quick ratio steering box

[johnymac]

I am thinking of having my steering box rebuilt this winter. I see that I can have mine rebuilt into a quick ratio.

I am thinking this upgrade might make my 67 c10 not turn like a school bus anymore.

Has anyone had their steering box rebuilt to a quick ratio? If so, does it handle/ turn better since?

Has anyone rebuilt their own? Is it very hard/expensive/kits available?

Thanks guys!!

[crazy longhorn]

i have an 84 burb box on the longhorn,its a closer ratio box. faster than the stocker, & cheap(came of a parts truck). I cant help you with codes, or tell you if they were all that way....it was a "run what you found "deal. this is a metric box , & has o ring fittings on the hoses, but was not a problem to adapt to my truck. I have my sb set on 6 /250 stands, & run a long waterpump, so the hoses from the burb fit after changing the fitting in the back of the pump. For the guys running the old style pcs, hoses can be made pretty cheap if you have the ends that you need. i dont reccomend building a box unless you have had some experience with them. good luck.....crazy AL

[Shane]

Word Of Warning - If you are having this box rebuilt because of "slop" in the steering, be careful. I know of cases where the box was "rebuilt" ... only to have MORE "slop" afterwards. The reason for this is the "worm" shaft in the recirculating ball system will wear in the ball groove and the only real way to tell if one is worn is with specialized gages. You can't look at one and tell...

My suggestion is to buy one already rebuilt ($189.00 here locally-with lifetime warrantee)...if it still has "slop" in it, you can always take it back and get another......

[Spoof]

I have yet to recieve definitive info on which year steering boxes are the tighter ratio and non-metric direct swaps. I am of the notion right now that at least 73-76 chevy trucks work and maybe later but I'm not positve and hope to find out.

[ThreeQuarter]

I noticed you're working with a '67. Do you have power steering (and is it the factory setup)? If you find a way to get a quicker ratio box with the factory PS setup, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks, Ben

[Brad]

I may have a quick ratio box. It came off a 77 'big10' and is 3 turns lock-to-lock. Perhaps like was mentioned before, maybe 73 on up is quick ratio???

[johnymac]

Nope, not a factory setup. One of the previous owners put in. Not a bad job, except the two holes put in the inner fender well with a torch for the lines.

The steering box seems pretty good. I was just thinking of having rebuilt as a quick ratio. Figured it would turn better, maybe even steer a bit better. Don't know anyone with one, so figured I would ask out here before I do anything.

I see companies that will rebuilt the one I have now. I am not sure what I have now, the numbers on it don't seem to mean anything to any of the auto parts stores around here. I checked on the web and couldn't find out much about it either.

Good luck and keep me posted please.

[Truckstr]

johnymac,

I've been looking for a "quick ratio" box, as well. The more I search, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I want to make sure I get the right thing.

Here are some links to some sites for steering boxes and info.:

http://www.corvettesteering.com/gm%20parts2.htm

http://www.mullinssteeringgears.com/

http://www.agrperformance.com/agr/

So far, I'm leaning toward a variable ratio box with something on the order of ~13:1 ratio on the low end.

Good luck!

Jeff

[Brad]

Truckstr, I didn't read the sites you posted and they may have covered it, but consider parallel parking when you decide variable ratio. I really like my box because I can get in and out quickly, unlike when I had manual armstrong steering. I have excellent highway stability also, if that's what you're worried about. I just have my (camber, or caster???) set to about 3 degrees (negative or positive???) and I have excellent stability at all times.

[Pont]

on a 2wd, I would definetly want the close ratio box. On something like my 4wd, the variable ratio is a must have.

[Truckstr]

Okay, like I said - "I don't know everything" so somebody PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong...

From what I can gather: (from the agr website) "For those who want the best of both worlds. This steering gear is built with a variable 17:1 to 13:1 turning ratio. This provides excellent stability and control at highway speeds yet, as you make a sharper turn the ratio quickens to provide responsive cornering."

This type of box (variable ratio) allows for small corrections off center at highway speeds. Then when off the highway, as when in a parking lot, the variable ratio comes into play and quickens the turns allowing easier manueverability.

The quick ratio box would provide quick responsiveness in steering under all conditions. BUT, this may not be what one might want on the interstate.

For instance, I have a short wheelbase pickup and I'm traveling down the interstate at say 70 mph. I have P275/60-R15 tires on my truck all the way around presently. This fact, by itself, makes the truck want to follow every little contour in the roadway. If I have a straight quick ratio box, then a very small input of the steeringwheel will give a larger output (read that: turn) of the tires. Now, if I have a variable ratio steering box, then (with all else equal) I will have more input required at the steeringwheel for a given output at the tires.

This is "why" I'm leaning toward going with the variable ratio box versus the quick ratio box. That said, if I wanted an out and out corner burner, then I'd go with the quick ratio box and live with having to constantly correct the steeringwheel going down the hiway. But, then again, if I wanted a corner burner, then I'd have gone with a Camaro or Corvette.

