steering box test

[MoparMatt383]

Since I am redoing my front end I was wondering how to test my steering box.  It is a power unit.  The engine and trans are out so I cant go out and drive it to check it out.  When I was driving the car for a week before I took it apart I only drove it locally on the city streets so it wasnt much faster then 40 miles per hour, but it did seem to have that typical power steering slop of like any other old mopar that hasnt been restored.  Any help would be appreciated.

Matt

[Rev-It-Up]

Man, I wish we would have even thought of testing ours before putting it in.  It was working fine when we pulled ours our (4 years earlier).  When we put it back it was leaking like a seive!  We figured the seals were dry, so we used the stuff you pour in with the steering fluid that is supposed to lubricate the internal seals.  Didn't do anything.  We ended up replacing the entire steerring gearbox AFTER we had installed the entire engine, headers, starter, etc.  Pain in the butt!!

If there is a test...do it now. 

[Btch n Blue]

I haven't even tested my PS gear box... I decided that I enjoy the manual steering so I'm ripping it out and putting in a firm feel box!!

[Chryco Psycho]

you can check backlash & see how far the adjuster ius into the box normally 3-4 threads should show above the nut , if there are 1-2 threads or less the box has already been adjusted & may be quite worn , bad alighment May cause the wandering even if the box was nerw when you drove it last