P700 Steering woes!

[Smoking Joe]

I smoked my steering last weekend! Got my tire on the wrong side of a tree root...my wheeler went straight and my driver's side tire went left! My front tires were spread apart to the point I had to ride out 2 miles in reverse. I took my tie rods off centered the shaft of the rack and pinion replaced the tie rods and the same setting it was at and now my tires point out equally with the wheel at center! Any suggestions? Can the rack and pinion case be split open to inspect? Don't want to buy a new steering box if it's not needed!

 

[Admin]

 

[Smoking Joe]

Pulled the ring and pinion box out and I can easily twist the steering stub shaft by hand to full left and full right! I'm lost as to why my tie rod arms would have to be adjusted again?

 

[Smoking Joe]

I did notice the driver's side has 4 1/2 inches of shaft protruding from the box and 5 1/4 inches protruding at full steer...if the tie rods are the same length should the max length of the shaft be equal. Maybe the shaft skipped a tooth or 2? Not sure if it's possible?

 

[Smoking Joe]

5 1/4 inches at passenger's side at full steer

 

[Russ989]

I smoked my steering last weekend! Got my tire on the wrong side of a tree root...my wheeler went straight and my driver's side tire went left! My front tires were spread apart to the point I had to ride out 2 miles in reverse. I took my tie rods off centered the shaft of the rack and pinion replaced the tie rods and the same setting it was at and now my tires point out equally with the wheel at center! Any suggestions? Can the rack and pinion case be split open to inspect? Don't want to buy a new steering box if it's not needed!

I’ve not had this happen yet but I’d disconnect the tie-rods and then count the turns from full lock to full lock and then position it in the center of that. Then connect the tie-rods. Either way, I’d say you have a broken tooth in the rack.

 

[Smoking Joe]

Already did that...didn't adjust tie rods just disconnected them but full turn in either direction was just over 1 1/2 turns...reasonably the same