If you didn't remove the pitman arm itself, then you can turn the wheel all the way in either direction. The steering box has internal stops, so the wheel can only turn so far. You'll hit those stops well before you break a clock spring. Some JKs hit those stops before the knuckle stops.

If you did it with the pitman arm off, that is a different story, but I don't see why you'd have it off for a drag link flip. You can feel the clock spring with the steering not connected. It is not perfect, but it will work to get it back to zero. Or, for about 20 minutes of your time, you can pull a few parts off the wheel and see the spring and get it to zero.

 

So I kinda understand (and that's what I thought too) that there is steering stops inside the steering box. I would think the pitman arm on or off doesn't make a difference as those stops are internal to the box? I would think?

Now, if you disconnected the steering gear box from the the steering shaft (not the right term, shaft between gear box and steering wheel), then I could see the steering wheel turning without stoping and breaking the clockspring.

Am I just confused? Are the steering stops external (like they are stops that the pitman arm hits instead?)

 

I'm not a gear box specialist. I believe it will stop eventually, but its way past the point of clock spring damage. Several people have reported damage from the same type of event. The primary means of stopping the gear box is the stops on the knuckles. I believe it is necessary to center the steering box anytime it has been separated from the steering wheel shaft, no damage would occur if the box is not attached, as the spring is in the steering wheel column.

 

Yeah, we also had brain freeze. Pitman arm on or off, doesn't matter. It is when you disconnect the intermediate shaft. So, you are 100% fine. Crank the wheel all you want. The pitman arm is keyed and can only go on in one position.

Crank away on the wheel to figure out where center is. Generally, the pitman arm moves from straight out the drive side and rotates 90 degrees to point straight forward. Give or take. So, as you sit in the driver seat, center is maybe at 9 o'clock.

 

Reference your last sentence - if the steering wheel is not attached to the gear box and rotated too many times in either direction, it WILL damage the clock spring.

 

This is not true. Anyone who moves to a D60 will tell you that the steering box limits steering. We actually had to make a custom high steer arm on our axle because the steering box severely limited travel. We've also spun the wheel 3 full turns with the intermediate shaft disconnected (on accident) and the clock spring was fine.

 

So are the stops internal or external on the gear box? (I'm too lazy to go look at mine right now).

I'm surprised that your clock spring was okay. I just had a neighbor switch out his steering gear box. He didn't strap the steering wheel and the end result was a broken clock spring during the test drive after putting everything back together.

 

Steering box has internal stops and axle has knuckle stops. Removing the drag link will not cause any issue with the clock spring because the steering wheel is still connected to the steering box. The issue as you noted, usually happens during a hydro assist install when the intermediate shaft is disconnect from the steering box. In that case the steering wheel can free spin.

 

Yep, thanks. That is exactly what I had thought all along.

 

Thats why I started with my disclaimer. I'm not a specialist. Lol. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night and have seen a couple you tube videos on the topic.😀