Another surprise from Uncle Murphy- my steering box has been weeping since Jan. ,but as I checked my levels I noticed low on hydraulic oil ( 15w40). Topped it off and then noticed the nice big oil spot under the front left. Opened the generator side door and you guessed it, lots of oil on the pan. Lucky we have not left NAC yet, so I went over to see Bernd and got to meet Dave M. who was finishing up his coach works. Nice guy.
Bernd is able to work me in next Wed , will replace with a new unit and should be good for another 14 + years / 121000 miles or more. Bernd has always done good work for us, so I am sure he will on this too.
How was the trip back Dave? Hope all went well.
Will let you all know how things work out after we are done. It's nice having Bernd here as a resource.
Ted
where did he find a new one
I will let you know next week- all I know now is that he has ordered it.
Ted
Dave:
I hope you are right about the new steering box. When we leave here we will be driving 1500+ miles to Vegas, so will find out for sure. The main thing is that it should not be leaking or worse yet, blow a seal while we are in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
Ted
Ted,
As been mentioned here many times, after installation of the steering box, MAKE SURE THAT THEY CHECK/SET THE STOPS so that the hydraulic is not used to push the steering knuckle into the axle-- there should be at least 1/8" clearance. This is easily set by the small external screws on the Sheppard M100 box.
Brett and Dave:
Thanks for the advice about the stops and plungers. I will ask about it.
I am looking forward to driving after the box is in now Dave.
Dave,
I have no experience with the "auto stops". All I have worked on are manually adjusted (small screwdriver).
This still leaves one stop (actually one on each side) to check/adjust. The mechanical stop (on steering knuckle) is there to keep the cut angle from allowing the tire to hit suspension or body components.
Dave,
Sounds like a Redhead reman and your new steering box may be very similar-- basically a blue-printed M100 with much tighter tolerances.
This has been discussed many times in the past. I wish I had known what I know now about steering box leaks before mine started leaking at the sector shaft pitman arm side. Much cheaper to replace the seals. My rebuilt box from Sheppard is not quite as tight regarding steering as the original box that only had about 85,000 miles on it. Anyone know if it can be tightened for less than an arm and leg?
We have the M100 that was rebuilt at Sheppard in PA. It has manually adjustable pressure relief plungers. It is pretty good, but there is some play. I can move the steering wheel a bit, maybe 1/4" to 1/2" of hand movement, and feel the box "touch" either side of steering play on a very smooth road with favorable winds.
I sounds like Dave M got an especially precise unit.
Brothers at Big Truck Alignment checked all tie rod joints on our coach and declared them good. Whole system works better after they removed a bit of toe, centered steering wheel, statically balance tires, trued tires, and recommended higher tire pressures based on wear patterns. I had been running at Michelin minimums for measured loads. I am now running about 10 psi higher than my previous practice.
My steering wander was 100% wheel bearings not being adjusted perfectly
^.^d Re-Post from July 2013 if you look this one up there are 3 videos that will help you do it your self if you choose to.
Sheppard Power Steering Gear Box Rebuild/Maintenance
« on: July 01, 2013, 07:26:07 AM »
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I'm in the process of putting new seals in my Sheppard Steering Box. I had a leak from the steering arm side of the box, it appears to be from sitting in one position, not being used for long periods of time. After much research on the internet and at Barry's site Sheppard Steering M100PDP1 (http://beamalarm.com/Documents/sheppard_steering_M100PDP1.html) I found the attached detailed information on "youtube" posted by the Manufacturer.;
Sector Seal Replacement
End Cap Seal Replacement
Input Seal Replacement
plus other related videos of the highest quality. I had some reservations about tackling this project prior to finding these excellent videos now I am confident that the project will go smoothly. Hope this information helps ... Gerry ^.^d
July 03, 2013, 01:18:49 PM »
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Well, :) It's a done deal!!! New seals installed on the Pitman Arm shaft, (sector shaft area). Had to remove the steering gear assembly from the motor home frame, disassemble the sector shaft, install new seals and reassemble. Video helped except, the Foretravel steering gear box has the output shaft that controls the pitman arm on the reverse side of the gear box (comming out the solid side not the cover side). Everything went back together as planned, steering wheel still centered, no leaks, and the test drive went well. break time... ^.^d
Gerry & Brenda
CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FL
1994 Grand Villa - # 4466
U300 Unihome - 6V92 Detroit
4 speed Allison - Jake Brake
No way of knowing for sure but my x Foretravel mechanic buddy mentioned almost all coaches bearing regardless of brand could be tightened up safely for more precise steering.
When asked he told me had done many hundreds of all brands