1980 spider Restoration phase 2

[DRUMMOND]

Thanks for the kudos Akspider!! Good luck on your restoration.

Hi RRoller I think this will be one of the winter projects. I love engineering puzzles

Hi Diesel spider, Its not that its not tracking straight (which it is) its the delay play from the straight ahead left/right that takes getting used to Will try and tweak the box a little more.

Hi aj81spider, Thanks for the offer, but I think strut to strut would be better, the fenders are not strong enough to hold that kind of torsion force alone. I think a cage may be the way to go. Its not a great concern but I did minimize the gaps from the fenders to the hood as much as I could (which may have been a mistake) now I have a little paint chip on the fender side

[JohnMc]

My son drove my car and said the steering was terrible. Had not really noticed it, but yes, had a 1" play. Was able to adjust - after a lot of sweat and a swivel. No play now - having a Fiat repair for $0 is very satisfying.

[DieselSpider]

Thanks for the kudos Akspider!! Good luck on your restoration.

Hi RRoller I think this will be one of the winter projects. I love engineering puzzles

Hi Diesel spider, Its not that its not tracking straight (which it is) its the delay play from the straight ahead left/right that takes getting used to Will try and tweak the box a little more.

Hi aj81spider, Thanks for the offer, but I think strut to strut would be better, the fenders are not strong enough to hold that kind of torsion force alone. I think a cage may be the way to go. Its not a great concern but I did minimize the gaps from the fenders to the hood as much as I could (which may have been a mistake) now I have a little paint chip on the fender side

I grew up on recirculating ball steering and find it less twitchy than many modern cars. My wife's Saturn is probably the worst and even seems to translate a heartbeat into the beginnings of a lane change.

As for zeroing it out 100% you may find that the tail end bearing on the worm shaft tends to take a beating as the outer race gets elongated, the cage for the balls starts to stretch and the center race wears down from the additional pressure from the sector gear pressing sideways on it. I do not believe the center race is replaceable and is cast into the worm shaft so if it gets damaged you will need to replace the worm shaft or get a new steering box. I have seen folks over tighten them terribly to get zero play and have the race suddenly fall apart with a total loss of steering which only works out somewhat well for you if your still in your driveway and not moving.

[DieselSpider]

Hi Diesel spider, Its not that its not tracking straight (which it is) its the delay play from the straight ahead left/right that takes getting used to Will try and tweak the box a little more.

I grew up on recirculating ball steering and find it less twitchy than many modern cars. My wife's Saturn is probably the worst and even seems to translate a heartbeat into a lane change.

As for zeroing it out 100% you may find that the tail end bearing on the worm shaft tends to take a beating as the outer race gets elongated, the cage for the balls starts to stretch and the center race wears down from the additional pressure from the sector gear pressing sideways on it. I do not believe the center race is replaceable and is cast into the worm shaft so if it gets damaged you will need to replace the worm shaft or get a new steering box. I have seen folks over tighten them terribly to get zero play and have the cage suddenly fall apart with a total loss of steering which only works out somewhat well for you if your still in your driveway and not moving.

[DRUMMOND]

Thanks diesel spider for the heads up! I know I cannot eliminate totally the dead center feeling, that's the MO of a steering box versus R&P.
Will take it 1/8 at a time

[DieselSpider]

It will be a compromise and the difference between set as reasonably as possible and overly tight can be so subtle that you will not be able to tell unless you have the box out of the car and on a work bench.

What a lot of people overlook is the end play in the worm shaft which over time also get a little sloppy however I have not had a chance to pull one to see how that is adjusts and the service manual does not cover rebuilding the box or adjusting the worm shaft either. On a Saginaw or New Process that adjustment is via the threaded input shaft cover and lock collar however the Fiat box looks like the worm goes in from the tail via a plate with four bolts on it so it might be only adjustable with shims when you have the box disassembled on the work bench.