Shepherd steering box

Topic: Shepherd steering box (Read 841 times) previous topic - next topic

Shepherd steering box

March 01, 2021, 11:25:12 pm

Oh well be careful what you wish for. Noticed recently some oil on the outside of my steering box but the oil level was fine. Fast forward a month and now I'm in Puerto pesco Mexico and as I was pulling into the paint Bay for Antonio to work on my coach I had to do a lot of back and forth movements with the steering and the next thing I know twig was saying I had a major oil leak in front of the coach. Looks like it was coming from the steering box and sure enough it was. At lunch I called red head to get one sent to lukeville Arizona, but they don't have any in stock right now they sold four in the last week evidently and none of the cores have come back yet. so as soon as the first one gets there they'll rebuild it and I'll be able to have it sent to me. Luckily I don't have to drive the coach anywhere until the paint is done and that will be at least 3 weeks so there should be plenty of time to get it done. And twig knows everybody in this town and has a guy that will switch it out for me. Meanwhile they started sanding the coach today and taking the stuff off like rear lights side lights, caulk around the windows etc.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #1 – March 20, 2021, 10:14:30 pm

Heard from redhead today. Newly rebuilt box is on the way. Expected middle to end of next week.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #2 – March 21, 2021, 12:27:57 am

I have an exrtra one sitting in my garage I just took out a week or so ago.. Took the top off to look inside it as I had some problem and found a hard piece of something in it.. thinking that was the lump I felt in a hard right hand turn.. Now onto adjusting the new box and see which I like better,..

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #3 – March 22, 2021, 06:57:47 pm

So question what about instead of removing the pitman arm from the steering box removing it down below from the linkage that goes back to the steering thingamajig. take it off once it's off the coach put it on the new box torque it on and then raise it up and never have to cut in from the generator. Since I have my headlight upgrade, the hole where the headlights used to be is right in front of the steering box. Is that something that I should even think about or would it be better to do it the way everybody else has been doing it. Which is to cut a hole in the generator compartment put the tool on remove the pitman arm from the box and then drop the box down. Just wondering because when I looked at it today I thought it might be easier to do it that way.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #4 – March 22, 2021, 07:04:57 pm

Quote from: Journey, Roam, Explore – March 22, 2021, 06:57:47 pm

So question what about instead of removing the pitman arm from the steering box removing it down below from the linkage that goes back to the steering thingamajig. take it off once it's off the coach put it on the new box torque it on and then raise it up and never have to cut in from the generator. Since I have my headlight upgrade, the hole where the headlights used to be is right in front of the steering box. Is that something that I should even think about or would it be better to do it the way everybody else has been doing it. Which is to cut a hole in the generator compartment put the tool on remove the pitman arm from the box and then drop the box down. Just wondering because when I looked at it today I thought it might be easier to do it that way.

The steering shaft goes through a hole in the frame that the box is mounted to and the arm is on the other side of the hole. Leave the drag link hooked up to make clocking back to original easier. No free lunch on this one.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #5 – March 22, 2021, 10:06:00 pm

Thanks Chuck.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #6 – March 23, 2021, 10:35:04 am

ok dumb question.. only because it hasnt registered through my skull yet.. Head is kinda hard.. Good thing I married an Italian..

Anyways.. How do you know the shft is centered on the steering column? What signs would it give if it wasnt? Is it possible to not be centered and work (im sure it is) but what if you are off say 10 teeth versus 2 full rotations? Once limits are set I am assuming you lose cut? But the main question would be what would happen if the wheel is centered(or close) and th box was not? Symptoms (what would they be)..

For whatever reason this is what I wonder about as it doesnt compute (there are other things but this one is relative today).

Thanks

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #7 – March 23, 2021, 10:49:59 am

Quote from: DavidS – March 23, 2021, 10:35:04 am

ok dumb question.. only because it hasnt registered through my skull yet.. Head is kinda hard.. Good thing I married an Italian..

Anyways.. How do you know the shft is centered on the steering column? What signs would it give if it wasnt? Is it possible to not be centered and work (im sure it is) but what if you are off say 10 teeth versus 2 full rotations? Once limits are set I am assuming you lose cut? But the main question would be what would happen if the wheel is centered(or close) and th box was not? Symptoms (what would they be)..

