Has anyone here replaced their D2 steering box?
Not rebuilt it, but replaced it.
I started rebuilding mine, long story short, it had problems and it was more cost effective to get a remanufactured one.
New box came, installed pitman arm, bolted box in, checked steering, and something is not right.
I went to bed, and will work on it tonight.
Problem is, it turns another 1/2- 3/4 of a turn to the right.
The wheel is not quite centered either.
As for the wheel being off, I'm not suprised, as with a new box, there is no mark as to exactly where the u-joint on the steering shaft lines up. I can fix that.
What I don't understand is why the extra turn to the right.
With the pitman arm centered, there cannot be that much adjustment by rotating the u-joint on the splines.
I also completely disassembled/rebuilt the old box, so I know what's going on in there. If the rack were off a tooth, the extra travel to one side should be much greater, and would cause a big loss of turning to the other side. Regardless, I hope I didn't get a junk reman and have to wait on a replacement.
The front wheels also show as toed out now. Which makes no sense. As the box is all that was removed.
When I put the ball joint back into the pitman arm, it lined up perfectly. Before removing the box, the truck drove perfectly straight, didn't pull, and you could take your hands off the wheel at 80mph and it still went straight.
I have alot of checking to do later, but just wanted to know if anyone else has ran into this, or something similiar before. Maybe it's ok, and my tired brain missed something, but it's very strange.
Thanks for any input.

 

I think that the toe out I'm seeing is from where it was jacked up, and the springs haven't completely settled.
Regardless of multiple full lock left and right turns of the steering wheel.

 

Sounds like you are off a tooth or two, on the sector shaft, with pitman arm.

Normally, after installing the gearbox, I center the sector shaft, by marking it in a spot on one tooth and turning it both directions (lock-to-lock), marking each furthest spot in both directions, then centering between each mark. If vehicle has been lifted or you are unsure if wheels are straight (normally, I drive vehicle in garage straight and never lift...which kepts tires in correct position), make sure they are straight by straight-lining them with rear tires, then slip pitman arm on sector shaft. Then center steering wheel and install steering shaft on input shaft of gearbox.

Toe issue may be a settling issue (especially, if you have a lift or weird steering geometries), since nothing you've done should have affected that. Once you have your "lock-to-lock" issue straighten out, a little test drive should settle the suspension.

Brian.

 

Thanks
I think the toe out is just unsettled front springs.
The pitman arm cannot be off a tooth, it has 2 wide line-up splines. So it can only go on 2 ways, correct, or 180 degrees off, which then obviously won't fit on the truck.
The splines on the steering shaft side are where it must be adjusted. Since it's a new box, I have no previous alignment mark. And since LR engineers had to do something stupid, the fasteners at the top of the shaft need ground out to make adjustment easy.

 

Okay, never actually had a "rover" pitman arm off...figures they'd be different or the least common...lol.

So, if the pitman arm only goes on one way, and it's on that way, but still steers one way more than the other...either your alignment has to be off (and you just never noticed it before)...or the gearbox was assembled wrong...would be my next guess.

Seems weird that everything was hunky-doory beforehand...

I'd drive it, settle the suspension and make adjustments as needed...see if that gets you anywhere.

Brian.

 

Be careful I believe you can only turn that steering wheel so far without messing up the clock spring?
If you turned the steering wheel when disconnected from the steering box you maybe winding the clock spring too much or unwinding?
I don't know how they find center when replacing one (clock spring)?

 

That's what I thought too.
I have it back together, and now everything seems to be ok. I haven't bled the system yet, or drove it more than to back it out of the garage. Strange.

 

The steering wheel was never turned more than a quarter turn while disconnected from the shaft.
So it should be ok.