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Steerng box keeps working loose

Eric M.

Eric M.

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
Posts
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Location
Oakland, CA
The steering box keeps loosening up on my 91 Burb. D60 front, stock springs, 33" tires, newer AGR box / pump and steering components, everything seems in good condition. Truck is street driven only. I get about 4 months (4K miles) between needing to retighten and it get's pretty loose in that time. You know when it needs to be tightened ... it doesn't steer very well when the box is flopping around on the frame rail! Last go around I installed an ORD brace and red lock tite on all bolts.
Any ideas or should I make this regular maintenance when I change the oil.

Thanks,
Eric M.
 
Eric M. said:
The steering box keeps loosening up on my 91 Burb. D60 front, stock springs, 33" tires, newer AGR box / pump and steering components, everything seems in good condition. Truck is street driven only. I get about 4 months (4K miles) between needing to retighten and it get's pretty loose in that time. You know when it needs to be tightened ... it doesn't steer very well when the box is flopping around on the frame rail! Last go around I installed an ORD brace and red lock tite on all bolts.
Any ideas or should I make this regular maintenance when I change the oil.

Thanks,
Eric M.
Click to expand...
PM sent.
 
I just make it part of my regular routine. Because mine is an DD I just make sure to check them before every trail run.

I suspect that loose bolts on the steering box are common and further lead to the hole frame crack issue.
 
Check your bolts and the nuts. Make sure the threads on them are still in good shape. Even slightly rounded over threads will tend to work loose over time.
 
Changing the style of thread may help. I switched to a fine thread bolt. I have done it in the past with other applications where things tended to loosen and they stopped loosening.
 
Not much I can do with the threads. The box housing is threaded to accept the mounting bolts.

Eric M.
 
Eric M. said:
Not much I can do with the threads. The box housing is threaded to accept the mounting bolts.

Eric M.
Click to expand...

Haven't looked at the box in a while. Can you drill through the mounting flanges and use a nyloc or other locking fine thread nut?
 
Yes, the flangle is actually wide enought that you can just drill out the thread, use the same diameter bolt but just longer and you can you a pinch lock nut.
 
clean the bolts and threads in the box w/ brake cleaner and pour on the red loctite... i swear by the stuff, i mean EVERY bolt except the diff covers and header bolts use this method.. and i dont have those loose bolt worrys...
 
Eric! Long time no hear from man! Didn't you have a problem a while ago with the four bolts on the box itself loosening up?
 
draggbody said:
clean the bolts and threads in the box w/ brake cleaner and pour on the red loctite... i swear by the stuff, i mean EVERY bolt except the diff covers and header bolts use this method.. and i dont have those loose bolt worrys...
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I did ... lasted 4 months.

Eric M.
 
ARAMP1 said:
Eric! Long time no hear from man! Didn't you have a problem a while ago with the four bolts on the box itself loosening up?
Click to expand...

Yep! Same box. But, the new bolts AGR sent me did the trick. Now, it's the mounting bolts. Maybe I should give AGR a call ... maybe they taped the holes with a bad tap???

I'm liking the idea of drilling out the threads. I'll see if anyone else has any ideas before I wreck any future of my steering box being a core!

Eric M.
 
I'd think that drilling the threads would be easier, but another option would be to safety wire the bolts. Just throwing that out there...
 
get longer bolts by about 1/2" and then put a metal lock nut on the treaded part of the bolt that protrudes from the box. This way its kinda like a double nut that will never move on you.
 
I haven't loaded this info on my site yet because I haven't had the time to install it on my own truck.:doah:
This is my ultimate solution for the steering gear box bolts. Beyond this, the frame would need the welded plates. This will also work with the stock frame. This also assumes the brace is part of your rework; no CK5 truck should be without one.
The steering box casting needs to be opened-up to a clearance hole so through bolts and nuts can be used. The second part of the fix is to use Grade 9 bolts and nuts.
What the pic shows is the bolts, nuts, washers and the drill to remove no more than necessary, the threads from the box casting. Then using Grade 9 hardware, and torqued to 100 ft. lbs., damage can only come from the box breaking or the frame ripping.
http://exitengr.com/

P6290907.JPG
 
What do you think about what Chevy305 posted, just run the bolts through the threaded box and put lock washers and nuts on them? Can I use your bolts in this fashion? Are they the same thread as the box casting? Are the threads deep enough so they won't bottom out on the box?

Eric M.
 
I entered into this subject because my steering box bolts loosened-up.
The Grade 8 bolts approach the elastic range at the 80 ft. lbs. installation torque. I believe the Grade 8 bolts stretch with OffRoad loading, causing them the relax the grip, and then simply driving will back them out. Once the box starts to loosen, it tears the frame.
Also, likely most installations are not cleaned and LocTighted like mentioned before.
If you use a longer bolt and a "jam-nut", you won't know where the clamping force finally ends-up; between the nut and box or the box and the frame. Unless all the preload is between the box and the frame, again you run the risk of tearing the frame.
To ensure the box is clamped to the frame, the box needs to have through holes so that its clamped to the frame, instead of pulled to the frame with the stock threads in the box casting.
The box and the Grade 8 bolts are not as strong (in tension) as Grade 9 bolts in tension (180Kpsi vs. 150Kpsi), and the box casting in compression.
With the Grade 9 bolts and nuts clamping the box and the frame purely in compression, the bolts can be torqued to 100 ft. lbs.
You'd have to leave it on the railroad tracks to break that joint. :D
 
draggbody said:
clean the bolts and threads in the box w/ brake cleaner and pour on the red loctite... i swear by the stuff, i mean EVERY bolt except the diff covers and header bolts use this method.. and i dont have those loose bolt worrys...
Click to expand...
He could even go green loc-tite. You pretty much won't change the box ever again. And it would be very easy to use heat to loosen it.
 
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