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[Turk]

Anyone know anything about or actually adjusted the steering box on a 2.5td ('94).
 
I've been advised to slacken off the nut and adjust the screw a quarter turn then road test the car b4 further adjustment.
  
Problem I have is the steering is light and over responsive. Tyres are wearing rapidly on outside edge and steering does not self center. If I turn it to the right and let go of the steering wheel it keeps on going in a circle.
Turning to the left results in it centering eventually, but I think this is due to the steering gubbins being shorter on the right due to the location of the box.
Constantly making minor adustment to the steering wheel to keep car in a straight line.

Wheel bearings, drop links, steering idler arm, rear main bushes, wishbones and engine cradle have been changed over the last 6 months and in the last month or so the steering has started playing up. The camber and 4 wheel alignment has been checked recently.
Surely it can only be the steering box. Nothing else left to change !!! (lol)    

[JasonH]

I loosened the lock nut then screwed in gently until the slack was gone then held the screw in place and did up the lock nut.

TBH didn't make much difference to mine - that turned out to be the wheel alignment.

[TheBoy]

Does sound more geometry to me...

[TheBoy]

BTW, check the condition of the rear coil springs...  

[Omegatoy]

Anyone know anything about or actually adjusted the steering box on a 2.5td ('94).
 
I've been advised to slacken off the nut and adjust the screw a quarter turn then road test the car b4 further adjustment.
  
Problem I have is the steering is light and over responsive. Tyres are wearing rapidly on outside edge and steering does not self center. If I turn it to the right and let go of the steering wheel it keeps on going in a circle.
Turning to the left results in it centering eventually, but I think this is due to the steering gubbins being shorter on the right due to the location of the box.
Constantly making minor adustment to the steering wheel to keep car in a straight line.

Wheel bearings, drop links, steering idler arm, rear main bushes, wishbones and engine cradle have been changed over the last 6 months and in the last month or so the steering has started playing up. The camber and 4 wheel alignment has been checked recently.
Surely it can only be the steering box. Nothing else left to change !!! (lol)    

sounds like toe in to me? could poss be camber but i doubt it, and the amount of times i have seen tyre fitters set up a car with four wheel alignment and not check to see if the tyres are the same size on the rear or the coil springs are ok is astounding!!! have seen them actually set up a car that had 10.5 rear rims on and 7.5 fronts on and then wonder why it drove like a drunken grandma, find an old school garage or tyre shop with mirror gauges and get them to check the toe, bet you find its toeing in, and it sounds like whoever fitted the steeering idler didnt centre the whole system before bolting it up!!
Omegatoy

[Turk]

Adjusted it Saturday afternoon. Screw wouldn't adjust much, not quite a quarter turn. It felt really"gritty" as I turned it. Like a bearing had collapsed .
The steering is not as twitchy now, feels more damped but it's still not right.

I've had everything checked and the camber re-set. Camber kit fitted about three years ago when the car was lowered. I reckon I'll go back to the guy's that did the geometry set up originally. It was spot on when they did it. The last set up was with laser 4 wheel alignment and calibrated "spirit level type" visual guage for camber. Original set up was done with lasers alignment, but linked to a computer.    

Still think the box is shot. It certainly ain't helping things. Turning that screw just didn't feel right at all. I reckon I'll try a 2nd hand steering box. New is about a Grand from Main Steelers, re-con just short of £400.
Fortunately my mate owns a large breakers yard, and his brother runs an "old school" garage. They let me use all the facilities and there are some "old heads" on hand if I get stuck on something.        

Thanks for the advice Gentmen.  Time to get my hands dirty.