Hi,

Anyone on this site knowledgeable with respect to the set up and adjustment of a 1st gen RX-7 Recirculating Ball steering system? Like many of you- my steering box is way out of adjustment, and at this point- I am desperate for a permanent solution. The car is a long-term project of mine, and it is one of the last things that I need to do to the car to get it on the street again after many years of on and off work. I have read just about every write up on this subject, (including the one by "Bobrx7" on Mazspeed site) but I thought I'd ping the community to see if there was someone nearby who has experience with this type of thing before I jump in blind.

I am willing to pay the right person for their time / expertise. Please email me if you can help me and are in the central NJ area (or know someone knowledgeable who is). My email address is mzdrati @ earthlink.net.

Thanks!

TONY

 

Have you considered RE-speed's rack and pinion conversion? I think most of us on here will agree that while adjusting the stock box will make everything feel better at first its only a temporary solution, it just gets steering slop again....
Where in Central NJ are you at?

 

If you adjust the box correctly, it will last for a long time.

I finally had a chance to measure the large nut on an '83 steering box. It worked out to be 40.70mm. Get yourself a 41mm socket, grind flat so the inner bevel is removed and follow the instructions posted in the 1st gen section. Don't bother with a 1 9/16" as it will be too small. Don't get a 1 5/8" because it will be too big and could possibly damage the nut. I also test fitted a 40mm and it was simply too small. It's gotta be a 41mm socket. Best to get a 6 point, as well.

This nut is necesary to loosen while performing the steering box tightening proceedure on late '81 or '82 to '85 boxes.

 

Read my post in this thread:

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...steering+grind

 

Thats strange, I bought a 40mm socket and it fit perfectly on there... I wonder why 40 wouldn't fit on yours??

 

Maybe it was slightly oversized.

 

Very strange, is it possible that some previous owner attemted to adjust it and damaged the edges of the nut slightly making the 40mm not fit correctly?

 

No. Maybe Mazda's stamping machine was in need of a new (sharp) tool.

 

I can't recall the size of the socket I used for this, but it went on VERY tight. I actually had to hammer it on if I recall correctly...

 

I have to say- it is amazing to me that this community is still going strong after all of these years. I was a very active member (back then it was a different format) in the early and mid 90's, but after I graduated college, got a full time (traveling)job, bought and restored a house, got married and now have a 10 month old baby- my project car has had to sit. Over the past 10 years, I have touched the car very little, and have gone through a lot of trouble moving, storing, insuring and generally fussing over a car that did not get driven, I made my new years resolution that I'd make time to work on and enjoy my 1st gen. I even recently bought a used 4-post lift for the sole reason of completing this car and enjoying it again.

Back in 1998- I installed a low mileage (50,000 mile) Recirculating Ball unit from a reputable dismantler (anyone here remember Donnie Peters- Sun Auto- Abbotstown PA? He's out of business nowadays.) Like the original unit, It had tons of free play even when I first installed it, and I was told that it simply had to be adjusted.

I don't drive this car very often; when I get everything done- maybe 2 or 3 thousand miles a year. I'd be very, very interested in doing a thorough, careful adjustment to this steering box in the car (as opposed to pulling the box to adjust it, or putting in an aftermarket steering rack- although that does sound appealing). If anyone here has actually performed the adjustments- what exactly do you have to grind off of the socket? I feel like a dummy asking, but the "inner bevel" isn't registering with me. There is an awesome write up on Mazspeed's website, but a lot of the terms are foreign to me (for example- it instructs you to adjust the "sector shaft" but I'm not entirely sure which part that is). It later instructs you to "Loosen the worm shaft adjusting plug lock nut (where the column tube meets the gear box), with the hammer and chisel, by tapping counter clockwise, as viewed from the driver seat." Any procedure that has me hitting something with a chisel when I don't really understand what I am doing bothers me- which is why I am writing this to you guys.

I am located in Monmouth County NJ. Anyone steering box literate? I'd REALLY appreciate the help if there's someone knowledgeable and experienced nearby.

Tony

 

I think the reason more people don't do the rack and pinion conversion is because of cost. It was true when i first joined and still true today that 1st gen owners tend to be a little "cheap". To me, converting to a rack and pinon for $400 is just simply not worth it, even with the better steering feel and no need for adjustment. If all I have to do is spend a day adjusting the original box back into original spec, then thats what I will do, even if I have to do it once a year.

 

I think you'll find that as these cars age- the owners will tend to age as well. In the late 80's these cars were had by teenagers as their first cars, (like me) thus the "cheap" reputation. Not many teenagers have a lot of money to spend on their cars- at least I didn't. In the not too distant future these cars may be collectors items (mine won't) and you may see adults dropping money restoring them as reminders of their teenage days.

Having been bothered with this steering problem for years, (but never sucessfully tightening it using the traditional methods- using the small nut and screw method) I am of the understanding that it is the general concensus that the adjustment that I was trying to remove was "perload", but that there are 2 more effective, more basic (but more complex) adjustments that actually are more permanent fixes. Those are the ones that I am after.

Tony

 

I've adjusted mine before, it was pretty good at first, but didn't take long to get the slop back, its just a poor design in my opinion. Personally its just not worth adjusting to me. I realize not everyone has the $1000 to drop on the Re-speed rack and pinion setup (I wish it was $400 haha) but to me its well worth it...

 

What I meant by grinding off the bezel: If you look at the huge socket you will be using, you will see that the edge of the socket is rounded (the part that will go over the nut). Since the nut is so thin on the steering gear box, you want to get as much metal to metal contact as you can to keep from stripping the corners off of it. If you grind off the bevel on the socket, you will nearly double the contact area between the socket and the nut. Make sense?

 

You could just remove the top plate as well (backing out the backlash adjuster) although not all boxes look like this one! Once it is off, then it is really easy to loosen that nut - even putting it into a vice (not recommended). Also quite easy to change the fluid. Make darn sure that once you adjust this, you tighten that lock nut back up and well... Ask me how I know .

In 2 out 3 cases, I did not have to adjust the "Loosen the worm shaft adjusting plug lock nut (where the column tube meets the gear box)".

Sadly, depending on miles, this may not help you and has been mentioned - replace the easy parts first (or inspect) tie rods, balljoints, bushings, etc.

Scott

 

Thanks Kent. Yup- that's the part I was missing mentally. I'll pick up a socket and fire up the Dremel.

Tony

 

Thanks Scott. I appreciate that you posted those pictures.