red66toy
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Anybody ever rebuild their own steering box. My steering box on my 65 FJ40 is leaky and the steering is loose. It needs to be rebuilt. How hard is it to do it yourself? Thanks a lot for the help.
rebuilding your steering box
- Thread starter red66toy
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The seal is a piece of cake if you can get the arm off easily.
I would try and adjust the box before I pulled it apart to rebuild it.
I would try and adjust the box before I pulled it apart to rebuild it.
As you open the box, you will see several shim rings. The number of shim rings is something else you can adjust.
The main problem with manual steering boxes is wear on the sector shaft bushings. This wear allows the shaft to wobble back and forth. There are 3 bushings that need to be rremoved and new ones pressed in. After installation, the bushings need to be reamed to the proper size, but you can also do it with a brake cylinder hone.
The shims adjust the preload on the worm gear ball bearings. This preload only needs to be adjusted when you change bearings. The side adjuster screw adjusts the backlash of the sector shaft and worm gear follower. This adjuster is not meant to compensate for bushing wear. If you tighten it, the box will feel tighter, but it will be harder to steer and the wheel will not self center after a turn. If you tighten the adjuster with worn bushings you may also crack the steering box casting when you hit a bump hard.
Rebuilding the box isn't too hard, but neither is installing power steering.
The shims adjust the preload on the worm gear ball bearings. This preload only needs to be adjusted when you change bearings. The side adjuster screw adjusts the backlash of the sector shaft and worm gear follower. This adjuster is not meant to compensate for bushing wear. If you tighten it, the box will feel tighter, but it will be harder to steer and the wheel will not self center after a turn. If you tighten the adjuster with worn bushings you may also crack the steering box casting when you hit a bump hard.
Rebuilding the box isn't too hard, but neither is installing power steering.
anyone try sourcing the parts to rebuild? I could only get the seal, the largest bushing, and the inner wheel thingy from SOR. Not enough to do a full rebuild IMHO. Neither of the two gaskets are available either.
I just did mine on my 45 and it was actually an easy box to go thru. Only a few bearings and seal. Was easier than the later model ones.
I was able to reuse my gaskets that i had with a little goop. I ended up ordering from a few places, like SOR and CCOT.
I'm not sure about early boxes with the integral shaft, but the later boxes have 3 bushings that are all the same. It isn't hard to replace the bushings and hone them, but it is turd polishing if you are going to eventually need PS.
Keep you guys posted.If you pull the whole deal out and take it to a machine shop I bet they won't charge much to do it for you. The R&R is probley more $$ then the rebuild on something like that.
Check out this link for details on what you are wanting to do.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=1117528&postcount=7
Dave
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showpost.php?p=1117528&postcount=7
Dave
Coolerman
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Source for parts
Just a quick note. Marks Offroad http://www.marksoffroad.net/catalogue/Catalogue16.html
can rebuild your box and is also willing to supply you with parts and advice. An inner front axle seal is an exact replacement for the steering box seal on a 1971 FJ40. When I 'rebuilt' mine I did NOT replace the bushing as it was actually in good shape.
Just a quick note. Marks Offroad http://www.marksoffroad.net/catalogue/Catalogue16.html
can rebuild your box and is also willing to supply you with parts and advice. An inner front axle seal is an exact replacement for the steering box seal on a 1971 FJ40. When I 'rebuilt' mine I did NOT replace the bushing as it was actually in good shape.
I have a good steering box out of a '77 if it will work for you...all you pay is shipping from 98501.
PM me if interested...
Coolerman
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red66toy said:
Only if your willing to swap steering columns, cut your old box out and mount the new box, rewire your 'new' column to match the old wiring and a host of other things I have forgotten. Simpler to convert to power steering using a mini-truck system or if you plan on running large tires then go whole hog and do a Sag conversion.
Edit: I guess you could keep the old column, cut the worm off the end and weld on a rag joint coupler to match the newer box. That is what I plan on doing when I do my mini-truck PS conversion. Oh the possibilities are endless!
