68 Newport, can I tighten the steering?

Biggredd2069

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I plan to take the steering gear box in this fall to be rebuilt. Has a leak. In the meantime I do have a lot of play in the steering wheel. I imagine there is something relatively quick and easy I can adjust to tighten it up a little? I did a search but maybe I used the wrong keywords as I wasn't finding something as specific.

On a side note I just swapped out the engine harness the other day with an Evans wiring kit. Wanted to make sure my wires were not worn out. And I done ripped out the old linkable fuse. I had help but relatively easy once we read a wiring diagram, that wasn't included. And my alternator wasn't grounding properly so I upgraded that wire and running like a champ.

Trying to finally do all the stuff I've been putting off. Hopefully just a twist of a bolt maybe tightens the steering but don't want to do anything without a little direction.
 
I sent mine to Firm Feel and they did a great job. They have several levels that make the steering tighter.
Which stage did you purchase? Just curious as I'm in the same boat and trying to decide.

 
I plan to take the steering gear box in this fall to be rebuilt. Has a leak. In the meantime I do have a lot of play in the steering wheel. I imagine there is something relatively quick and easy I can adjust to tighten it up a little? I did a search but maybe I used the wrong keywords as I wasn't finding something as specific.

On a side note I just swapped out the engine harness the other day with an Evans wiring kit. Wanted to make sure my wires were not worn out. And I done ripped out the old linkable fuse. I had help but relatively easy once we read a wiring diagram, that wasn't included. And my alternator wasn't grounding properly so I upgraded that wire and running like a champ.

Trying to finally do all the stuff I've been putting off. Hopefully just a twist of a bolt maybe tightens the steering but don't want to do anything without a little direction.
There is an Allen screw with a locking hex nut, on the top of the steering box.You can make adjustment by loosening the hex nut and then turn the Allen screw to take up any play in the the steering gear, following the adjustment procedure in the FSM.
 
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Just don't make that allen screw too tight. There has to be some play. I suspect the p. o. of my 300 tightened that screw too much to try to get the car to drive like rack and pinion, and now the steering is tight and doesn't center itself very well. (The key is "follow the procedure in the FSM.")
 
If you have alot of play in it turn the allen screw for example a quarter.....lock the nut and be sure the allen screw stays in the same position.....
Drive the car arround the block and the steering wheel has to be come back by itself coming out of the corner....you will feel if it,s okay or not....
 
Mine needed rebuilding. I think they had 3 levels at that time. I had it done about 20 years ago and it still works great. I went with the first level which they said would be perfect for a street car. It took all the slop out. I spoke to one of their people and told them how I used the car, and they recommended which one to get.
 
That "upper adjustment" is the one everybody knows about and presumes it will "make things right", BUT that is not always the case!

First, with the hood up and watching the input side of the gear as you turn the steering wheel (engine running at idle!) in the "free play" zone, as it is. IF the steering column moves in and out as you turn the steering wheel too much . . . NO MATTER how much you adjust that "upper adjustment", it will NOT get the gear "tight" again. There IS an adjustment on that input shaft bushing, BUT you need a special wrench to do it . . . all stated in the FSM.

IF the input side of the gearbox is not too worn, you can use that "upper adjustment" to tweak things a bit. As mentioned, the steering HAS to self-center after a turn, by itself. If not, that "upper adjustment" is too tight.

From my experiences,
CBODY67
 
When a subtle tightening would be sufficient. I do have a fsm but as my luck would have it my new laptop doesn't have a cd drive and I only have a cd version of the cd. Gotta buy a usb cd reader.
 
When a subtle tightening would be sufficient. I do have a fsm but as my luck would have it my new laptop doesn't have a cd drive and I only have a cd version of the cd. Gotta buy a usb cd reader.
Just download it from www.mymopar.com . NO CD needed. Just download and open the file.

FWIW,
CBODY67
 
When a subtle tightening would be sufficient. I do have a fsm but as my luck would have it my new laptop doesn't have a cd drive and I only have a cd version of the cd. Gotta buy a usb cd reader.

Copy the files in the CD to your hard drive once you get SOME means of reading it. I also download from My Mopar, but like the CD as well. CDROM is D-E-A-D tech bro, and you best move with the times on this stuff. Also, ditch MS Winblowz, though you'll need to do a little time learning UNIX of some sort then. Did you get a Chromebook perchance?
 
My HP laptop I bought about two years ago has no CD drive. As many Apple products do not have CD drives. This thing makes no noise upon start-up, so it might also have solid state memory?

BTAIM,
CBODY67
 
I figured it out. I did one adjustment and drove it. Was notably better. Did one more adjustment, quarter inch at a time, and I think this is as far as I'll go without causing it to be too tight. But it's nice to have some of that slop out of the steering. Just gotta wait for the weather to change and gonna take that gear box out altogether and be rebuilt. Its fun how much it spills all over my garage floor when I forget to put the oil catch pad underneath.
 
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