R-700 Steering box replacement

[cpgeneration]

We are looking for information on the procedure to change out of a r-700 TRW steering gear. east coast,  box inside frame rails. any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank You

[Joey Mack]

jack it up, remove the wheel, set the steering column to the side, if you pull it out, mark it in the cab at the slip joint, remove the alternator, and radiator support and C.A.C. pipe, the pitman arm can be knocked off with a sledge hammer, but you will beat the hell out of it. I suggest getting a pitman arm puller to remove the pitman arm. I have made an allen wrench using a 1/2' bolt and putting 2 nuts on it and welding it together then using a breaker bar and socket to remove the pitman arm nut, there are tabs that need to be bent out of the slots before you remove it. yours may have a 9/16th allen head, so do the same idea with a grade 8 3/8th bolt, unless you own large allen sockets...then use a small engine crane, and pull it..... it's just labor, I hope I didn't leave out anything..... jojo 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Joey Mack
More content needed

[Joey Mack]

Go Pat's!!!!!!!!!!!!

[theakerstwo]

And take note to the timing mark on the pitman arm to the shaft.

[cpgeneration]

Thank you all......

[doubleclutchinweasel]

I use pieces of round bar stock with a hole, which matches the threads on the ballstuds,  drilled and tapped into one end.  Remove the nut, and screw one of these onto the threaded part of the stud.  Back it off a half turn or so, and knock the $#!^ out of the end of it with a hammer.  Knocks the taper loose, and does not damage the threads.

It's basically a home-made version of this...

https://tigertool.com/products/tie-rod-end-remover?currency=USD&variant=33571417915530&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1fTxq_y18wIVUuHICh1y6wk7EAQYAiABEgIYmvD_BwE

Oh, and do pretty much whatever JoJo says.  He doesn't miss much!

[Vladislav]

I would admit one more point. While installation a man should find a center point of a steering gear. Any of those go left and right from a position they (a gear) are attached to the front wheels via pitman arm, drag link etc. But if that position is not the middle of the steering gear operation range you may achieve a situation when the wheels go say to left less than to right. Another issue is many gears are made a way they have zero free play only when at the center. So if you install a good condition unit with its central position off you would achieve excessive free play.

That taken to account the installation procedure should be: install the gear with pitman arm and steering shaft off. Spin the input shaft (the steering column attaches to) all its way and count the revs. Divide by 2 and find the middle of the travel. Park the gear at that point. There could be a mark on the shaft end and the housing, worth to look for and check. Than... Put the wheels looking directly straight. If it's a truck or another heavy vehicle it's better to park it that way before the begin of repair. Ok, when your steering gear is at its center you set the steering wheel horizontally (or another central position) and attach steering column shaft to the gear. Than put the pitman arm to the gear. This way you have the steering wheel at the center, the gear at the center and the wheels straight.

Getting deeper if you're not shure everything was set completelty correct you should check out if the pitman arm mark (if any presents) corellate with the corresponding shaft at the gear. And if it doesn't you should remove the drag link end off the arm and fit the arm onto the gear shaft by the mark. Than still having the wheels straight loose a clamp on the drag link and turn its threaded joint to correct the length for fitting the arm installed by the mark with the steering gear still at its center.

And one more deeper stage. In many cases a steering gear has center marks at the ends of the both shafts - for the steering column and for the pitman arm. When one shaft is at the center (and a mark on its end indicates so) the other shaft must be at the mark also. And if you find out it is off its mark it means someone in the past reassembled the gear wrong. And you might be in trouble centering and even installing it on a truck.

[cpgeneration]

thank you Vlad...