Steering Box Gear--Going to Install Now...

[moparstuart]

Re: Steering Box Gears

I love mine drives better then when new

 

[dobie]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Good to hear.

Im gonna have to shop the swap meet for a core unit though... I dount think I can get mine out in the next day or so with everything else I have going on. Maybe I shoulda planned this out a bit better huh?

:leave:

 

[moparstuart]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Good to hear.

Im gonna have to shop the swap meet for a core unit though... I dount think I can get mine out in the next day or so with everything else I have going on. Maybe I shoulda planned this out a bit huh?

they gave me 30 days to ship mine back and get a core refund

 

[dobie]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Oh really? Nice. When I was on the phone this morning I asked if I could return it at the National's. They were nice enough about it and said they'd mail me out a check.

That's fine, but I was thinking about trying to avoid that extra $185 if I could.

We'll see I suppose.

 

[Basketcase]

Re: Steering Box Gears

yeah if they would take it back at the Nats you could save the shipping charges. Aren't they in/near Columbus? you could swap it at the Nats.

 

[dobie]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Yeah, they're real close to there.

 

[zupanj]

Re: Steering Box Gears

How do you tell if the idler arm is bad?

 

[Basketcase]

Re: Steering Box Gears

going down the road, you'll get the wobble of death (steering wheel shakes), or juck the front up and grab the idler. It will be noticably loose. The one's I replaced, where the idler bolts to the K Frame, the bushing will be shot. I've always heard how hard idlers are to find, but I've always just went to my local parts store.

 

[zupanj]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Thanks for the info. I've heard about hard to find idler arms too but they are on the FirmFeel web site.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Roadcuda]

Re: Steering Box Gears

Thanks for the info. I've heard about hard to find idler arms too but they are on the FirmFeel web site.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Jack, I changed one on my car last year and got a Moog from Rockauto with no problems. didn't cost that much either.

 

[dobie]

Re: Steering Box Gear Box

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just update this one. The new one from Steer and Gear came today. Hopefully I'll get a chance to get it in within the week. I've got a shop manual, and I'll start reading up. For those more experienced, any tips, tricks, or general advice? As with everything else, I haven't touched one before...

Thanks!

:cheers:

 

[ACME A12]

Re: Steering Box Gear Box

For those more experienced, any tips, tricks, or general advice? As with everything else, I haven't touched one before...

Sure...

1) The manual is your friend.
2) Remove the pitman arm from the old box before you yank the old box out. Just easier while the box is supported by the K-Member.
3) You will need a puller to get the pitman arm off. You can rent one from Advanced/Auto Zone/etc. if you don't have one.
4) Should be about a three beer job.

:cheers:

Jack stands and all the usual safety BS...but you know this...

 

[69hemibeep]

Steve I just did one for the Valiant to about 10 minutes. Oh no car attached

 

[dobie]

:cheers:

Thanks guys!

 

[dobie]

Well, Im stuck. I cant get the coupler off of the steering box itself. Shop manual says to remove the drive pin and loosen the steering column, which I've done. The coupler itself wont budge from the worm gear. Im afraid of pulling to hard, and tearing in insides out of the coupler, which was just fixed earlier this year...

What am I missing?

 

[ACME A12]

Well, Im stuck. I cant get the coupler off of the steering box itself. Shop manual says to remove the drive pin and loosen the steering column, which I've done. The coupler itself wont budge from the worm gear. Im afraid of pulling to hard, and tearing in insides out of the coupler, which was just fixed earlier this year...

What am I missing?

If the roll pin is completely out and it is stuck then sometimes you have to wedge a pry bar in there for leverage or even give it a few love taps to get it to slide up and off...

You should not have to worry about the coupler's guts - you are sliding it up and off - not down.

 

[69hemibeep]

:yeathat:

 

[dobie]

Ok. Thanks. I ended up giving up, for now anyways. After I got the column stuff torn down, only then did I jack up the car. On doing so, I see that some jackass previous owner or shop guy completely stripped the bolts holding the box in. Of course, they're in there solid as hell, and it's gonna take some serious work to get it out, not including the clearance issue with my headers... I'd rather not screw with that right now.

I've still gotta get the pinion bearing replaced someday, and that is getting done at a shop. Im kinda thinking I'll let them mess with this too.

I got everything back together in just enough time to take it out to pick up my daughter from art camp. It's always fun seeing people's expressions when I drive past. These old Plymouth's are certainly bad ass!!

:cheers:

Thanks again!

 

[Basketcase]

yeah sometimes it's just easier to say "call me when it's done" dontcha just love previous owners?

 

[dobie]

Yeah, I agree. Sometimes it's just easier in the long run to spend a bit of cash..