Go to for Steering Box? (3 Viewers)

[DivByZero]

@97HM I was just gonna say, "no mechanical experience" my ass! I OWN a structural steel fab shop and that's a good a weld as I've seen my best guys do! Very nice work. Now you make me think I could do this, lol. What was the turn around time from Readhead? And the $1M question...does the steering feel brand new? I'm still leaning towards getting a brand new box and keeping my 145K old box on the shelf.

Okay, here is a dumb question...if I'm not rock crawling, are the Delta reinforcement brackets do anything for regular drive quality? I'm assuming they will prevent cracks when the front wheels are twisted like a pretzel. Just debating whether I should do this upgrade while I've got the steering box off.

You need the reinforcing around the steering box. My experience here in Australia says higher mileage vehicles on stock tyres that haven't seen much offroad use still end up with cracking. Not much rock crawling happens in Aus, but we see a lot of these cracks. It's metal fatigue. The stress of turning those wheels on grippy tarmac when moving slow, not bouncing around offroad, seems to be the cause. You need extra reinforcing there to stop flex on the frame where the box is getting a lot of resistance from the wheels, which is usually tarmac rather than offroad. It's really a question of when, not if cracking will occur. I have a 1996 model and it happened to me too so it's not resolved in later year models.

 

[Broski]

@97HM I was just gonna say, "no mechanical experience" my ass! I OWN a structural steel fab shop and that's a good a weld as I've seen my best guys do! Very nice work. Now you make me think I could do this, lol. What was the turn around time from Readhead? And the $1M question...does the steering feel brand new? I'm still leaning towards getting a brand new box and keeping my 145K old box on the shelf.

Okay, here is a dumb question...if I'm not rock crawling, are the Delta reinforcement brackets do anything for regular drive quality? I'm assuming they will prevent cracks when the front wheels are twisted like a pretzel. Just debating whether I should do this upgrade while I've got the steering box off.

I think you’re reading mud to much
If your steering box doesn’t have an issue leave it be.
My 80 had 250k with no leaks or play in the steering box.
I only took it off to do hydro assist that was 8 years ago and it still has no issues.

Again leave well enough alone my rig is a dedicated rock crawler and I like to run the hardest trail out west, I haven’t had any of the cracked frame issues or axles mount issues.

IMO I would leave it alone unless you just want to spend money and work on it

 

[Broski]

You need the reinforcing around the steering box. My experience here in Australia says higher mileage vehicles on stock tyres that haven't seen much offroad use still end up with cracking. Not much rock crawling happens in Aus, but we see a lot of these cracks. It's metal fatigue. The stress of turning those wheels on grippy tarmac when moving slow, not bouncing around offroad, seems to be the cause. You need extra reinforcing there to stop flex on the frame where the box is getting a lot of resistance from the wheels, which is usually tarmac rather than offroad. It's really a question of when, not if cracking will occur. I have a 1996 model and it happened to me too so it's not resolved in later year models.

When I learned to drive over 6 decades ago I was taught not to turn the wheel on grippy
Tarmac ( dry pavement ) unless the vehicle is moving as it puts to much stress on the steering components.

 

[DivByZero]

When I learned to drive over 6 decades ago I was taught not to turn the wheel on grippy
Tarmac ( dry pavement ) unless the vehicle is moving as it puts to much stress on the steering components.

Which is true enough, but you don't have much of a choice in parking lots, especially when they have those tiny gaps between cars and/or people park like dicks.

 

[man0fsteel]

I think you’re reading mud to much
If your steering box doesn’t have an issue leave it be.
My 80 had 250k with no leaks or play in the steering box.
I only took it off to do hydro assist that was 8 years ago and it still has no issues.

Again leave well enough alone my rig is a dedicated rock crawler and I like to run the hardest trail out west, I haven’t had any of the cracked frame issues or axles mount issues.

IMO I would leave it alone unless you just want to spend money and work on it

Being that I have a big change order I need to write up and invoice yet I'm here on MUD, you might be right about reading too much lol!

Alas, my steering has a lot of play in it. I want her tight as a J-Lo jumpsuit, as a radio personality in LA used to say. My mechanic said a few years back it had a small leak but if I could deal with the play, don't mess with it. But now my girl is fresh out of the paint booth and too pretty to have loose steering

Unfortunately, I too am forced to turn my wheels when not moving much, which probably has cause some of the steering issues.

 

[baldilocks]

@97HM I was just gonna say, "no mechanical experience" my ass! I OWN a structural steel fab shop and that's a good a weld as I've seen my best guys do! Very nice work. Now you make me think I could do this, lol. What was the turn around time from Readhead? And the $1M question...does the steering feel brand new? I'm still leaning towards getting a brand new box and keeping my 145K old box on the shelf.

Okay, here is a dumb question...if I'm not rock crawling, are the Delta reinforcement brackets do anything for regular drive quality? I'm assuming they will prevent cracks when the front wheels are twisted like a pretzel. Just debating whether I should do this upgrade while I've got the steering box off.

First of all let me digest all of this. I’d say you are an over energetic lover of Land Cruisers. Slow your roll. Test it out bc you can’t build the perfect Cruiser until you you you break it/. Understand?

 

[97HM]

@97HM I was just gonna say, "no mechanical experience" my ass! I OWN a structural steel fab shop and that's a good a weld as I've seen my best guys do! Very nice work. Now you make me think I could do this, lol. What was the turn around time from Readhead? And the $1M question...does the steering feel brand new? I'm still leaning towards getting a brand new box and keeping my 145K old box on the shelf.

Okay, here is a dumb question...if I'm not rock crawling, are the Delta reinforcement brackets do anything for regular drive quality? I'm assuming they will prevent cracks when the front wheels are twisted like a pretzel. Just debating whether I should do this upgrade while I've got the steering box off.

