386 steering wheel revolutions

[Jlow8649]

The timing marks are right. I already had those checked. I looked up a video on YouTube and if I'm not mistaking, it says to jack up truck and just turn the wheel side to side with 40lbs of pressure on each turn and the poppets will reset automatically if increasing turning. Is this right? If decreasing turning radius I have to remove the bolt at bottom of gearbox, but I need to increase left turn. timing marks have been checked already. Is that the right way to reset the poppets? Also thanks for all the answers

[Rawze]

(05-27-2017 )Jlow8649 Wrote:  I got 2.5 to the right but only 1.5 to the left. I think my gearbox is the problem. Are there any adjustments in them? I've took the arm off and still doesn't turn.

bobtail in a big parking lot,... put it in reverse, turn the wheel each way, doing one way at a time ,.. pull the steering wheel like you want to break it off, as hard as you can and hold it very hard while backing up with a quick jerking motion out on the clutch to produce negative torque on the steering components. It takes a lot of force on the steering wheel (both hands hard) and backing up kind of 'medium jerk' to the suspension, (not going forward) to make the poppets adjust on newer model steering boxes.

If the steering wheel gives a bit, then do it again a few times until you can get no more out of it. Do the same for the other direction. -- This will set the poppet valve stop points.

[JMBT]

I was looking up the poppet resetting process for my gear to see if that would help you, but I read Rawze's method above and it sounds like it would be a hell of a lot more fun!! Remember once you have it steering full both ways, set the steering stops!! Good luck!

[Jlow8649]

Thanks, I'll try that. I already tried jacking it up and turning it. I did notice that turning right it would make that noise like it was maxed out turning. When turning left, it didn't make any noise. It just stopped like something was catching. I'll try the reverse way and if nothing, I'll probably get a new gearbox.

[Rawze]

(05-27-2017 )Jlow8649 Wrote:  Thanks, it doesn't hit the steering stop bolts on either side. I'll try to figure out how to reset the poppets. I just bought the truck and it was like this. It has a new power steering pump and I can see where someone has had the steering gearbox off. The nuts are missing paint where a socket was on them. I've taken the arm off and it still won't turn anymore so I'm pretty sure it's something in the gearbox

Only someone professionally trained to work on steering components should do steering-box work!. I see a million dollar lawsuit in their future when someone crashes because they didn't torque a steering component properly and only used an impact gun like a complete fool!.

A front-end shop and/or shop that replaces steering components should know the torque specs off the top of their heads for everything from the steering box mounts themselves to the drag link, tie rods, mounts, king pin holders, etc!. if that is what they do a lot of!.


-- Someone professionally trained on how to work on steering boxes would know exaxctly how to adjust the stops and would know exactly that the steering and stops, range, alignment, etc. is properly tested and correct BEFORE LETTING THE TRUCK OUT OF THEIR SHOP!!!!!

--- That is what is wrong with trucking --- IDIOTS THAT ARE AIR-GUN HAPPY AND WHO DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT!!!. -- It only creates headache for everyone else and for something like the steering or suspension,... AN ACCIDENT THAT WILL KILL SOMEONE WAITING TO HAPPEN!.

----- I took lessons on professionally re-building steering boxes and replacing them when mine went bad ab out 3 years ago. Even the re-man shops will only let a certain certified tech. (if they had any brains) re-build one that has been trained and IS VERY VERY GOOD WITH BALL-BEARING ALIGNMENT AND PLACEMENT do that part of the job. It is very difficult to get right to say the least.

-- I pulled mine off and completely dissembled it / re-built it about 6 times in a row on the bench just for practice. the first 2 times I did it, I swore I had it correct,.. and it locked up when it was thrown on their tester after about 10 minutes of rigorous testing to check ball bearing alignment. They will lock up unexpectedly after a couple weeks on a truck if a single ball-bearing is not in its exact place.... and believe me when I say it is hard to get them right!.

Some models have staggered size ball-bearings where every other one is only a few micron smaller than the one next to it. You cant tell them apart once they are laying in a box. Here is an explanation of what I just stated ...
http://www.kssballscrew.com/us/pdf/qa/Q-BS-19.pdf

And this is WHY you should NEVER disassemble the inner core where the bearings are in steering box. ONE BALL out of place, 2 spacer balls next to each other,... or 2 load carying balls... and after a while,.. LOCKUP!. Same thing happens to ball-screws on industrial machinery at high speeds when they are disassembled wrong.


I got pretty good at re-building one, I already had experience with the same thing on ball-screws when I used to work on CNC machinery years ago. Even so ---

-- I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW ONE ANYWAYS to put on my own truck and donated the old one to the place that re-builds them. -- I did this JUST FOR INSURANCE AND LIABILITY REASONS!!! --- I am not about to put on a steering box that god-forbid locks up after a few weeks and kills someone or myself!. It has happened to many many people!. I don't need that million dollar lawsuit,.. I will let the manufacturer take that hit if I buy one and it fails!. -- All i have to worry about was installing it properly and correctly torque the steering components, that part was easy.

[Jlow8649]

Thanks for the information, I think I'm just going to get another gearbox to be safe. I'll probably just let peterbilt put it on if I can get by one

[JMBT]

I have never taken one apart like Rawze, but I have put several on, done the initial poppet setup, bled the unit, and so forth, and it isn't too bad of a job. Nothing to be scared of there. You can find all your torque specs online either via the gear manufacturer, TRW, Shepard, ... or the truck manufacturer. I don't think I would shy away from resetting the poppets either if you are mechanically inclined, as from the TRW procedure it does not look like you have to break the unit open, or even remove it from the truck. Just pour over the manual and decide if it is something you want to try. If you are going to replace it and it is a TRW gear, I would strongly reccomend getting a "new" one and not a reman. It seems like about every other reman I have seen is defective. The new one will set you back a few more $$$, but definitely worth it in my opinion.
Some food for thought, my brother bought a used KW one time with a wide trac axle. Before he purchased it some jack wagon at the KW shop had replaced the steering gear, a TRW TAS 65, with a P/N for one that matched the VIN of a KW without a wide trac. For the longest time we couldn't figure out why he didn't have full turning radius. Finally running the VIN we saw it was the wrong steering gear entirely.
Is your Pete a wide trac?

[Jlow8649]

I'm not sure if it's wide Trac or not. I'm assuming peterbilt replaced this one at one time because the warranty had just ran out when I bought it. It also has had a new power steering pump put on. I don't know how they could have let it out of the shop turning like it does. The local peterbilt only has a reman in stock. Could I tell if it was bad before putting on?

[JMBT]

You won't be able to tell if it's bad until you run it. The problem I have seen with remans is they usually leak around the output shaft dirt seal behind the pitman arm soon after they are put on. The same thing can happen if you grease that seal with a powered grease gun, so only grease it with a pump action grease gun and just enough to see a bit of grease around the output shaft. If reman is all they have, you gotta do what you gotta do. Just make sure you keep your receipt handy in case it starts to leak! Reman should still have a one year warranty. The Pete dealer should be able to tell from your VIN if you have a wide trac front axle, but if they pulled the P/N for the steering box from your VIN you should be good to go there.