Hi

So, I had some work done to my 1991 Camaro. Struts, sway bar link, center link, lower ball joint, idler arm, wheel bearings, and the gear box.

The gear box was def changed, as the steering is not nearly as loose as it was before, and it does not have nearly as much play. But it does still have some play, and still seems a bit loose.

I have had this car since 18k miles, and I dont remember it being this loose; I remember it being pretty tight. But, it has been so long since the car has been "right", and it might also be that I have gotten so used to my BMW 535, that I might not be remembering properly.

I stopped by a Chev dealership, and spoke to the mgr, and told him the sit. He might be as old as the car. He told me that these cars were never that tight, and if the gear box was changed along with everything else , then there is really nothing else to do.

Any ideas on what to do here? I can bring it back to the shop, sure, but the chances of them saying that the work could have been done better are slim to none. Thanks!

 

Is it just a Camaro or is it a Z28? I know the first gen cars had different steering gear ratios the Z28 being more aggressive.
I don't know bout the 3rd gen cars but if that's the case and you have a Z28 with a standard Camaro box that could be a noticeable difference.
Just a thought.

 

Thx. It's an RS Coupe.

 

Gear box should have an adjustment on it. There is an adjustment procedure and it would not hurts to redo the adjustment after 1000 miles although its is not normally needed if it was adjusted right the first time. There is also a rag joint that connects the the steering shaft with the steering gear box. They get soft with time. I replaced the one in my 93 3 years ago. You can either replace the rag joint or get a rag joint eliminator.

NewRag Joint
https://www.camarocentral.com/1977_1...r_p/pow-50.htm

Rag joint eliminator ( common on track cars)
https://www.rickscamaros.com/camaro-...FQqAvQod6VUMrA

This is not a technical video but it does give you an idea what you are dealing with. There are better videos for doing the adjustment search around.

 

Thank you so much!

That helps. My box has a flat-head adjustment:



Should I just turn that screw head. experimenting with how much? Do I need to put a wrench around the nut first?
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Yes you have to loosen the locknut first,small increments on the screw.
Keep a screwdriver on the screw when you loosen the nut so the screw doesn't move.

 

Thank you!

I can not for the life of me get that lock nut loose. I assume it turns "normally", meaning counter-clockwise to loosen?

Any ideas on how to get this loose?

 

Been a long time since I did it but pretty sure it's a lefty loosey.
What are you using for a wrench? I'd put a deep 1/2" drive socket on it and use a breaker bar if it doesn't budge with a box end wrench.
You won't be able to hold the screw in place but once it breaks loose you can turn it back with the box end and start from there.

 

Ok, got it. Wow - that was tough.

After turning the screw a bit, the steering is now a bit tighter. But there still is a bit too much play. Is there an adjustment for that?