Loose steering

[jtwoods4]

Hey guys got yet another question...

There's a lot of play in my 1980 300sd diesel w116. I have heard that there is an adjustment where you can take out the play in the steering wheel. I heard that the adjustment is done on the steering box itself. Does anybody have any experience with this adjustment?

[daantjie]

First replace the steering coupler. If it's original to the car for sure it's toast.

[jtwoods4]

Okay thanks I'll take a look. That's in the engine compartment right?

[daantjie]

Yup just follow the steering shaft into the engine compartment. It sits right by the steering box and thus couples the steering shaft to the steering box.

[jtwoods4]

Great thank you

[jtwoods4]

Okay so it's not the coupler the steering wheel has a lot of play in it. it just moves ever so slightly to the left and right before any force is applied. It's like there's slop in the gearbox. I've heard that there's a way to adjust this out of the gearbox.

[Squiggle Dog]

On the top of the steering box, there is a 19mm nut with a 6mm hex key (Allen) shaft in the center. put the wrench on the nut (I use a box wrench, but a crow's foot wrench would work as well), and then put the hex key in the shaft. Hold the hex key wrench in position while loosening the nut. If this requires too much force, you may need to put a socket over the nut and break it loose first.

Once you are able to hold the shaft in place and have the nut loose, turn the hex key counterclockwise so that the shaft rotates outward as if you are loosening it. This will actually pull one of the gears upward into the other gear, removing some of the play. By turning the shaft counterclockwise and having it look as if it's loosening, it's actually tightening the gears, which is counter-intuitive to what you think it would be doing. Turning the shaft clockwise loosens the gears.

You only want to go about 1/8th of a turn at a time. Rotate the shaft 1/8th of a turn counterclockwise and then turn the nut clockwise while holding the shaft in place, tightening the nut. Then check your steering play.

If the steering starts to get a bit more difficult to turn, you've gone too far. Always turn the wheel completely in both directions after making your final adjustment to make sure your steering can turn fully in both directions. Having the steering box bind up can be disastrous.

[jtwoods4]

Awesome squiggle dog that's exactly what I was looking for!

[gf]

I think act on the side of caution with the steering box adjustment. Make sure your steering coupler, steering dampener and bushes are in good order and not the cause.
Over tightening your steering box when everything else is not right may be a bad idea.