Just my $0.02

Thanks,
Jeff

[crazy longhorn]

Truckstr, I couldnt say on your shortbed, but the close ratio box works nice on my old longhorn.......but the old truck is loooong! I also run a 225/75/15 up front ,&feel that this is also a big factor in handling. I run 275/60/15s on the rear, but feel thats too much tire on front........they look sweet that way, but i have never liked how they handle . i have had the old longhorn stretched to about 140 mph (with a mid 3s gear).......& it didnt scare me. Maybe Im to d@mn crazy to be scared

[Brad]

Aha, my mistake-I had things backwards when I was reading it last night. Seems like a good explanation Truckstr. Sorry if I made things worse for the thread and confused people.

Truckstr, I'm curious as to what your camber is at. (alignment guys please correct me!) I believe that if you can go up to 3 degrees negative camber you'll get more stability on the highway and with a regular quick ratio steering box, you're going to have easy steering anyway while driving around town. Does this make sense?

I guess I like my steering box, because it's cheap (free) and it feels very comfortable to drive. There are grooves in I-205 in Portland (damn studded tires!) and I don't have a tracking problem at all(running 275 R15/60, front and back). On flatter highway, I don't need to touch the steering wheel at all, it's that comfortable. I wish you were closer and I'd let you drive it for yourself. I'm just blabbering to help everyone save some $$ on new gearboxes. Good luck with whatever you guys go with.

[Truckstr]

crazy,

Yeah, ttthhaattt Longhorn of yours is a long booger.

Sorry... like ya hadn' heard that before LOL.

Seriously, the extra length of your truck does affect how it handles curves... and loads... and pulling. You see, at risk of running long winded, there are significant differences in how the two different trucks act, well, differently.

I've had a LWB truck as my near daily driver for the last 16 or 17 years - my '72. I even learned to drive on my old '66. This '67 drives differently than either one... and I like it. I guess that it's just that I've always liked muscle cars and when the Super Truck NASCAR series came I started thinking about how neat it would be to have an older truck that handled, well, like a racecar, er, truck. But it had to be a shortbed. Kinda like having a four door sedan versus a Camaro. When the Pro Touring fad started - heck - I said that somebody had stolen my idea LOL.

I know in my heart that it'll never be exactly the way that I envisioned it (not perfect ), but I wanted a drivers' truck. A truck that maybe wasn't entirely practical, but was fun to drive. My '72 was never that - for many, many reasons that I won't get into - but my '67 is a lot closer to that idea (ideal?).

Now, all that said (sorry - told ya I'd risk goin' long winded ), I still can't say that a close ratio box wouldn't be the better choice for my ideal "race truck", or (yet) that it wouldn't be the better choice for my daily driver. But there is definitely a difference in how the two different length trucks handle - just from my own experience.

-----------

Brad,

Now, alignment (ooooohh, there's that word!) is a whole 'nother subject. I'll be honest, I don't know enough (yet) to feel comfortable about commenting - I'm still learning about that. Besides, I couldn't tell ya what my alignment was if I had too on ANY of my vehicles.

I'm very interested in the subject though. I'm studying the subject every chance I get. It's just that, here lately, I haven't had a lot of chance (this board is addictive! ).

Camber curves, toe in, caster, roll center, roll axis, king pin angle, etc., are all things that I'm keenly interested in. Like I said in another post, right now, I probably know just enough to be dangerous.

You have the same size tires on your truck that I have on my '67. I'd be interested in how your truck "handles". But, then again, variously setup trucks "handle" differently. So, (realistically) lacking skid pad data, slolam course times, and at minimum the aforementioned camber settings, etc., then we are reduced to more subjective ways of comparing what is a "good" handling truck and what is not.

Right now, I'm just trying to collect all of the right "building blocks" for a nice, good handling daily hauler. That's why I'm trying to decide on a quick ratio box versus a variable ratio box.

Decisions, decisions...

[DennyB]

Truckstr,
I cannot speek for what you like but I will be using a quick ratio on my 56.
The length of the truck is probably the biggest factor in how a truck handles. With yours being a short bed you have alot to work with.
I personally like touchy steering. The S10 shortbed I have drives like a sports car. Really sets up and sticks in the corners. On the otherhand, my F150 long bed super cab drives like..well...Lets just say that my 20 ft boat handles better..lol. But you cant beat the ride on the long truck.
I dont think that the tighter steering will be a problem on the highway once your used to it. The key is not to over compensate in a panic reaction at high speeds. If this concerns you go with the variable box.

Other low buget tricks we used to do to improve handling was to weld gussets in the lower and upper "A" arms. This took most of the flex out of them and the cost was just pennies compaired to making tubular arms. Although now you can just buy the tubular "A" arms but they are expensive.

Now, You probably know all this stuff but I thought I would just throw it out there in case something would be helpfull.

Denny

[matt67350]

Early Classic has a quick ratio steering box.
www.earlyclassic.com

[CustomChevy]

i am not sure of the ratio, but i have a PS gear box off of a 79 chevy 1/2 that is near new condition. These pretty much bolt up the same on the 67-72's. the primary difference is the diameter of the input shaft, just have to use the newer connection also and the pitman arm too. i have those also. just fyi. thanks!


good luck!

[Tynee]

Custom, would you be interested in parting with this set up?