Pitman Arm seating on steering box shaft

mossman Commited Dubber

73 posts · joined Apr 2013 · 26 Nov 2014, 11:17 pm

#1004244

Hi Guys,
just go my 1960 Baja on the road. The turning circle is tighter turning right than turning left. So the steering wheels turns 1 turn to the left and 1 & 1/4 to the right.
Is it possible for the pitman arm to be rotated on the steering box shaft and the clamp bolt to still sit in the groove ok?

Or is it more likely the tie rods are extremelly poorly adjusted?

The wheel alignemnt seems othwise ok.

Special Air Service Chief "Gunna"

1,769 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 27 Nov 2014, 11:19 am

#1004257

pitman arm can only go on in one location. there is a clamp on the steering shaft between the coupler & the steering box that can be loosened & then the shaft can be rotated slightly in relation to the steering box.

the other solution would be to have the wheel alignment redone but this time get them to centre the steering wheel in the middle of the travel from lock to lock. Then index the steering wheel to straight ahead. If you get my drift.

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AA003 Custom Title Time!

1,189 posts · joined Oct 2011 · 27 Nov 2014, 2:47 pm

#1004265

Special Air Service wrote:the other solution would be to have the wheel alignment redone but this time get them to centre the steering wheel in the middle of the travel from lock to lock. Then index the steering wheel to straight ahead. If you get my drift.

Do you mean do the alignment like they are supposed to?

I read it on samba, so it must be correct.

Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!😂

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 · 27 Nov 2014, 6:45 pm

#1004275

Alignment is badly out. I mean the individual toe angles 'may' be OK but they should know to centre the steering before starting.

Out of interest does your steering wheel sit centred when the box is in it's correct central position? If the wheel doesn't match the box then most places won't check steering wheel alignment and take it's dead ahead position as gospel.

madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍

mossman Commited Dubber

73 posts · joined Apr 2013 · 27 Nov 2014, 10:01 pm

#1004288

I'll check the seating position of the pitman arm first. Maybe I can get small rotation of the arm to the steering box shaft. Hopefully I dont need to remove the steering box.

Special Air Service Chief "Gunna"

1,769 posts · joined Oct 2004 · 29 Nov 2014, 11:39 am

#1004378

AA003 wrote:
Special Air Service wrote:the other solution would be to have the wheel alignment redone but this time get them to centre the steering wheel in the middle of the travel from lock to lock. Then index the steering wheel to straight ahead. If you get my drift.
Do you mean do the alignment like they are supposed to?

Yeah, I guess you could say that. I'd say they've aligned to the steering wheel straight ahead position rather than centre of steering travel.
I bet they would argue that they have not done anything wrong though.

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mossman Commited Dubber

73 posts · joined Apr 2013 · 29 Nov 2014, 9:45 pm

#1004402

I removed the pitman arm and confirmed that it only seats on the steering box shaft in one position like SAS suggested. Adjusted long and short tie rods with the steering box centred and and now have similar turning circle on laft and right. Also adjusted wheel alignment to4mm toe in to allow some room for this to reduce when I lift the front end and it drives well now. Also indexed the steering wheel on the the spline to centre the steering wheel. Back to factory again!