Steering Box Alignment

Here we will discuss why proper steering box alignment is not only important but is actually critical for proper feel and function.

Although, when discussing most of the following we will be talking about the Kirby Bishop Ford and Holden style Steering Box, most of the following information can be attributed to most if not all steering boxes and some steering racks.

When the designers and engineers designed these steering boxes back in the 60s they were intelligent enough to realize that if the central point, where the worm drive and pinion meet, had no riser then once there was wear at this point there would be no room for adjustment.

What do we mean by this? Well think of it this way most of the time the steering box will be in a straight ahead position, ie. Traveling down the road in a straight ahead position, thus its safe to assume most of the wear will occur in this position. The engineers realised this and so when the grooves were cut into the main shaft it was designed and cut with a high spot. As it wore it was able to be adjusted, eliminating excess play, without it locking as you turn off the centre spot. If the shaft was cut without this high spot once the spot wore the adjustment would fall into a “wear valley” it would lock up when trying to turn left or right.

So how does this affect us in fitting and positioning? When the box is adjusted correctly in centre position there is no “play” in this position but once the steering is turned approximately 10 degrees left or right it then has inherent “play” as it comes off the high spot. If the box is fitted correctly, see our fitting instructions, you will not only have no play in centre position but also the same amount of turns left and right.

How do we know when the box is in centre? All our boxes are shipped in centre position ready for installation. On the Ford box there is a master spline on the pinion pointing straight up when the box is fitted. The Holden box has a flat on the pinion which once again points straight up. Please note these are hard to see when the flex joint/ Coupling is fitted. A hint is to mark the coupling with white out so you have a reference to when the mark is.

If once you steering box is fitted, steering wheel has been centred and alignment is complete, the high spot is not pointing up then it is NOT fitted correctly and all the fitting steps outlined in our Box Fitting Instructions will need to be repeated for the box to function as it was intended.