Re: {Chrysler 300} Steering boxes.

I have a (frustrating) ongoing issue with the steering box on my '59 DeSoto Fireflite. Early last year, I sent the box and pump out for the rebuild to a recommended family-run company that has been in business for a long time. The car was steering well with a newly rebuilt front end on a low mileage car, but the box leaked like a sieve - hence the rebuild. When I re-installed everything, it no longer leaks but I have what I would describe as intermittent power steering loss at very low or parked speeds, such as when turning around on the driveway. It's as if it briefly has power assist and then quickly cuts out to where it requires enough effort that it can even require hand-over-hand like a manual steering car, usually accompanied with some sort of pressure-related hiss that I can hear traveling up the steering column (one reason to further suspect an issue with the box). At rolling speeds, the car steers great with no issues, but kicking up the rpm's at idle doesn't seem to help the issue when sitting still.

The power steering belt is the same as was on there before with proper tension, the high pressure hose is the same (flushed to eliminate any risk of contamination), the low pressure hose is new of the same exact type as removed, I made sure to bleed the system with the front end elevated, I re-torqued the pitman arm to the shop manual specs, and I played around with the valve adjustment on the top of the box with the two bolts without success. The rebuilder has already checked out the pump a second time (I didn't expect this was the issue, but it was much easier and quicker to remove) and has agreed to look at the box again. Before I go through the effort to remove it again, is there anything else I should look at to troubleshoot?

I feel like I have been reasonably thorough in my troubleshooting and re-installation practices, but perhaps I screwed something up or am missing another adjustment I could try.

Thanks,

David

On Fri, Aug 5, 2022 at 10:18 AM rdr_inc <rdr_inc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yeah, all correct, and most of the play and slop is first in the worn out rubber bushings throughout front end.

Rick Dutkiewicz

Sent from my Galaxy

-------- Original message --------
From: Dan Plotkin <dplotkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 2022-08-05 11:07 a.m. (GMT-05:00)
To: 'Donald Verity' <chryslerdon@xxxxxxx>
Cc: 'chrysler 300 club' <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: {Chrysler 300} Steering boxes.

My advice is that you listen to Don’s advice. Don replaced the rubber isolator at the end of the steering column and that made my F like new and a pleasure to drive. Previous to that I had a slight rocking of the column between 1 and 5 O Clock that felt as though the steering wheel was loose. The isolator barely shows up in the shop manual with no reference for its replacement. Not even a part number as far as I know. If not for Don I wouldn’t have known about that rubber isolators role in tight steering wheels , and Bob’s video is instructive on how to replace the rubber isolator. If the isolator is original in your car it is shot. If your horn is intermittent or not at all the problem can be there as well where the copper straps ground the column to the box.

Otherwise remember that as Don says Mopar steering boxes have play at rest that vanishes when the pump is running. I advise against any box adjustment which will make it tight in the center and fail to return. If the box has play while running and you have proven its not caused by worn steering parts, send the box out.

Danny Plotkin

From: 'Donald Verity' via Chrysler 300 Club International [mailto:chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, August 5, 2022 9:37 AM
To: chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: {Chrysler 300} Steering boxes.

On the subject of steering boxes.
Leaking seals is not the only thing that goes wrong with these 58 and up steering boxes. The main needle bearings that support the cross shaft also wear, and can actually break. The cross shaft and the piston housing which has the worm gear inside, do not wear that much. They are also adjusted to have a pre-load, and if properly adjusted are not the source of play in the wheel. There will normally be somewhat more pre-load on center that at the extreme left and right, because there is less stress on center than while steering. Most of the play problems with this system are where the column shaft attaches to the box by the rubber insulator. The insulators wear badly after 60 or so years of service, and get even worse if there is a leak in that area. There are also 2 plastic sliders that separate the rubber from the metal shaft to lessen friction. These also wear out.
With the way these steering boxes are designed, you are always going to have play in the wheel with the engine off. When you turn the wheel, a flexible disc moves and in turn moves a valve which controls the power distribution. What you feel with the engine off is the disc flexing. The response is immediate with the engine running. I have seen one instants of the disc cracking.
See your shop manual for even more in depth information.

Don Verity
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