80 series steering box install question

[Godwin]

I installed an 80 series steering box yesterday and the 60 series steering column is just a little too long to simply slip the yoke onto the input shaft of the 80 box. For those that have done this modification did you cut off a small section from the end of the inner shaft of the steering column?

 

[gt7058a]

No cutting necessary. If you unbolt to gearbox, you can slip on the yoke while moving the gearbox into position.

 

[GasganoFJ60]

Is there an advantage to an 80 gearbox over a 60?

 

[Godwin]

Is there an advantage to an 80 gearbox over a 60?

I am not expecting a significant drivability advantage of the 80 over the 60. My 60 series box leaked badly and while I have a couple of others on hand they also leak. I've sent boxes to Texas Off Road on two occasions for a reseal and those eventually leak. I was tired of the leaks.

A search on Car-part.com turned up only a few available 60 series boxes while the same search for 80 series was into 2 pages. So availability is an issue.

Main factor for me was to source a likely leak-free box so I went with an 80 series. Picked up from a salvage yard for just a little over $200 and that included shipping, plus had it within 2-3 days.

This is an almost bolt-on deal. The inner fender needs some trimming and the pitman arm needs to be swapped.

 

[Cruzerman]

This is awesome to know, especially since I have a 80s parts rig!

 

[NearJetties]

@Godwin thanks for the detailed info, I have one to install too. Did you use the 80 series pitman arm?

 

[cruisermatt]

You dont actually need to cut the inner fender like that. Mine fits fine

 

[Spook50]

So to use an 80 box in a 62 or late 60, you just need to swap the 60 pitman arm onto it? Interesting. I would think if you're doing it for extra beef, you could use the 80/105 pitman arm and an adapter cone so the 60/62 drag link end would fit the taper. That is if you were sticking to 60 series linkage of course. I'm still wanting to go to either GM ends and DOM tubing or 80 ends with DOM tubing for my linkage after I get the suspension, new wheels and other work done. I'll give a call to 4x4Labs when I'm ready and see what they recommend between the two.

 

[Godwin]

@Godwin thanks for the detailed info, I have one to install too. Did you use the 80 series pitman arm?

No. Used

You dont actually need to cut the inner fender like that. Mine fits fine

Good to know but too late for this inner fender . I have a spare or two if I decide to swap one in.

 

[SteveH]

Jim,

I got an 80 series box at a junkyard and it doesn't leak, but has 313K miles on it and has some play (which I may be able to delicately adjust out, but I haven't tried yet).

Does West Texas Offroad address the play/wear issues, or basically just replace the bearings and toss some o-rings in the box? It's hard to tell from their website what they do. Sorry to hear their re-seals didn't last, too.

Thanks - Steve

 

[Godwin]

Jim,

I got an 80 series box at a junkyard and it doesn't leak, but has 313K miles on it and has some play (which I may be able to delicately adjust out, but I haven't tried yet).

Does West Texas Offroad address the play/wear issues, or basically just replace the bearings and toss some o-rings in the box? It's hard to tell from their website what they do. Sorry to hear their re-seals didn't last, too.

Thanks - Steve

I can't really answer the question as to what West Texas Offroad does regarding their work. At a price of about $200 (IIRC) I suspect all they do is replace the seals and o-rings with non-OEM parts. The box comes back clean and adjusted and has worked without slop for many miles but developed the leak (stuck pig type leak).

 

[NearJetties]

I wonder if there is any chance a LHD box from a current 70 series would work.

this is rhd obvi

 

[cruiser enthuiser]

I’m bumping this to see if I can get feedback from those who are running the 80 box. Does this improve the steering feel and performance?

My 60 steering box has been rebuilt by West Texas but still has more play than I like. My 80 has been down for a long time so I’m fuzzy on how the steering felt but I remember liking the way it steered.

Thanks in advance...

-Ed

 

[Godwin]

On the 80 series forum are threads on rebuilding an 80 box with a 105 sector shaft to increase strength. I don't think the 80 series box plus 105 sector shaft will work with 60 series pitman arm. See post #18 by @Onur in this thread Steering box??. If I understand this correctly a 60 series pitman arm would not mount on a 105 sector shaft due to increased diameter of sector shaft.

 

[Spook50]

On the 80 series forum are threads on rebuilding an 80 box with a 105 sector shaft to increase strength. I don't think the 80 series box plus 105 sector shaft will work with 60 series pitman arm. See post #18 by @Onur in this thread Steering box??. If I understand this correctly a 60 series pitman arm would not mount on a 105 sector shaft due to increased diameter of sector shaft.

That's my understanding as well. What's funny is that it looks like the 80 gearbox on Partsouq still uses the old sector shaft, so if you're hard on your steering system, you'd be better off getting a used 80 box and rebuilding it with the seal kit and 105 sector shaft.

What I can't figure out though, is if you plan on doing this to upgrade a 60/62 steering system with either 80 or GM linkage, if you'd want to use the 105 pitman arm, though according to what I've pulled up on Toyota parts sites, the 105 pitman arm is either identical to or superceded the 80 pitman arm. Weapons of mass confusion....

 

[cruisermatt]

want to use the 105 pitman arm, though according to what I've pulled up on Toyota parts sites, the 105 pitman arm is either identical to or superceded the 80 pitman arm. Weapons of mass confusion....

It's not confusing. 60 or 80 arm with 60 or 80 sector shaft. 105 arm with 105 sector shaft.

 

[OGBeno]

The 60 series pitman arm will be a direct fit on an original, unmodified 80 series box (used box, etc).

Once you upgrade to the 105 sector, then the arm will need to correspond because a 60 or original 80 pitman won’t fit. Spline count is same but the diameter of the shaft at the splines is bigger.

Of course, you can always machine a 60 arm to fit a 105, etc.

 

[cruisermatt]

I’m bumping this to see if I can get feedback from those who are running the 80 box. Does this improve the steering feel and performance?

The benefit of the 80 box is it's bigger power piston, AKA more hydraulic assist. Steering "feel" shouldn't really change, the design of the teeth on the input and sector shafts are practically the same 60/80, besides, the steering box is not nearly as big of a factor as caster, scrub, alignment, tires, etc as far as "feel" and performance go.

@Godwin or @GLTHFJ60 should be able to answer this as they swapped boxes without additional hydraulic mods when they did their swaps

As for me I am running a 80 box. I swapped mine in at the same time as I swapped my LS (different power steering pump) AND at the same time made different steering linkages, different ackerman, linkage geometery, so hard for me to say. Something in my setup isn't right (bad pump i think) I was thinking about swapping my old 60 box back on to see if it made it worse but ended up selling it to a local.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

The benefit of the 80 box is it's bigger power piston, AKA more hydraulic assist. Steering "feel" shouldn't really change, the design of the teeth on the input and sector shafts are practically the same 60/80, besides, the steering box is not nearly as big of a factor as caster, scrub, alignment, tires, etc as far as "feel" and performance go.

@Godwin or @GLTHFJ60 should be able to answer this as they swapped boxes without additional hydraulic mods when they did their swaps

As for me I am running a 80 box. I swapped mine in at the same time as I swapped my LS (different power steering pump) AND at the same time made different steering linkages, different ackerman, linkage geometery, so hard for me to say. Something in my setup isn't right (bad pump i think) I was thinking about swapping my old 60 box back on to see if it made it worse but ended up selling it to a local.

What isn't right... you also have hydro assist brakes

 

[cruisermatt]

What isn't right... you also have hydro assist brakes

i have some interesting thoughts and plans on this, maybe we should take it to my thread I don't want to clog this one up since not many have hydroboost like me