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R Model Power Steering Adjustment


WOLFWALKER

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Hello Fellow Mackers, does anyone know how to adjust the powersteering box on a 1975 R model ? mine has lots of play in the wheel and I need to adjust properly. Thanks

Hi Wolfwalker -We had an Australian built 1974/75 R600 with a Shepherd Power Steering Box fitted as original, and I wasted hundreds of hours working on the steering and rebuilding it and I tried everything to get the play out of the wheel without much success. I was told that because they had a lot of turns lock to lock, it was impossible to get them tight like the later Shepherds and Ross Boxes, which were much more direct. From new they had a lot of free play in the wheel. Eventually we went back to Power Assist which was much more safer on the road. Other model Shepherds of that age may have been better but I could not find one - Best regards - Michael.

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Hi Wolfwalker -We had an Australian built 1974/75 R600 with a Shepherd Power Steering Box fitted as original, and I wasted hundreds of hours working on the steering and rebuilding it and I tried everything to get the play out of the wheel without much success. I was told that because they had a lot of turns lock to lock, it was impossible to get them tight like the later Shepherds and Ross Boxes, which were much more direct. From new they had a lot of free play in the wheel. Eventually we went back to Power Assist which was much more safer on the road. Other model Shepherds of that age may have been better but I could not find one - Best regards - Michael.

Not quit sure which type I have but there is what looks like an ajustment screw with a lock nut on the twards engine side of the steering housing that looks like it might adjust the gear movement ,but Im not sure,anyone know the facts about how to take out the slop in the steering wheel?or what that screw does?

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As far as I know there is no way to way to get rid of the free play in those old boxes other than to replace the worn parts, most likley the worm gear, your best bet would be to try and find a good used one or have yours rebuilt, also check all the u joints,if there worn it will add a lot of free play.

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As far as I know there is no way to way to get rid of the free play in those old boxes other than to replace the worn parts, most likley the worm gear, your best bet would be to try and find a good used one or have yours rebuilt, also check all the u joints,if there worn it will add a lot of free play.

If you are checking the free play with the engine not running then there will be some there. But with the engine runing there should only be little slack in there. The screw is to take out the slack between the input gear and the side gear.The best way to adjust is to break the drag link off of the pitman arm and then lossen the jam nut and turn the srew in a little and then turn the steering wheel from one stop to the other and turn screw in untill u fell a little drag which will be in the middle of the turning range and then just take that drag out to where you dont feel it much any more then hook up drag link and start the engine and if you still have too much slack then replace with a rebuilt. You cant take the slack out of the control valve in the box because it is wear in the sector control or worn bushing or brgs. on the cross shaft or out put shaft. These box should not be messed wih much any way because i have seen people pull then apart and loose something and then it ant no good no more. glenn

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glenn akers

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yeah its really hard to get all that play out of the old boxes. All you can do is live with it or replace it with new parts or a rebuilt box. I had a driver once on a 74 R 600 that kept complaining of slop in the steering and i told him i would look into it and on the next load i found him on the side of the road with a sledge hammer beating on my steering box. I asked him what in the He!! was he doing and he said he tried to adjust it and then the steering tried to lock up. I said what is all this beating going to help ? Needless to say i sent him thumbing for a ride home. I went and dumped my truck and then hitched a ride to the other truck and took it on in and dumped and she never tried to lock up and the box is still on the truck working fine. I guess that was his way to get me to fire him LOL !

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