dogboy

Anyone have any problems with these . I'm looking at the Ecklers box for $189.00. Seems reasonable. Mine leaks all over and is still loose after adjustments. Oil is caked inside.

Frankenvette

I would further investigate what gets repaired/replaced. Do they replace the worm gear? Some vendors sell a box with only new bearings and seals/gaskets. There is a website called corvettesteering.com. I think their price is higher because they do a complete rebuild of all internal parts. Just be aware of what you are getting.

Jim

74CorvetteBabe

Dogboy, I sent mine to Bair,s Corvettes, 1-800-421-9644 :cool: There is a guy there ED, that is all he does!I am happy with the work he did on my 82ce just sent him the one out of the 74. He charges 150.00 :eek: Hope this helps :smash:

dogboy

Thanks for the leads. I'll call. I need to find out the turn around time as I drive the vette daily.

The reman's don't come with new gears as far as I know. If I sent it out to lets say Van Steel they would charge extra for those items if they needed to be replaced.
Ecklers has new boxes for a little over $400. Thats probably the dealer cost.

Smokehouse69

At $400 for a new steering box, that Steeroids conversion is looking more reasonable. My car steers like total crap, and nothing external shows enough wear to indicate where the problem is, so I'm guessing that the steering box is badly worn. Yes, it leaks like a sieve and is caked with dried grease chunks.

Pedro'74

I'm planning on sending mine to Bair's; after all, they did such a good job on my rear end, 1/2-shafts and trailing arms... :cheers:

-Pedro

norvalwilhelm

I replaced the bearings and seals in my box and it didn't steer any better then before so I pulled it back out and once again tore it down. I found the pitman bushings to have .006 clearance and you want a tight .001. I installed 3 new bushings and honed them to get the tight fit. Also the screw on the end of the pitman shaft has a washer to take up play. This needs to be replaced with a tighter one to remove all end play. This solved the problem of the loose steering.

69er

These guys have been advertising in vette magazines.
Don't know anything about them tho.

http://flamingriver.com/enter.htm

Flaming River now manufactures NEW aftermarket steering boxes for the 1963-82 Corvette. These new steering boxes are manufactured using the highest quality all new components - sector, recirculating ball worm and nut, bushing and roller bearings. Even the casting and cap are new! (this also means no core charge is required!) This unit is dimensionally interchangeable with the original, but all new parts will bring back performance steering and handling to your vehicle. Of course, the ratio is the quick 12:1 design preferred by enthusiasts





[Modified by 69er, 4:12 PM 12/17/2002]

1yy07

Dogboy, dont forget about the RAG JOINT, mine was broken on my 82 :eek:

Frankenvette

I think it is safe to say that there are many things that can cause poor steering...usually more than one thing. In my case, I needed a new rag joint, the steering box need a rebuild, slop in all the steering parts etc....

Jim

dogboy

UPDATE
I was about to pull the box but did a quick check as I had been advised by one of the members earlier posts. I jacked up the front end and started the car and had someone turn the wheel for me. I noticed excessive play from the pwr steering control valve which connected to the pitman arm. Upon further inspection I found it to be unbelievably sloppy. I pulled it out and replaced it with a reman. unit from Ecklers. Presto chango! It feels like new again. Precise and quick. I greased up all the joints when I was down there also. I never suspected the control valve as it is only 4 years old with 30K miles on it. This makes you really wonder about reman parts. They never last as long as they should. I had another similar experience with the master cylinder. I just replaced that one due to brakes going to floor. That was a 4 year old unit also that was installed by a shop as was the pwr steering valve. I guess I can hold off on the steering box refurb for now so thanks again to all. This board is Great. The info I get can't be found anywhere else.. :cheers:

bigvette1

Bair's is top notch on rebuilding vette mechanics. If you want to stay with the stock box, use them, otherwise go new.