Strange Steering problem

[05gt]

Hopefully someone will have had the same problem i've been having. With the steering wheel in the 12 o'clock position, you can move the wheel freely with no effort and no effect to the control of the car from the 10 o'clock to the 2 o'clock postion before you get any steering response what so ever. It doesn't matter if the car is stitting still or moving, there is alot of play in the wheel untill you get a steering response. Now once you pass the 10 and 2 positions, the car steers normaly as it should. Even as I keep turing the wheel left of right past the initial "dead" area, the car continues to have smooth steering with no other play, binding, etc......

I'm trying to figure out what would cause this. Do I need to mess with the adjusting screw on the steering box (manual steering) to adjust the mesh, or if my box itself in need of a good rebuild. At first I figured rebuild, but like I mentiones, once you get past the initial dead area, the car steers normaly as it should. If i go from full lock to lock, everything feels smooth untill I get to the straight ahead position, theres the free play in the wheel, and then i get good response again.

Any input would be great. I get a bit worried driving it around like that, and hate to get a rebuild or a new box if it's something minor that I'm overlooking!

[Frankenstein57]

Excuse me for not knowing what combination of car/ steering you are running , but if I have a steering or front end problem I start out by jacking up one a arm till your tire is off the ground, then firmly grab the tire with both arms, wiggle it side to side and see where the play is.  Mark

[CDN.SD]

Assuming that it's an original, it's not too unusual for a steering box to have excessive play/wear at or near the 12 O'clock position, after all, that's where it spends most of it's time, going straight ahead.

Check the other parts as Mark suggested, and if they all check out, then it's probably time to look for a new box. You can always try adjusting it, but if you adjust the play out of it at 12, you'll probably have binding everywhere else.

[05gt]

The car is a 57 is a club vic hardtop, 312 with all stock manual steering. I figured if I adjusted the box to much, then it would bind in other spots. I need to go out and jack her up and see if I have any play in the wheel's. If there's no play, then that would leave pitman arm, steering box, or coulmn problems then, right? Would it be possible for the steering wheel to be worn possibly? (holes oblongated, etc...) Still trying to get the hang of working on older cars, so i appologize for the novice questions . 

[05gt]

well went out and jacked her up, and theres not really any movement in the wheels. I was wrong before though. With the wheel in the 12 position, the dead area is between 12-2. Theres a little play towards the 11, but nothing that's really not to be expected. The major play though is 12-2. You can literaly take one finger and move the wheel from 12 to 2 with no effort, then at 2 you can feel where you get response. I would figure if the gears inside the steering box were worn or damaged, the play would keep repeating itself everytime I turned the wheel after I get a response, but it does't. Once I get a response, evertying goes smooth untill it's turned full lock. Still stumped.

[CDN.SD]

If the worm gear, (the one like a screw that is part of the shaft with the steering wheel) was the one that was worn, you would tend to get more even slop all the way from lock to lock, but if it's the sector (IIRC) gear (the one attached to the pitman arm) you will tend to get it in the one location only.

Unfortunately, I can't really think of anything else that would cause the symptoms you're describing.

[FORDNUT]

It sounds like a rough spot as opposed to slop. I had pretty much the same thing with the last 57 I owned. It turned out that this was the position the steering wheel was in when it sat so long without being driven. The spot was where the worm and sector had actually rusted where they touched.

[shopratwoody]

You can't hurt it by trying to adjust it now. Have someone move the steering wheel back and fourth
as you tighten up the screw. You will get to feel when or if it improves. I run grease in mine.

[05gt]

Thanks for the input guys, greatly appreciated as always. Think I'll have the mrs. give me a hand on sunday and try adjusting it. Worst case I put it back to where it was. If that don't work, sound's like the box is off to ABS for a rebuild. Doesn't seem like the steps to remove the steering box will be difficult......but then again, seem's like this car is ALWAYS difficult!!!