Haha nope not my welds. And i may have underestimated my abilities slightly, maybe i have some "experience" but I truly have no Idea what I am doing unless im following a detailed write up.

Redhead was very solid with communication and everything all around. I had an extra steering box core to send them to save myself the core charge. They had a few on the shelf ready to send out when mine got there and was verified good. The day after receiving my core my new one was on the way. I got all upgrades+tapped. It only took 3-4 days to get to me in tx. The steering does indeed feel amazing. Before, I could turn my wheel wildly left to right while driving and still go straight, not to mention the fluid leaks... Now the steering feels tight and i feel like i certainly have more control.

I have seen a lot of people here say that the frame crack is not an IF thing but a WHEN. I personally haven't seen the crack but i have limited experience around other 80s. My 80 is going in an all out crawler direction so I called upon my welding buddy so that i will hopefully never have to deal with it again. Seeing as how you have a fab shop at your disposal, I would certainly recommend knocking it out while your there. The welding to be done on the inside frame area is tight though, I picked up a puller set so i could remove all the steering arms and stabilizer to open up as much space as possible. It also helped a bunch that I had removed every single other component of the PS system for replacing.(besides the paperclip)

 

[Nay]

shipping was a little crazy! Impex was quoting around $25 for shipping, PartsQue was over $200

Impex will end up close to that - the initial shipping quote is a generic rate, then you get hit up for shelf weight, then you get hit up when they actually measure it. Exchange rate was so good when I bought mine in late June that I was ~$1,360 all in including $43 of duties that FedEx billed.

 

[effjay80]

Dubai Wednesday my doorstep in CO Friday. There she is:

 

[FFDawson]

Since this is a hot thread full of folks that know about steering boxes... might I ask this question here?

My 80 was hit by a drunk driver while parked. The DS front tire took a lot of the hit and pushed the wheels hard driver side. So hard it bent the drag link pretty badly. Looking at my sector shaft I see what appears to be "twist" in the exposed threads. I fear I'm in for a new box, or at least a 105 upgrade. Can anyone offer opinion based on this pic?

 

[azusa]

It looks bent, if you pull the pitman arm down a bit you will see it better. This was bent at Pismo Beach in the sand dunes, hit a rut. Also check panhard and bushings for irregularities. Yours looks way more bent.

 

[CharlieS]

Since this is a hot thread full of folks that know about steering boxes... might I ask this question here?

My 80 was hit by a drunk driver while parked. The DS front tire took a lot of the hit and pushed the wheels hard driver side. So hard it bent the drag link pretty badly. Looking at my sector shaft I see what appears to be "twist" in the exposed threads. I fear I'm in for a new box, or at least a 105 upgrade. Can anyone offer opinion based on this pic?

View attachment 3726804

yes.

 

[Saito]

Since this is a hot thread full of folks that know about steering boxes... might I ask this question here?

My 80 was hit by a drunk driver while parked. The DS front tire took a lot of the hit and pushed the wheels hard driver side. So hard it bent the drag link pretty badly. Looking at my sector shaft I see what appears to be "twist" in the exposed threads. I fear I'm in for a new box, or at least a 105 upgrade. Can anyone offer opinion based on this pic?

View attachment 3726804

Posted this pic a few times before, but my factory sector shaft came out with twisted splines and also bent. Pitman arm had to be torched off after I broke a puller.

I’d advise not driving it, especially if it took the hit you say it did, until the whole steering system is looked over and checked thoroughly. Sector shaft shears and you’re F’d.

 

[Nay]

Since this is a hot thread full of folks that know about steering boxes... might I ask this question here?

My 80 was hit by a drunk driver while parked. The DS front tire took a lot of the hit and pushed the wheels hard driver side. So hard it bent the drag link pretty badly. Looking at my sector shaft I see what appears to be "twist" in the exposed threads. I fear I'm in for a new box, or at least a 105 upgrade. Can anyone offer opinion based on this pic?

View attachment 3726804

Sounds like an upgrade on the drunk driver’s insurance.

 

[Montana Cruiser]

Dubai Wednesday my doorstep in CO Friday. There she is:

View attachment 3726225

NICE! Who did you order from? Price?

 

[FFDawson]

Sounds like an upgrade on the drunk driver’s insurance.

Affirm. I splurged on the aluminum tie rod and drag link from OCD, plus a fresh set of tie rod ends.

However my insurance claim didn't account for the box being damaged. I might have to go for a supplement now.

 

[Marvelicious]

Does anyone know the diameters at the splines of the old and upgraded sector shafts offhand? I know my 80 has been through some fairly significant reconstructive work and I'm pretty sure the box was replaced at some point. It's unlikely, but there's a chance I have an upgraded 105 shaft already. I'd like to take a quick caliper measurement, just to be sure.

 

[azusa]

You could see there's a quite a difference. Do you have a picture of your sector shaft. The splines and the shaft are almost the same diameter on a 105. There is a step on the original 80 shaft.

 

[effjay80]

Partsouq = $1776 plus $180 fed ex.

Local dealer = $4000 but offered free pickup!

 

[Marvelicious]

You could see there's a quite a difference. Do you have a picture of your sector shaft. The splines and the shaft are almost the same diameter on a 105. There is a step on the original 80 shaft.

Yeah, it looks like there's just a tiny transition step on the 105 shaft (based on the pic Saito posted). I haven't really looked at mine, it's just something that's on my list of things to do eventually - figured if someone knew the diameters offhand, it would eliminate guesswork entirely.

I actually have a junkyard box that I had planned to rebuild and port for hydro, but the current box feels decent so it isn't top priority.