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Steering Box Woes


psu_Crash
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So driving my car this summer the steering has went from little to no slop, to downright scary on uneven roads. Since I have spare of pretty much every steering component I went to investigate. Steering box, coupler, ball joints, tie rods etc were all replaced about 5 years ago or roughly 5k miles.

I got under the car with some weight on the wheel and had a helper just move the wheel back and forth is the slop section which is a solid 2 inches both ways before you feel any resistance.

Watching the input shaft around the coupler I expected to see the play there, but there was none. It seems that 100% of the play is coming from the steering box internals. The pitman arm moves exaclty zero while the input shaft moves back and forth through the slop. I loosened the jamb but on the top of the box and the "adjustment" there was nice and snug. Yes, I know that's not really an adjustment for play in the steering, but I figured I'd check it out.

This is a box I bought off PQ a while back and like I said it has very few miles on it, but apparently it has problems.

 

So my question is what exactly wears out in these? The rebuild threads I have seen all seem to just revolve around changing the seals. I don't leak a drop of fluid so those should be good to go. I still have my old sloppy steering box on the shelf to use as a guinea pig for disassembly.

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To be honest I think your describing something mine is on the way of doing as well. I told myself last time I changed it that the next time my steering box gets play in it that I'd do a steering swap. I just can't justify continuing to walk down the same road. I just don't like the down time it will require : (
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To be honest I think your describing something mine is on the way of doing as well. I told myself last time I changed it that the next time my steering box gets play in it that I'd do a steering swap. I just can't justify continuing to walk down the same road. I just don't like the down time it will require : (

 

I feel the same way, I'd love to just swap an S13 rack in there! Although I don't have the tools needed to do the job right. The box that's in the car now is #3 to my knowledge since I have changed it twice in less than 40k miles. Getting sick of this recirculating ball crap

If it's at all possible I will try to fix/tighten up my old box for now.

Edited by psu_Crash
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I feel the same way, I'd love to just swap an S13 rack in there! Although I don't have the tools needed to do the job right. The box that's in the car now is #3 to my knowledge since I have changed it twice in less than 40k miles. Getting sick of this recirculating ball crap

If it's at all possible I will try to fix/tighten up my old box for now.

 

What about Convette's conversion he was offering?

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the one from my car is going to red head

just to see if they can rebuild our type of steering gear boxes.

and cost to do it. they did a great job on my old 79 F150 Ranger.

Plus 12 month unlimited mile warranty.

 

 

http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/

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There isn't too much to the box to be causing slop. It's a reciprocating ball set-up which means there would have to be major wear in the component or a ball that somehow came out of track (not sure if that is possible). Other culpret might be the ball bearing for the input shaft. For the output shaft, it is constrained by two needle roller bearings..one in the box housing and one in the top cover. Again, I find it hard to believe these could be worn out that bad.

 

It's a pretty constrained system. I see it 'locking up' before it would show sufficient slop...unless it is that input shaft ball bearing.

 

The 87 and earlier FSM show how to test for slop on the piston assembly. But the 88/89 FSM deleted this. I updated my thread a few months ago to include measuring this 'slop'. I believe it had to be under .008". With the piston extended 4" front the 'boss'. There are more pics in my thread.

 

http://www.hotrodders.com/gallery/data/4290/medium/DSC02589.JPG

 

I think it is worth tearing it down to see. I'm truly interested to be honest.

 

 

BTW: I was given mixed info on the cardone rebuildables. Some members said they received the wrong box with a shorter input shaft.

 

kev

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Thanks Kev! I saw the info in your rebuild thread. Maybe I'll find time this weekend to open up the old box and investigate. Archery opens Saturday and the last autocross of the season is Sunday .. So it might be tough
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Just pulled out the old steering box from the shelf and tried to take some measurements on the amount of slop in it. Turns out I don't have a good way of doing that quickly. If it had the pitman arm on it I planned to put the dial indicator on the arm and then measure degrees of rotation without pitman movement. I'll have to try again with some better tools (and time) available.
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very rare for a power steering box to have a lot of internal play most of the time it's in the rubber coupling or the idler arm om right frame ,on center link

internal play can be adjusted , center shaft is tapered

 

if you realy can't find a good coupling tell me I most likely have a useable one you can have reasonable

off of an 86

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This is what I had wanted to say, there shouldn't be much to wear but I wasn't totally sure. My 87 began leaking big time from the lower seal at less than 10 years old. I attempted to get into it from the top while on the car and dropped one of those roller bearing in the grass. Thought I was toast but found it with a magnet. This many years later I still run the same box with an adjustment done probably once. I have plenty of slop but it's not at the box :huh:
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Shelby the coupler was replaced with new OEM just a few years back and I don't see any play in it. I plan to install one of BC's couplers anyways though. I go over the entire system with a fine tooth comb before pulling the box again, but the initial check didn't show any play other than at the box. I'd be all kinds of happy to find the slop elsewhere! We will see
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update !!!!

 

i sent the steering gearbox to RedHead Steering Gear.

 

http://www.steeringg...CFQmPHwodkZ0NmA

 

they rebuilt the steering gearbox and it is on its way back.

 

EXPENSIVE

did i say

EXPENSIVE...

 

they found that the sector shaft was ok and straight not bent at all.

mic'd it out. with dial indicators. all is good. they checked everything inside all shafts and tolerances.

the box was in decent shape inside and out with a few minor things that needed to be addressed..

 

the BAD

 

The ballbearings that are in the unit wore out the insides where they reside or they themselves wore out.

if you ever took one apart or rebuilt one or seen KEVS rebuild thread you know where they go.

they had to use over sized ball bearings. They stated the ones they used are 4 times over sized.

basically 4 thousandths larger then stock or ones that came out of that unit.

they pressure tested the unit and verified no leaks.

so i am glad i sent the Steering gear box to them. they were great with my F150 gearbox so i was confident yet nervous sending it to them.

 

once i get it back i will post up a review of it installed and how it steers and feels when driving.

i also got a new old stock center - drag link on the way. i will be replacing them both.

so once the 2 last pieces to the puzzle are installed then everything in the steering is new.

end links or ball joints, inner and outer tie rods idler arm bushings adjusting threaded part with nuts.

all new from end to end. even D2's.

 

only thing left is bushings.

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I got mine from RockAuto, Cardone I believe, but theirs are not quite correct...the shaft is an inch too short or too long IIRC. From a D-50 or Might Max, not a SQ. Same otherwise. Not a problem for me since we refabbed a replacement for the non-replaceable coupler. Now that a fix for that is available, is that meant to work with this same "different" Cardone box? Hopefully most of them aren't bad.
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