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Old 04-25-2003, 09:25 AM
LarryBible
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No, you should turn the pitman arm on this box. In fact, I'm shocked that anyone would move the pitman arm on ANY box. I've been around truck shops, and this kind of Cowboy Engineering does not surprise me.

The only way you could get by with moving the pitman arm would be to make up for its new location by shortening one tie rod and lengthening the other.

The reason for this is that at the CENTER point of the steering box, the gears are at their tightest. As you turn away from center there is a touch more slack.

What you are dealing with is one of the few Achilles Heels of a 123 MB. These steering boxes are unusual and prone to loosening.

They do not tighten in the same way that an American box does. In fact MB recoancemmends that you DO NOT adjust these boxes. That said I have adjusted a number of them, sometimes with success and sometimes not. I have also gotten a salvage yard box and performed exploratory surgery. The sector shaft bearings will sometimes get loose. If this happens, no amount of adjustment will correct the problem. You have to shim the bearings carefully, they must be tight, but if you get them too tight the steering will be "sticky."

To adjust, loosen the nut, turn the allen headed shaft counterclockwise until just a little resistance is felt. Hold the allen headed shaft at this exact position while teghtening the locknut.

If this does not tighten the box, most likely the sector shaft bearings are loose.

Good luck,
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