I found in the FSM that the steering adapter plate bolts to frame rail are torqued to 100 ft#s, but I cannot find anything on the plate to box bolt torque. They are 7/16" grade 8 (six lines) and an internet search found a generic 70 ft#s. Does that sound right? Thanks...Mark

 

No.

here's what my FSM states

 

For 4WD applications, install the steering gear to the reinforcement (Fig. 5). Tighten the screws to 136 N*m (100 ft. lbs.) torque. Install the assembly as above, finger tight.

--This is saying attach the plate to the gear w/ 100 lb ft of torque.--

If necessary, re-position the steering gear at the frame to eliminate any binding and tighten the attaching bolts with 136 N*m (100 ft. lbs.) torque.

--This is saying get the plate aligned nicely on the frame, and tighten the plate to the frame w/ 100 lb ft of torque.--

This is from the '91 FSM. I also have the '92 FSM, which has the same specs as T posted.

 

They've obviously changed the torque spec in 1993, as my FSM doesn't read what you guys are saying.


AFAIK there were no real changes from 92 to 93, and I use the same specs on my RR build in my 92


No issues at all...

 

Interesting, this is what the 90 FSM says:

Is yours from a 92? I wonder why such a difference...Mark

 

It's not different. 100 ft lbs is the 2wd torque spec. which is identical in my FSM (1993)

The gear bracket gets torqued to the frame @ 165 ft lbs or 150 ft lbs depending on which line you read. The gear to frame bracket is @ 130 ft lbs.

This is what I did on my truck, which is a 1992, and again, no issues.

 

I wonder why my manual doesn't differentiate between 2WD & 4WD. It is a 90 FSM and comes with a diesel supplement, which has virtually nothing on steering...Mark

 

They changed the frames in '92, and they changed some of the hardware & torque specs. For example, the front spring front eye bolt went from 1/2 to 5/8 in '92.

I didn't know that the '90 FSM was so different from the '91 (I don't have the illustration J8919-11 that Mark posted). The '91 manual says "(1) For 2WD applications, position the steering gear . . ." using the identical text as the 90 manual, and then adding the text that I posted above for 4wd trucks.

As T says, the '92 manual specifies that the gear to bracket be 130 lb ft, but it also says that a "special knurled shoulder bolt is used for the lower bracket to frame bolt." And in the procedural text, specifies tightening to 165 lb ft.

All that said, my 91.5 has the old frame, but I am pretty sure I remember it having the knurled bolt, and I did use the '92 tightening specs when I replaced the steering gear. At the time, I only had the '92 manual, and didn't realize the extent of the changes from '91 to '92.

Sorry to beat a dead horse.

 

Well, that makes complete sense to me then.


Since the frames changed, so did the torque specs. So, to be on the safe side, you should utilize the lower specifications for the earlier trucks than what I posted, as you might just wind up snapping bolts.

 

Yeah, that's what I ended up doing. The funny thing is that I measured the plate to box bolts and they are 7/16", grade 8. When you search the torque values for the same, you get a lot of torque tables, listing both lubricated and dry values, with the highest that I could find at 85 ft#s. I wonder how Dodge can go to 100? Better steel maybe, but that is why I really hesitated to try 130. Alec, The 4 bolts on mine are identical. I just went and read the post again and see that you are talking about the front plate to frame bolt. That is also the one that has to be placed in its hole in the box, prior to putting the plate on to the box. Ask me how I know... Goes to show that one really needs the correct FSM...Mark

 

99% sure the bracket bolts I used were 9/16 gr. 8 fine thread bolts to mount my box plate (bracket) to the frame. I had older version plates and my original one from my 92 when I did my R/R upgrade. The mounting bolt holes where smaller in the early one I found in a bone yard, but my 92 bracket had the larger bolts. I gave both plates to the MOPAR dude who lives in south NJ that had that red w250, and then he went and jumped ship to the 2nd gen dodges. Wonder what he ever did with those plates I gave him for free. Hopefully, he paid it forwards.

Glad you got it worked out.