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Help! Can't get steering column onto steering box.

Big T

Big T

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Went to change the steering box on the Burb back to the '99 box. I can get the steering column onto to the first level of the shaft, but not past the flat. Trying everything from box on a jack to box loosely bolted in place, up, back, you name it. The pitman arm is installed on the box and in the center link.
 
tanman_2006 said:
Just asking but did you mess up the splines?

I put mine on and was 1/8 turn off so maybe the wheel is in the wrong position?
Click to expand...

I'm doing it based on where the bolt was positioned previously. I wiggle the steering shaft until it finds a spot that it will slide on. Problem is the angle of attack between the box and the column. Other problem is doing it by yourself.
 
Went back out, popped the steering column off the shaft and tried again. Rotated the column until it found the right spot and she slid right on like a $5......ride.
 
Took about the same procedure to get the last one I did back on. I gave it 2 hours of foreplay in the evening and after a quick warm up in the morning I rammed it home.

Hope the fiancee doesn't see how much foreplay I give my trucks.... Lol
 
tanman_2006 said:
Took about the same procedure to get the last one I did back on. I gave it 2 hours of foreplay in the evening and after a quick warm up in the morning I rammed it home.

Hope the fiancee doesn't see how much foreplay I give my trucks.... Lol
Click to expand...
If she complains just tell her she can take the trucks place;)
 
tanman_2006 said:
Took about the same procedure to get the last one I did back on. I gave it 2 hours of foreplay in the evening and after a quick warm up in the morning I rammed it home.

Hope the fiancee doesn't see how much foreplay I give my trucks.... Lol
Click to expand...

Well it's the wife for me and based on the skinned knuckle on my index finger, I guess I need to bash her good to get it in.:hihi:

As it slid on right as it was turning dark, I left it with the Idler bracket detached. Also the plastic cover sleeve on the steering column was stuck a few inches up the steering colum, jammed against the frame. This damn plastic thing is what screws up the angle of attack in the first place and makes it tough to get the steering column on. Thus I jacked up the box a bit to get the clearance, but forgot to slide the thing down before I cinched the box into place. Guess I'll need to loosen the box to get it down. If I keep talking about this, it does sound more like foreplay: loosen the box to get the panties down.
 
Just for anyone that may have trouble getting the steering shaft off the box, mine would not pull off the splines until I completely removed the bolt. This is on a 1999 c3500. I was doing this on a bench and it looked like having the clamp bolt through the hole, it was catching on the machined groove in between the splined sections. I couldn't see this until I had it off the truck.
 
ecclap said:
Just for anyone that may have trouble getting the steering shaft off the box, mine would not pull off the splines until I completely removed the bolt. This is on a 1999 c3500. I was doing this on a bench and it looked like having the clamp bolt through the hole, it was catching on the machined groove in between the splined sections. I couldn't see this until I had it off the truck.
Click to expand...

Each time I completely removed the bolt as I figured it was sitting on the flat spot. It's the getting the steering column back onto the box that's the PITA. Your working in a tight spot and the steering box is heavy.
 
I agree it's a real PITA! It seems like all of the hoses an wires are in your way and the shaft is really close to the frame. Especially enjoyable in cold weather! HAHA
 
Any idea where this ground strap goes:
1358457252.jpg


It's bolted to the top of the front upper control arm mount. There's a hole in about the middle of it and another at the end (not in pic) it must have come off while I was dismantling stuff in there. Doesn't seem long enough to go to the block.
 
That ground doesn't look familiar to me. Maybe I don't have it on my two wheel drive??
 
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