For whatever reason this is what I wonder about as it doesnt compute (there are other things but this one is relative today).

Thanks

The symptom would be the wheel would not turn to one of the stops if the box wasn't centered and the wheel was. Before removing my box I counted the turns from stop to stop, then divided by 2 and went to a stop and came back to that number. I then removed the steering column and never let the wheel lose it's position. Then left the drag link on and pulled the pitman arm. On reinstall I turned the steering gear on the bench and went from stop to stop and centered it before installing in the coach. When I put the pitman arm on it missed by one tooth as when I drove the coach the steering wheel was not at center when traveling straight. Rather than pulling the arm I adjusted the steering with the pan rod. It still goes from stop to stop so there is some extra movement in the box for correction.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #8 – March 23, 2021, 12:37:03 pm

Another dumb question... What's a pan rod?
Also Chuck when I looked at my steering gear again this morning through the big hole in the front of my coach where the lights used to be I realize now what you're saying. there would be no way to take the steering box off without pulling the arm off at the shaft. I'm surprised I didn't see it myself but I probably saw it but just didn't register.
Looks like I'm going to have to drive the coach a few miles with it leaking over to the RV Park. I was hoping to get the shepherd steering box in by Thursday but UPS isn't even indicating that they picked it up yet so now I'm thinking Friday at the earliest and that means that I cannot install it here as the coach will be done and I want to get out of here as fast as I possibly can. My tanks are getting full except water of course which is getting close to empty and my patience is wearing thin. It's unbelievably stressful right now. But it could be a lot worse and I'm certainly grateful for the fine work that Antonio and his team are doing. I just don't want to be in this paint Bay any longer than I absolutely have to. Reminds me of being at nacogdoches at xtreme, where I had to leave every morning at before 8:00 and get back around 5:30. Trying to figure out what to do keep busy took some thought. Chief and I walked a lot of hiking trails there. unfortunately there isn't really anything like that here so what you wind up doing is sitting near the beach 🏖️ and drinking beer. Well that can be fun and has its moments I'm drinking more alcohol here than I would like to.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #9 – March 23, 2021, 01:10:08 pm

What I am calling the pan rod is not correct it is the drag link and it is the rod attaching to the pitman arm. If you don't remove it and get the box back in where it was centered, it will go on the splines good enough to go. It is almost impossible to index the splines on the box to the splines in the pitman arm. See the post below for an easier way.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #10 – March 23, 2021, 01:27:41 pm

Quote from: craneman – March 23, 2021, 01:10:08 pm

What I am calling the pan rod is the arm attaching to the pitman arm. If you don't remove it and get the box back in where it was centered, it will go on the splines good enough to go. It is almost impossible to index the splines on the box to the splines in the pitman arm.

Maybe I am not understanding correctly, but I did not find indexing the pitman arm back to the Sheppard very difficult.
The sector shaft was already marked with an arrow and the pitman arm had a punch mark.....actually two. I took a picture if it before removing and was able to get it back exactly the same. Below is picture I took before removal.

Like Craneman, I rotated the Sheppard from stop to stop before installing, counting the turns, then left it at the half way point because I removed it with the wheels straight ahead.

The generator box has a large access hole, so I was able to reach up and turn the input shaft to line up the sector shaft marks with the pitman arm punch mark.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #11 – March 23, 2021, 01:47:55 pm

That would have been much easier than my method. I didn't see the timing mark on the sector shaft on mine although I am sure it probably has it. Had I used it I would have removed the drag link which I mistakenly called the pan rod in my previous post which I will correct.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #12 – March 23, 2021, 04:05:04 pm

Quote from: Journey, Roam, Explore – March 23, 2021, 12:37:03 pm

What's a pan rod?

