recirculating ball and worm gear steering boxes
 

Our '93 Ford E150 is due for a new steering box. There's considerable slop through the box and the adjustment screw is frozen solid. I've only dealt with MB boxes which have a centering index. What I've read on is that Ford trucks use a dumb box that turns forever, yet I've seen pictures that show a sector gear on the cross shaft. So, when I come home from the store with a new or more likely rebuilt box, do I install it as is or should I count turns lock to lock to find center?

Don't steering boxes have a neutral position at which there's no hydraulic assist one way or the other? That suggests a self centering nature which IIRC such boxes don't have.

Confused,
Sixto
MB-less

When I read this a bell when off in my head about a similar job I was involved in with a friend of mine.

He did all the work while I somewhat assisted/got-in-the-way, but he found this thread helpful.

Red Head Steering gear box installed - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

I haven't adjusted a Ford steering box in a million years but the last one I adjusted was not the way popular opinion would have you believe. The documentation was ambiguous and the most common references were wrong. The adjustment was for the drag at the center point. Most often it was described as a way to tighten the play in the steering.

Some newer Fords came with rack and pinion and the R&P was retrofitted onto older vehicles. Don't how involved the "upgrade" was. Don't know if it really was an upgrade.

Every steering box I've ever adjusted did indeed had a centerpoint that was tighter. You have to be careful because if you get it too tight while off the centerpoint it could prevent the wheel from centering after a turn. Make sure to test drive and be careful at the first corner being prepared for it to not center.