Steering box rebuild or buy another?

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

I ended up going through Powersteering.com. Marty is not cheap, believe me, but nice work. He rebuilt the box to 16:13:1...........I guess that's good I think he said it was 3:1. Be a good day when these are primed:

He re-did my original power steering pump - I was really pleased with the result.

[EagleChief]

To revive a thread... how hard is it to rebuild a steering box? Mine is leaking bad and need to either replace it, or rebuild it.

[bowton]

I just shipped my original PS box to Lars Corp (www.larscorp.com) they are located i Minnesota. I am in California and it was worth the shipping. They funtionally test the boxes after rebuilding them and in my case they detected a hairline fracture in the main case so that had to be replaced. I also had them rebuild my PS pump. So now everything is replaced in my steering system.

They were easy to work with and I was happier getting my original parts repaired rather than just getting a recycled core.

I might have spent a little more money but to me worth it for a 49 years old truck.

If you go to Rockauto.com it appears that they sell remanufactured boxes from Lares.....

[rpmerf]

I got a Lars box in my truck. I've had it about 3 years now. I like it.

[EagleChief]

Thanks guys. Easy to replace? Looks like it just bolts onto the frame, and then the steering arm and pitman arm?

I can get a Cardone box through my local Advanced Auto for less than $100 after my coupons and discounts - plus it's local... thinking about that route.

[rpmerf]

Decently easy.
Rag Joint - not bad. Mine came with a new rag joint and bolts. Lockily, we don't have to worry about a clock spring, otherwise you got to be super careful about rotating the steering shaft.
Pitman Arm - can be difficult to get off, getting it on isn't too bad. Be sure to get a Moog or AC Delco. Cheap one have been known to not be cut right.
Bolts to frame - usually not bad. Use lock tight when reassembling.

There was a flush procedure. Think it was basically:
Turkey baster what you can out of the power steering reservoir.
Add a bit of fresh fluid.
Put the the pressure line in a bottle to collect waste.
Spin the pulley by hand to pump fluid.
Top off as needed.
Pump until it looks like new fluid, then pump it a bit more.

When you get the new pump on, you need to bleed it. I think this was just hooking it up and turning left to right, lock to lock a bunch of times.

Another note. If you have the stock 1971 box, it is 4 turns lock to lock. The 73-87 box is 3-3.25 turns. Feels a lot more natural. They switched to metric threads around 1977, so you want a box from before that.

Looking at Rock Auto. Shows the same boxes for 68-76.

Listing for the Cardone box shows 3.3-4.0 turns.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...31690&jsn=1191

AC Delco specifies 3 turns lock to lock
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...=1194&jsn=1194

[dmjlambert]

What do you suppose Cardone means by 3.3-4.0 turns? You’ll get whatever they pull off the shelf? I want to be sure to get 4 turns or more and don’t want quick ratio.

[bowton]

Replacement of steering box is easy if you have the right tools and a second person. I did mine with the car on a lift and the fender removed so access was super easy. The box is heavy and this where a second person comes in.

First I disconnected the Pitman arm joint to centerlink with a pickle fork. I used my friend's special pickle fork which has one end which will fit into a pneumatic hammer/chisel. Worked awesome. Much easier than banging on it with a hammer. To remove pitman arm you really need a pitman arm puller or equivalent puller. You need one big enough to fit the large pitman arm on the truck but this is really the best way to do it.

Steering box is bolted to frame with 4 hex head bolts. These are inserted from the opposite side of the frame rail where they pass through pre-existing holes. This is where it is really nice to have a friend hold up the super heavy gear box and align the holes as you try to pass the bolts through and get the threads started.

[72longstepper]

Just bought Cardone 27-7512 after discounts (Advance Auto 20%/Rakuten 5%) came to about $110.00 after core return. Putting on 72 GMC 2WD.

[Rig7]

Can a steering box off of a late 90s S10 fit on my 69 gmc C1500?
Looking to get a tighter steering ratio.

[EagleChief]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

What do you suppose Cardone means by 3.3-4.0 turns? You’ll get whatever they pull off the shelf? I want to be sure to get 4 turns or more and don’t want quick ratio.

Not sure what that means. To me, I don't think 3/4 of a turn is going to be a big deal... that's just me, though. I know a lot of people want that exact number.

Originally Posted by bowton

Replacement of steering box is easy if you have the right tools and a second person. I did mine with the car on a lift and the fender removed so access was super easy. The box is heavy and this where a second person comes in.

First I disconnected the Pitman arm joint to centerlink with a pickle fork. I used my friend's special pickle fork which has one end which will fit into a pneumatic hammer/chisel. Worked awesome. Much easier than banging on it with a hammer. To remove pitman arm you really need a pitman arm puller or equivalent puller. You need one big enough to fit the large pitman arm on the truck but this is really the best way to do it.

Steering box is bolted to frame with 4 hex head bolts. These are inserted from the opposite side of the frame rail where they pass through pre-existing holes. This is where it is really nice to have a friend hold up the super heavy gear box and align the holes as you try to pass the bolts through and get the threads started.

I didn't realize it had that much weight to it. I figured the hardest part would be disconnecting the shaft and the pitman arm.

[EagleChief]

Went ahead and just ordered the Lares rebuilt box off of RockAuto. Ordered one for a '76 model. I did see that the '71 model showed 4 turns, the '76 model said 2x4. But, it is Lares Part# 1074, which was still listed for 68-76. $234 after core charge, shipping, and tax.

[dmjlambert]

I look forward to hearing about how it turns out.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

What do you suppose Cardone means by 3.3-4.0 turns? You’ll get whatever they pull off the shelf? I want to be sure to get 4 turns or more and don’t want quick ratio.

Carquest will substitute without your knowledge. It's how their cross-reference info works.

Still a dam good deal for the money.

[BigTopGT]

Bringing one back from the dead.

I’ve got amnesty amount of slop in the steering box in my 67 LWB and this is a super helpful thread. Unfortunately, the part numbers for the above discussion show up as “do not fit your 67”.

So, does anyone have a recommendation for a 67, specifically?

[HO455]

Originally Posted by BigTopGT

Bringing one back from the dead.

I’ve got amnesty amount of slop in the steering box in my 67 LWB and this is a super helpful thread. Unfortunately, the part numbers for the above discussion show up as “do not fit your 67”.

So, does anyone have a recommendation for a 67, specifically?

The reason the above part numbers show up as "does not fit 67" is the frame must be dimpled, or spacers used to get the box to bolt up correctly. 67's didn't come from the factory with a power steering box. They had a power assist cylinder that worked with a manual steering box. Once you dimple the frame or install a spacer (search "Captfab steering box") the listed boxes will work.