 or 1/4 turn at a time until it felt good while in the car.

Tom, thats my fault really, I dropped off the car with fumes in the tank so he didn't road test it very far. I've dealt with him for years.

Vince, I decided to try adjusting the box, and turned it a little more than 1/8 and it did tighten up noticeably. I could see the front wheel respond quicker while I turned the steering wheel (on jack stands). Its raining out now, so will have to wait to road test.

Got my fingers crossed

Andre, I may of even went a 1/4, dont quite remember, but I do remember it wasnt much. I think the problem is sometimes folks really crank it down and end up with problems. Little at a time is all you need.

You always must make the adjustment with the gear exactly on center (flat on the input shaft at 12 o'clock.) The gearset was designed with a small amount of interference right over center. Also the gearset was designed with a small amount of clearance off center. If you mistakenly try to "adjust" away the off center clearance, you will ruin the gearset when it tries to come back to center.

Also, the gearset was designed with the teeth on the pitman shaft with a slight taper (or at a slight angle.) This allows that the adjuster screw can push the pitman shaft down into the gearset and adjust the clearance. On a new or properly adjusted gear, there should be a couple of adjuster screw threads sticking up above the lock nut. If there are no threads showing, most likely the pitman shaft has been adjusted previously and the gear set has run out of possible adjustment.

Always make the screw adjustment clockwise in small increments. Try to drive the car between adjustments and determine that the steering returns to center (or close to center) when you make a turn like at a street corner. With too much pressure from the adjustment, the steering will start to stick and the steering will not return to center. With that you have adjusted too far. This is a very subjective type of test. Just remember that you don't want too much interference on center.

Jim