The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Steering worm gear ?

1955.2 3/4 ton Chevy. Scary steering, all over the road !

So I will soon be ordering the tie rod, ends, drag link and king pins all of course show signs of wear but not as much as I anticipated. The last item will be the steering box that leaks profusely. The kit will fix the leak but I am afraid I will find the ultimate culprit involved with the steering issue may be the worm gear. I have adjusted the screw about 3 times and it helped some but not all the slop went away. I adjusted until it started to bind then backed off.

My question to you seasoned wrench’s out there is have I gone about the troubleshooting from the wrong direction ? I mean, should I have started with the gear box rebuild first since it has been leaking anyway ? If it is the worm gear, where do I find a replacement ? Are there replacements ? Well, I guess if I replace all of the above parts, cross my fingers and hopefully my problem will go away. Right ?

Thanks and Happy Holidays ! Steve from DFW, Texas area.

Widen your search to 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton, 55.2 thru 59 Chevy and GMC. They all use the same parts.

Make sure the caster shims are installed between the axle and the springs. Driving without them will result in "all over the road" steering. Driving with them in backwards will result in all over the county steering.

If you have confirmed worn parts and looseness in ANY joint then those items need to be replaced. The steering gear has 2 adjustments, worm shaft end play and sector shaft play. After you clean it up, new seals/gaskets, then follow the adjustment procedure. I replaced the king pins/bushings, tie rod ends, drag link, and adjust the gear, all is well.

Thank you guys for your response. Bill I will check for castor shim correction although I doubt that is a problem. The truck is bone stock and appears that no work had been done anywhere. I have owned it for 40 + years. Just been looking on eBay and there seems to be steering worm gears for sale for the years you mentioned. Thank you for that advice.

Buckshot. I only adjusted at the nut and screw on the side of the box. I didn’t realize that there is another (sector) adjustment to be done also. I will refer to the shop manual to identify and read about how to adjust that. Thank you for bringing that to the table also.

Whatever you do since it is all stock please please follow the shop manual and not online videos for king pins and tie rods.
The guys on the youtube and other places who even sell the stuff. Have incorrect information all over.

for example they all put the thrust washers and cups upside down and some even forget the steel washer that goes in between.
I just finished doing all mine following the shop manual. it drives so much better all greased up and properly assembled.

And like all good instructions read them all the way thru. The note about the the thrust washer top cap must be the large one upside down. (its a note after the bus kingpin section lol)

The steering worm gear 55.2-56 P\N 5667983 and 5667982 with nut. 46¾ OL

Steve, Just a note that your post has been moved to the Driveline forum as the best forum for continued conversation. The fellow Bolters that have already responded have the conversation and helpful info right on track!

Give it all a good shake down. Replace the parts that need replacing. It is no use going in & replacing all of it just because its there. Its a good idea to replace the tie rod ends & drag link with the newer style if it never has been done. If the king pins are ok give them a good greasing. It sounds like you need to give the str. gear an o-haul. If its badly worn adjustments are not going to fix it right.

George

You guys are awesome! I have to admit to being a utube addict. I do remember watching the the king pin install with the shim, washer installed the wrong way. Yesterday I was watched a rebuild of the steering box, I think it was for a 59 Apache. I was surprised because he had 30 ball bearings to replace. My confusion was that the rebuild kits I have been looking at stated “ all parts needed for the repair included “ ! There were no ball bearings in the kits for 1955.2 included ! You have to be very careful when ordering kits ! Is there ball bearings in the box for the 55.2 and newer ?

Can you tell me which suppliers are the best for driveline parts ? I have been looking at online catalogs from several suppliers ie Classic, Jim Carter, LMC. Tie rod ends are advertised as 1/2 ton. Nothing for 3/4 ton ! Are they the same ? My tie rod is in pretty good shape. Should I renew it also ?

The original owner of my truck was a roofing contractor and he must have had it built with super low gearing to haul his material.
Since we are in the driveline forum, can anyone recommend a gear ratio for better drivability ? I won’t be on freeways ! When I get the steering issue sorted out I would like to run it at 55 mph without the engine turning at redline. Whatever that is !

Again I thank you all for helping me through these nooks and crannies.

Steve

Steve, to keep threads "on topic" it's best to start a new thread with each new unrelated question, that way your new question doesn't get overlooked/lost. So start a new thread asking about gearing...and keep this one for steering!

Most of the vendors get their repo parts from the same source, if you want original NOS you need to search the big auction sites.

ALL 1955.2 - 59 trucks use the recirculating ball steering system, if you don't already have one the 1955 Second Series Shop Manual would be a big help! They are in reprint and available everywhere.

Mike B

They all used the recirculating balls in the worm shaft & ball nut. If the ball nut turns good & smooth & has almost no play in it the balls will be OK & it is not necessary to disassemble it. The problems are usually in the upper worm brg. &/or the gears. The upper brg usually doesn't get grease. The box has to be completely full.

George

You speak of the steering box leaking significantly, May I inquire what lubricant you have in it, the corn head or 00 is a grease, and so thick and sticky it almost seems hard to make it leak, if you are using anything lighter it will pretty much be expected to leak…
Chuck

Take a look at this kit Ebay it includes the
Lash adjuster screw 266678, shim pack 605142 .063, .065, .067, .069 and the balls 9/32 266800. You will need a steering gear worm bearing adjuster 267689.Jim Carter

Thank you Mike. I will remember about the threads ( different subject matter ) in the future. Also thank you for the tip re parts suppliers.

I am at fault for the wrong lubricant in the box Hank. I believe that I used to fill it with gear lube. It was leaking, if I remember correctly, when I bought the truck 40 years ago so I imagine it has suffered since who knows when.
Today I will order all my ball joints and rebuild kit. And thank you JimGmc for the eBay referral. I will post my progress as it goes along. Thanks again all !
Steve