Steering Gear - Manual: Overhaul: Reassembly
- Place gear housing in a vise with worm shaft bore horizontal and side cover opening facing up. All seals, bushings, and worm shaft bearing races should be installed.
- Slip upper ball bearing over worm shaft and insert worm and nut assembly into housing feeding end of shaft through upper ball bearing race and seal. Place ball bearing in adjuster race and press stamped retainer into place with a socket.
- Install adjuster and lock nut into housing carefully guiding worm shaft into bearing until nearly all end play is removed from worm shaft. Position over-center adjuster (with shim) in slotted end of sector shaft.
- Check end clearance, which should not exceed .002" (.05 mm). If clearance is greater than specified, a steering gear over-center adjuster shim kit is available.
- Lubricate gear as follows: Rotate worm shaft until ball nut is at end of travel, while forcing as much grease as possible into housing without losing it out sector shaft opening. Rotate worm until ball is at other end, and apply more lubricant.
- Rotate worm until ball is at center. This will help sector and ball nut engage properly. Insert sector shaft and over-center adjuster screw (without side cover) into housing so center tooth of sector teeth enters center tooth space in ball nut.
- Apply more lubricant into housing. Install side cover gasket. Install side cover over sector shaft by reaching through cover with a screwdriver.
- Turn over-center adjuster screw counterclockwise until screw bottoms; then back off screw 1/2 turn. Loosely install a new lock nut onto adjuster screw.
- Install and tighten side cover bolts to specifications. Adjust worm bearing preload and over-center preload as previously outlined. See Adjustments in this article.