1982 Dodge Ram 50 2.0 Manual steering gear box

[Kurt751990]

I tried to adjust it and have looked for slop everywhere in the steering system. I have play when turning the steering wheel to the right but not the left and nothing appears loose on my truck. I have adjusted the box to no avail. What years can I use a manual steering box off of? I dont want power steering.

[xboxrox]

Perhaps unrelated but look for steering & suspension joints that will not accept grease ball joints tie rods etc and push/pull the front wheels to see is slop from wheel bearings present?! Watch the sector shaft for slop 'n movement when steering left & right..!?

[camoit]

The problem with manual boxes VS power. One box is an inboard the other is outboard.
if it’s a manual box and it’s easy to turn one direction VS the other. It’s an alignment problem. The box was not set straight to start with before the alignment was done

[Kurt751990]

That's not my problem. There's slop in the box. The amount I can turn the wheel in one direction isnt the factor. It's the slop in the box.

[SubGothius]

Doesn't make sense there'd be slop/freeplay in one direction but not the other. More likely something about your alignment is pushing the slop together from one side more than the other, so when you turn that way the slop is already taken up.

[xboxrox]

Boxes up to & including 1986 should fit as 1978 or 1979 to 1986 are Gen1 trucks; not sure if 1987 'n up fits..?


If you can get it onto a lift or lift both front wheels at the same time, you can check tie rods etc. by grabbing the wheel and rocking it side to side while watching the steering components. Good steering components will not budge, sloppy stuff can have over an inch of play in it

What have you done so far besides adjusting the sector shaft screw?

[camoit]

How much slop are we talking about?
slop is checked sitting still.