<VV> help!! LM steering box assy

[HallGrenn at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/31/2011 1:36:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
kovacsmj at sbcglobal.net writes:

Took it  apart. Looked good. Replaced the bushings and seals. Now 
assembling the  
nut and shaft with new balls. The instructions in the 1965 manual are a  
bit 
vague. I did divide the new 48 balls into 4 groups. 2x18 = 36   and 2x6 = 
12.

The instructions in sect 9 page 9-6. 
1. The worm can  be inserted into the ball nut from either side, But it 
also 
says to  "...slip the nut over the worm with the ball guide holes up and 
theshallow  end of the  rack teeth to the left of the steering wheel  
position".....
I use figure 13 as my guide.  I agree that the "left of the steering  wheel 
position" means "left of the steering wheel end." but I really don't know  
what they mean by that.

2. This  nut I have has an obvious but shallow V mark stamped into one side 
near  
the top where the balls are inserted. Any significance?

3. OK, I  got the 36 balls to put into 2 holes on the same side. Does this 
mean 
to  fill one hole with 18 and then fill the next hole with 18 or should 
they be  
done simultaneously?
I don't think it matters as long as all the balls are evenly spaced.   You 
may have to turn the worm back and forth a little or use a punch or rod to  
seat them.  I did.



3A. With the end of the shaft with the splines to the right  and the shaft 
inserted into the nut, should the nut be close to the spline  end (right) 
or the 
other end (left) when I again try to stick the  !^!@& 36 little balls in.
It shouldn't matter.  Just keep everything really clean and the balls  will 
settle in.  Be sure to use a big pea sized dollop of Vaseline to keep  the 
2 x 6 balls in the 2 guides as you insert them with the guides into the  
nut.  It's a real pain to chase the balls down, clean them and reinsert  :)



I will put new bearings in as the cages looked a bit  damaged. I wont 
replace 
the races as they look to be fine and a bear to  get out. Strong magnifying 
glass 
and bright light were a big  help.



MIKE KOVACS