Steering: New noise in my 8E pick-up steering box

[50starlite]

[Bo Markham]

Yep, that looks like the top of an SE-54 steering gear box. All though it appears some one has drilled and tapped a second filler hole? Note. Aluminum box. Most likely, damage is all ready been done. While driving it, do you notice any steering problems? Look up underneath while someone is turning the steering wheel back and forth (slowly) to see where the clunk is actually coming from. Check the steering linkage, tie rods and bushings, drag link and king pins for anything that is lose. There are so many different pieces to the 8E suspension and steering that any ware in any part will cause problems.

[StudeRich]

What Bo said PLUS, as well as a loose Tie Rod it could even be coming from a King Pin.

Not to be the messenger of bad news, BUT the truth is I have sold Studebaker Parts since 1970, and at the Dealer we repaired and sold plenty of 8E Steering Gear parts and assemblies due to their terribly SHORT service life. These Ross boxes were the cheap aluminum case jobs.

[53k]

What Bo said PLUS, as well as a loose Tie Rod it could even be coming from a King Pin.

Not to be the messenger of bad news, BUT the truth is I have sold Studebaker Parts since 1970, and at the Dealer we repaired and sold plenty of 8E Steering Gear parts and assemblies due to their terribly SHORT service life. These Ross boxes were the cheap aluminum case jobs.

What Rich says and then some. That crummy steering box cost me my 8E-7. My son was running an errand for me and when he went in to a turn the steering wouldn't respond to the wheel and he was involved in a head-on collision with another truck which totalled the Champ (low enough speed that injuries were minor). So, be careful with that system.

[50starlite]

Documentation that came with the truck shows they rebuilt the SE 54 steering box about 6,500 miles ago, 12/26/06. Also new cam lever shaft and bushings and new seals, new reach rod and new tie rod ends. Also new idler lever bushing plus I just installed new kingpins and bushings and front end alignment. The steering box is full of CV joint grease, I tried adjusting the box set screw and all it did was change the steering effort, noise was still there.
Beats me!

Dick

[50starlite]

Finally, I got’ur fixed. It was really quite simple. The groan was only on a left turn so I had my wife move the steering wheel back and forth while I tried to track the noise. I’m under the hood and I notice the steering box move slightly as though it was under torque. IT SHOULDN’T MOVE!!! With further inspection I found two of the bolts attaching the steering box to its mounting plate were loose, really loose. I torqued all the attachment bolts as tight as I could. NO noise now, period! Sometimes a problems solution is so simple we look right past it.

Also, so many times a posted topic gets solved but the end result never gets posted. So here it is.

Thanks for the suggestions. They were appreciated.
Dick

[Kurt]

That is the best kind of repair. Simple and cheap!