Adjusting 80 series steering box

[clivehorridge]

I tried the steps a couple of times the past 12 months, but my steering box is definitely worn uneven. Turning is now at the stiffest, but in the middle there is still 4-5cm play. If I thighten more, the steering wheel won't come back to the center. The steering shaft, coming from the steering wheel, moves directly when you move the steering wheel. But the steering box doesn't react. Only after 4-5cm of turning the steering wheel.
It is really annoying... Especially when you drive on narrow roads
Just a few weeks ago my steering box started leaking. I haven't found any good and complete gasket kits, and even when you replace the gaskets, the uneven weare can never be rebuilt...
So I ordered a new one. Reminder: Toyota parts are not cheap

Ooooh, ouch, I imagine you have no arms or legs after that purchase.

My box leaked like a sieve after about one year of ownership, but I had it rebuilt with new bushings, bearings and seals, not cheap but I could still walk.

EDIT correction here

It was fine for 8 years (250k km appx) then the output shaft sheared off at the pitman arm .

Another rebuild with new seals, the bearings and bushes were considered to be OK. Then the flexi PS hose let go. A new hose fitted 2 years ago... and touch wood, no problems as yet.

I have appx 2-3 cm free-play at centre, and it's not stiff at the extremes (ooh err missus) so the adjustment seems about right and it steers well IMO.

 

[frank rabbets]

That's bad luck Geert. They do indeed wear unevenly. If you are lucky the high spots will in fact be loose to some extent so their play can be taken up thus reducing the centre play slightly. If the centre play is still too much there is no way to adjust further.

I think rebuilding would be possible but until I take one to pieces I'm not too sure. I think the grooves on the top of the central shaft is where the uneven wear will be together with the balls unless they circulate entirely.

It's nearly all rack and pinion now and although wear takes place mostly in the centre again the rack is sprung loaded against the pinion so wear is taken up instantly and one is not aware of it. That is the racks I have worked on.

Clive I often think about that terrifying story of your centre shaft snapping !!

 

[clivehorridge]

That's bad luck Geert. They do indeed wear unevenly. If you are lucky the high spots will in fact be loose to some extent so their play can be taken up thus reducing the centre play slightly. If the centre play is still too much there is no way to adjust further.

I think rebuilding would be possible but until I take one to pieces I'm not too sure. I think the grooves on the top of the central shaft is where the uneven wear will be together with the balls unless they circulate entirely.

It's nearly all rack and pinion now and although wear takes place mostly in the centre again the rack is sprung loaded against the pinion so wear is taken up instantly and one is not aware of it. That is the racks I have worked on.

Clive I often think about that terrifying story of your centre shaft snapping !!

It was scary but thankfully only in the imagination because I was parking the truck in the street at the time. At speed, God knows what might have been the outcome, it would not have been pleasant, that's for sure!

 

[Geert]

That must be scary!!

 

[Geert]

Just wondering: what does a rebuilt cost?
I'm not exactly sure how much my new one is gonna cost. Still has to pass customs

 

[clivehorridge]

It's not right for me to suggest a price, the labour charge is so cheap here in comparison with the U.K. Anyway, it distorts everything.

And it was a while ago, I don't suppose I'd find the bills now.

I remember the new shaft part was expensive, Mr T at appx. €350 but the bushes, seals and bearings were quite reasonable IIRC.

 

[Geert]

Package from Toyota arrived:





€1300, pretty reasonable

 

[madmanmart]

Bargain!

 

[clivehorridge]

Is that price including import duty and all other costs such as postage etc? If so, you've done just fine I recon...

 

[Geert]

Tax is included, postage was €100. But I ordered a bunch of other stuff as well, so...

 

[clivehorridge]

Tax is included, postage was €100. But I ordered a bunch of other stuff as well, so...

... so .... you're really broke now

 

[Geert]

the steering box was the most expensive part.
I also ordered an a/c clutch. Also pretty heavy.

 

[Yawood]

....

€1300, pretty reasonable

Sounds expensive to me - that's over AU$1900 but you did say it is new and I don't know how much a new one is in Oz. However I had mine re-done with a reconditioned (genuine and rebuilt) unit in 2007 and I just looked up the receipt. It cost me $660 for the unit which is 445 Euro or 380 Pounds at today's exchange rate.

 

[Geert]

I know a rebuilt can be cheaper but the gears inside that cause the free play in the steering wheel, aren't replaced with a rebuilt one (at least not here). A rebuilt one costs €1200 over here... and you have to send you old unit in.
So a new one was my only certainty

 

[Yawood]

Well, if a new one is 1300 and a rebuilt one is 1200 then it's a no brainer as our American friends would say.

 

[Michael Montgomery]

Build mine more times that I wish to acknowledge & too be fair not a wonderful experience. Theres nothing like new really. As Geert says not all parts are changed over and theres always wear & tear to consider in whats left.

 

[Geert]

Replaced the steering box this weekend. Everything went great... until we discovered the pitman arm doesn't fit the new steering box. Apparentely Toyota upgraded the steering boxes and used a bigger shaft in the 105. If you order a new one now, it has the upgraded shaft. So I ordered a new pitman arm and am currently steering Mr. Bean style

 

[clivehorridge]

Replaced the steering box this weekend. Everything went great... until we discovered the pitman arm doesn't fit the new steering box. Apparentely Toyota upgraded the steering boxes and used a bigger shaft in the 105. If you order a new one now, it has the upgraded shaft. So I ordered a new pitman arm and am currently steering Mr. Bean style

Toyota upgrading the main shaft is interesting, because I had a main shaft shear off just above the pitman arm. A replacement wasn't hard to get (but it cost a few bob) but I didn't know about an upgrade.

If I had have known, it would have had the larger diameter shaft and a new pitman arm fitted.

 

[grantw]

Is it just a shaft upgrade or is it a whole steering that is box required?

 

[Geert]

That I don't know, maybe you can order the bigger shaft seperately...
@clivehorridge: what did you do to shear off the shaft??

Well, just finished the job this morning. I must say, it is a totally different car to drive. There is no play in the steering wheel. It steers as sharp as a knife now. Great!