Hey guy I have a problem with my elco it has too much play in the steering, its still drives just that I need to be moving the steering wheel to the right or left to go straight. I was told to replace the center link tie rod end and idler arm and pit man arm and have it align so far I have done all except the pit man arm (couldn’t find it any were) and the problem is not fix. What be wrong?
Can’t it be the steering box?
Also I just got the tubular A arms from BMR and are those to hard to install? Cant that fix the play problem? :cry2::banghead::help:

A arms won't fix the steering play. It could be the box and/or the shaft coming from the column. A lot of us have gotten the Jeep Gran Cherokee 94 - 95 shaft to correct the play if it is in the shaft joints.

Im having the same problem on a 70 elcam. Have you checked the rag joint at the bottom on the steering shaft? If you cant find the problem, when you take it to get it aligned, they should be able to tell ya what is going on.
On mine, I found out the frame rails have collapsed. It is going to cost about 400 dollars to have it put on a frame machine and get it fixed. I did replace the steering shaft yesterday and that helped some. Good luck and let me know what you find.

Where are you at in Texas?

One of the first things that introduces play is the idler arm, and it just goes to the rest of the steering from there. A little monkey-motion in the tie-rod ends, the steering gear box, and that raggedy rag joint, all collectively contribute to play in the steering.

The pitman arm you couldn't find is the arm on the bottom of the steering gear box.

Replacing the A arms is a project involving the front springs, which can be dangerous if you don't know how to do it. And a couple special tools are required.
Do some reading, get a service manual for your year, and then you can fix all that stuff.

My steering wheel had some slack then this morning I tightened up my steering by using advice on one of our forums on suspension and steering only took about 15 min. worked great no more slack on my steering .

You can ajust the steering box and get some of the play out of it. On top of the box there is a big nut with a smaller bolt in the middle. Losen the big nut, the screw the smaller bolt in. Check how the steering feel like. When you get as much play out as you can, hole the center bolt and tighten the big nut. Hope this helps. I do think there or better direction about this here on this froum some place.

You have to be really careful when you start adjusting the steering box. A little turn on the adjustment screw makes alot of difference. A little advice when adjusting the box is to try to find a reference or mark the adjustment screw so you can get back where you started from if you go to far. Good luck!!

hey guys thanks for the help , the steering box is not loose on the frame the bolts are rusti but not loose .
also where is or are the rag joint ?
The guy at AutoZone told me about these test, to open the key and have someone move the steering wheel and look down in the steering parts to replace what had to much play meaning it was worn out. Is this test accurate and, if it is I just did it and the part that moves to much is the part that connects the pit man in to the center link
Comments will be appreciated thanks
im from el paso

Auto Zone guy is correct. Have someone wiggle the steering wheel a few inches back and forth while you look for free play in the steering shaft, box and linkages. You said earlier that the center link was recently replaced, but in your last post you mentioned there was play in the joint where the center link bolts to the pittman arm. Something doesn't add up. The center link and idler arm are the most likely problem areas in that order. The pittman arm has no components to wear. It's merely an iron bar with a splined hole on the steering box end and a tapered hole on the other end to receive the center link joint. Check it again and report back. Steering free play is no fun, so you need to get it fixed SAP.

Bill

bill jack yes u were right the play is in the shaft what can i do to fix it now that i have find it ?

where in the shaft is the play?

its in the part that has a cover on it and i notice that is in the upper part of it

where is or are the rag joint ?

It's on the steering shaft under the blue plastic guard.


http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr41/larsonrt/135_0503_joint_06_z.jpg

yes its in the part that is cover ,but it looks diffrent that the one in the pix

yes its on the cover part but it looks diffrent that the one in the pic.

A arms won't fix the steering play. It could be the box and/or the shaft coming from the column. A lot of us have gotten the Jeep Gran Cherokee 94 - 95 shaft to correct the play if it is in the shaft joints.

Read the last sentence. I'll repeat myself.

464elky thanks . to use the 94-95 gran cherokee shaft is there a lot of mods involde?

PLEASE NOTICE - It says GRAN Cherokee. None of the other Cherokees will fit.

None - well maybe one little one. Where the upper coupling slides on the steering column you might have to grind a little groove for the bolt to slide through.

464elky is right, or maybe not (no offense). I got a Grand Cherokee shaft and it didn't fit. I the got the plain, not grand Cherokee, it it's the one you want. Or maybe I bought them in reverse order. Either way, I have both in hand and can email them to you. I've never figured out why it's so difficult to post pics here, but I don't know how. An attatch files button would be nice, but I digress. Anyway, pm me your email address and I'll send both, and show you which one is right. Again, no offense intended 464elky. I saw a thread on the subject on another forum, I'll see if I can find it.

Here it is, with pics. http://www.maliburacing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=97870&hilit=+steering+shaft

No offense taken. I have used a couple of 95 shafts and have found other 95 shafts that had the small upper end. I think they may have changed toward the end of production. All the 96s I have seen have the small end.

In the link above there is one shaft labeled aluminum ended, and one steel ended. I ended up using the steel ended one. If anyone wants, I can part with the aluminum ended one, but it does NOT fit the steering shaft and will need clearancing. Look up alljeepparts401 on ebay. If anyone has them they will if you can't find one on this site.

You can ajust the steering box and get some of the play out of it. On top of the box there is a big nut with a smaller bolt in the middle. Losen the big nut, the screw the smaller bolt in. Check how the steering feel like. When you get as much play out as you can, hole the center bolt and tighten the big nut. Hope this helps. I do think there or better direction about this here on this froum some place.

If anyone is going to try this, be fore-warned, if you have more serious problems, you'll know it when the steering goes slack again in a week. I tried this trick, it works, but temporarily. Eventually you'll wear out your worm gear doing this repeatedly. I'm getting ready to do a front end refurbishing sometime in the next few months. And by that I mean replacing EVERYTHING that has anything to do with steering. All linkage, shocks/springs, power steering box, steering column, etc.