Wheels turn more one way than the other.(UPDATED)

[berserk]

Ok, so I got quite a few parts installed and hopefully will be on the road by the end of the week. While it was in the garage I did some other upgrades as well, pics will be inbound soon.

Parts installed last week.
Autozone steering box
ORD box brace
new steering stabilizer
NGK plugs
Kobalt 32" job box for tools

I found a bad ball joint and will be installing that after I get paid as well as finish up the rest of the repairs and upgrades.

[berserk]

After removing the steering box and waiting for the new one to come in I decided to change the spark plugs. I over looked one small thing when I test fired the truck.....


Lol I guess the disconnected power steering hoses should have stood out to me, another lesson learned lol

Here is the brace, very nicely done and great welds.

Came with nice grade 8 hardware, but I prefer to run longer bolts so I can put a nylock nut on the back side.



The brace touched my brake line so I had to remove the clamp holding it and then bent it a little. Still not enough room so I had to grind on the brace some, it has plenty of room now.

[hatzie]

GTAW makes some real pretty welds in the right hands.  Almost too bad to cover em up.

[Rattler12]

I don't want to come off sounding like  a smart A  here but it appears you need at least 1/2 inch longer bolts..........from your pictures, I don't think the ones you have are long enough to take advantage of the lock nuts and could possibly be dangerous. JM2C's  .....any one else?  Steering is one of the last things you would want to fail

[berserk]

Very good eye and you would be right but in the pics the box and everything is just mocked up and not tightened down. Once It was all torqued down the threads are through the nylock nuts, btw there is one bolt of the four that is shrouded and your not able to run a nut on the back side.
The reason I like this is even though the bolts are threaded into the box and torqued the nylock nuts are there to stop them from ever backing off. I guess a guy could use lock tight as well, but I have done this on my truck for years now. 

[roundhouse]

We had to grind the brace to clear the brake line too

If one ball joint is worn out.  They are all worn out

Pay extra and order the ones not made in China

Also don't drive a 40 year old truck 75+ MPH
That's asking for trouble


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[berserk]

So I got everything back together Saturday morning. I centered the box then adjusted the drag link to slide in and then test drove it and made a couple small adjustments to center the steering wheel.
Its so much better than before, not an even number of turns lock to lock but the best I ever remember. I get just a hair under 2 full turns right and maybe 2 1/8th turns to the left but I'm ok with that as I can actually park from either direction.

The rebuilt steering box is smooth like butter and has made a nice difference, I also installed the new ball joints on the passenger side. I took the truck on a 30 mile trip to the swap meet in a mix of city, country and highway and it drove great.