Panhard rod - Wikipedia

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #13 – March 23, 2021, 05:39:46 pm

When I replaced my steering box I did not see any reference marks to align.
As I remember, I went back and forth counting rotations in a effort to center the steering box. I discovered that it did not seem to matter as the steering box has way more available travel than the steering stops allow. I decided to NOT center the shaft in a effort to NOT put the pitman arm back in the same worn splines and shaft. I still get stop to stop steering travel. Problem now is when I went to adjust the stops in the box the stops did not adjust correctly ( never seemed to make contact). I will eventually address this problem in the future.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #14 – March 23, 2021, 06:03:56 pm

I called Red Head today and they tell me that they HAD many cores sitting on the shelf to send to people that are in a hurry but No One is returning them to be able to rebuild and put them back on the shelf. I now see why they charge so much for rebuild vs exchange. I am now down for 2 to 4 weeks with shipping and time in the shop to send my box back and forth and I'm not willing to support UPS or FEDEX for there super high price of Next Day.

Does any one know who has the puller that is made for this? Please PM me. I am going to remove the Genset and the thin wall to gain accesses with my puller if I have to.

Another question is the box the same for all of the coaches from mid 90's on?

Thanks Alan

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #15 – March 23, 2021, 06:22:59 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #16 – March 23, 2021, 11:57:04 pm

Alan there is more to that story about the cores. You have to search on the forums for it but it's easy to find.
One of our members gave them several cores to make it easier for our members to get these sent quicker. If I remember correctly originally they were supposed to be free to members but then that changed. Either way doesn't matter a lot of people have asked for rebuilt redhead Shepherd boxes lately and so they've been without a core to rebuild. If you're in a spot where you can pull yours and send it in you won't have to pay the core charge. I waited two weeks until finally Joe sent his in when he got back to the States and they were built that one and sent it to me. Mine won't be available for me to pick up in a border Town of lukeville Arizona until the end of this week and it won't be for another month before I get into the US where I can ship mine back to redhead. sorry about that but I'm not driving all the way back into the states a third time when I'll be going back there next month. But according to what they told me there were four more cores outstanding and were expecting them soon. If not they were going to start calling people and saying where's my core?
Anyway good luck in getting it. As far as the puller David s was making them and sending them out to people. So there should be a fair number of them in the hands of different members that you should be able to get one sent to you. Mine was made here in Mexico and again wouldn't be available to mail until I get to the states. Thanks Joe! Also known as juice squeezer for the tool and the shepherd box core.

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #17 – March 24, 2021, 12:26:28 am

Alan; not sure if all the boxes are the same, as mine did not have an access and we cut one in the side of the gen box. You just have to look and see. Also, we removed the bolts that hold the muffler and that gained enough room to access the steer box straight on. Mine was on really tight and it took the mechanic that now has been trained on what to do over to Bob (JRE). He spent over 4 hours trying to remove the pitman arm. Not fun! Heat was the final straw that broke it loose. David made those pullers and I had one made in PP as you can't get anything shipped in or out of here. Bob got that one! We are all here to help each other, so don't hesitate to ask!
On shipping costs, from Red Head to Benson, AZ, it was $105 each way, but not sure if anyone else would even fool with this heavy monster! Good luck with that one! Hope this helps! Oh, we removed the generator blower as well and when we did, you will notice a capacitor mounted on the back side. Take this time to move it to the front for easy access! Thanks to Chris Lang for that heads up!

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Shepherd steering box

March 01, 2021, 11:25:12 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #1 – March 20, 2021, 10:14:30 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #2 – March 21, 2021, 12:27:57 am

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #3 – March 22, 2021, 06:57:47 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #4 – March 22, 2021, 07:04:57 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #5 – March 22, 2021, 10:06:00 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #6 – March 23, 2021, 10:35:04 am

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #7 – March 23, 2021, 10:49:59 am

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #8 – March 23, 2021, 12:37:03 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #9 – March 23, 2021, 01:10:08 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #10 – March 23, 2021, 01:27:41 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #11 – March 23, 2021, 01:47:55 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #12 – March 23, 2021, 04:05:04 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #13 – March 23, 2021, 05:39:46 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #14 – March 23, 2021, 06:03:56 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #15 – March 23, 2021, 06:22:59 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #16 – March 23, 2021, 11:57:04 pm

Re: Shepherd steering box

Reply #17 – March 24, 2021, 12:26:28 am

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