I just bought a 1994 ranger super cab 2wd that has excessive steering wheel play, the seller says it needs a new power steering gear box.

Both driver & passenger tires have wear on the inside and outside of tires, center of tires are fine, rear tires perfect. I'm thinking upper-lower ball joints, I have never delt with gear boxes before. The truck is in excellent condition well taken care of, engine, inside & out, runs/drives like new except for the play in steering.

Any suggestions

 

Jack it up so both front wheels are off the ground and check each wheel for excessive play. Should not really move at all, except for what the actual steering allows. If it's steering box, then you should be able to move the wheels and the steering wheel should not move.

Good luck!

 

Sould I have steering wheel locked while checking front end?

 

You should read my post from late last week. I had excessive steering wheel play and it turned out to be grinded-down splines in the steering shaft. Ended up stripping out completely in a parking lot when turning left.

I feel blessed it was in a parking lot, it if was on the freeway I would have been a gonner.

 

Did you have excessevie front tire wear inside and out? both pass. and driver side?

Another note* both sides upper and lower ball joints and all tie rod ends were replaced a year ago all checked out fine.

 

I had pretty even wear with only slight wear on the insides. Wear on both sides that is even can signify something simple like underinflated tires that are driven on for distance.

 

I preformed the front-end check as suggested by others in the forum, jacking truck up and trying to move tires with steering wheel locked and unlocked they didn't budge either way.

I took the truck to Les schwab for wheel alignment describing tire wear without mentioning possibility of gear box problem in a 1/2 an hour they were calling letting me know that it was not a aliginment problem, it was indeed the power steering gear box.

$579.30 to fix it. And no charge for the diagnosis.

So I will now be pulling off the gear box and installing new one.
Thanks for your input on my gear box problem it was greatly appreciated

 

Yeah, that gear box isn't anything to mess with. The problem in my rig was the shaft going into the box being stripped, but either way you have a pretty bad issue that might cause you to lose control if it strips out completely.

 

O.K. old gear box is out!! New one is in!! WOW!!!! what a difference.

Now I noticed while changing the gear box Radius arm bushings are wore a little on the drivers side so on to the next project

Huge Thanks to everyone who put in there 2 cents it is GREATLY appreciated!!

BTW never done radius arm bushings before either