Differences in SLAB steering boxes - advertised to be equivalent 68 Newport but not so

[Mike McGuire]

Has anyone noticed some steering boxes do not fit?
They look ok, holes sort of line up, but when you go to tighten them up to the frame, it gets pulled way out of position, and unusable without modification.

The ones with a point on the south side, are correct.

The "before" pic, in the car is correct.

The blunt ended one, (2nd photo) not. Photo is a representative, actually purchased through local auto part store.

This took a while + $$ to learn this. I found the grey one, (last photo) is exactly what I am looking for, (Matches the car - Rupert) but when ordered, guess what was received... (insert frowny face symbol here).

Curious if someone has all the facts straight on this. Has anyone seen this before?
Know of a correct source?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[LocuMob]

I've never paid much attention before. I have a few laying around in parts cars.

 

[CBODY67]

The 2nd picture looks, to me, similar to what Borgeson sells as their "update to modern feel" gearbox, which I believe came from later-model Jeeps? Takes a bit of adapting, which they sell things to do, as I understand it. Physically smaller than the OEM unit.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Big_John]

Has anyone noticed some steering boxes do not fit?
They look ok, holes sort of line up, but when you go to tighten them up to the frame, it gets pulled way out of position, and unusable without modification.

The ones with a point on the south side, are correct.

The "before" pic, in the car is correct.

The blunt ended one, (2nd photo) not. Photo is a representative, actually purchased through local auto part store.

This took a while + $$ to learn this. I found the grey one, (last photo) is exactly what I am looking for, (Matches the car - Rupert) but when ordered, guess what was received... (insert frowny face symbol here).

Curious if someone has all the facts straight on this. Has anyone seen this before?
Know of a correct source?

Thanks,
Mike

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I've seen on other forums that some of the aftermarket steering boxes don't fit so I'm not surprised. I don't know if that's specifically the Borgenson steering boxes or the generic ones I see listed (or are they one in the same?).

Good reason to stick with the OEM parts and have them rebuilt.

 

[fury fan]

I was researchign steering boxes just last week, trying to discover what the next 'unobtainium' parts would be for our cars. (came from me learning recently that reman calipers had dried up) Seems maybe just 5 years ago a reman PS box was about $75 + core, and they are double that price now (and not available everywhere, either).

Here's a review to your exact question. Reviewer says does not recommend, however he is pleased with its performance. I am curious to try one to see for myself, but the $400 pricetag says other things are more important to do first.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance
Installing the wrong steering box the right way
Submitted 9 months ago
The box is not an exact fit in a 1973 Dodge Charger. If you want to remain factory correct, this box is not correct, but, you can make it work. The steering box pictured online was the correct box for the car. When I went to the store to get it, the steering box they had was nothing like the original. The counter guy did some checking and said it is the replacement box for the car. He even called over to Oreilly and had his buddy look at one they sell. It looks just like the one he is selling. Comparing the mounting holes on this box to my original, they were really close, input shaft and output shaft in the right places. You can see in the pictures how close it is to the original style box. To make it fit I had to egg shape one mounting hole, the single mounting hole on the left side, you can see it in the pics. And, the input shaft on the replacement box is 3/4" shorter than the original box. So I had to get 3/4" spacers and use longer bolts to attach the steering column shaft to the box. The pressure line had to bent to make it attach to this box since the pressure and return ports are not in the exactly correct places. I am surprisingly pleased with the box. It is very tight, centers correctly, has no play when on center cruising down the road. It is not an exact replacement, I had to make some modifications to make it work, but it is a nice tight box.

 

[traintech55]

One thing about gearbox fitment that most don't realize is when our cars were new the factory would use a shim under the gearbox to obtain the correct fitment. Also the "C" body gearbox is a larger size than the "B" and "A" body ones.

 

[Mike McGuire]

Thanks Fury Fan,
This is the news I was searching for.

To summarize, the typical auto parts suppliers have their wires crossed on this part. I've checked Advance Auto Parts, OReily's, Auto Zone and Great Auto Parts (E-bay).
It is NOT an identical direct swap, and requires modification and spacers (& longer bolts). Not sure I like the spacers, concerned about torque.

Hopefully if anyone finds a true source for the right part, please post.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Mike McGuire]

I was researchign steering boxes just last week, trying to discover what the next 'unobtainium' parts would be for our cars. (came from me learning recently that reman calipers had dried up) Seems maybe just 5 years ago a reman PS box was about $75 + core, and they are double that price now (and not available everywhere, either).

Here's a review to your exact question. Reviewer says does not recommend, however he is pleased with its performance. I am curious to try one to see for myself, but the $400 pricetag says other things are more important to do first.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance
Installing the wrong steering box the right way
Submitted 9 months ago
The box is not an exact fit in a 1973 Dodge Charger. If you want to remain factory correct, this box is not correct, but, you can make it work. The steering box pictured online was the correct box for the car. When I went to the store to get it, the steering box they had was nothing like the original. The counter guy did some checking and said it is the replacement box for the car. He even called over to Oreilly and had his buddy look at one they sell. It looks just like the one he is selling. Comparing the mounting holes on this box to my original, they were really close, input shaft and output shaft in the right places. You can see in the pictures how close it is to the original style box. To make it fit I had to egg shape one mounting hole, the single mounting hole on the left side, you can see it in the pics. And, the input shaft on the replacement box is 3/4" shorter than the original box. So I had to get 3/4" spacers and use longer bolts to attach the steering column shaft to the box. The pressure line had to bent to make it attach to this box since the pressure and return ports are not in the exactly correct places. I am surprisingly pleased with the box. It is very tight, centers correctly, has no play when on center cruising down the road. It is not an exact replacement, I had to make some modifications to make it work, but it is a nice tight box.

One more thing...
Would you have a pic of the shim/spacer you used for reference?

Thanks, Mike

 

[C Body Bob]

One thing about gearbox fitment that most don't realize is when our cars were new the factory would use a shim under the gearbox to obtain the correct fitment. Also the "C" body gearbox is a larger size than the "B" and "A" body ones.

Correct. I’ve sold a bunch of steering boxes from parts cars & many had a thick shim. Some didn’t. You can usually make most any of the work with some mods. Or at least I have. Maybe I was just lucky.

 

[WOT440]

Thanks Fury Fan,
This is the news I was searching for.

To summarize, the typical auto parts suppliers have their wires crossed on this part. I've checked Advance Auto Parts, OReily's, Auto Zone and Great Auto Parts (E-bay).
It is NOT an identical direct swap, and requires modification and spacers (& longer bolts). Not sure I like the spacers, concerned about torque.

Hopefully if anyone finds a true source for the right part, please post.

Thanks,
Mike

Firm Feel Steering Box Rebuilds C-Body

Firm Feel rebuild power and manual stock steering gear boxes. Chrysler steering boxes like new with fast ratio options and increased steering effort like old cop cars

www.firmfeel.com

 

[I84885]

Has anyone noticed some steering boxes do not fit?
They look ok, holes sort of line up, but when you go to tighten them up to the frame, it gets pulled way out of position, and unusable without modification.

The ones with a point on the south side, are correct.

The "before" pic, in the car is correct.

The blunt ended one, (2nd photo) not. Photo is a representative, actually purchased through local auto part store.

This took a while + $$ to learn this. I found the grey one, (last photo) is exactly what I am looking for, (Matches the car - Rupert) but when ordered, guess what was received... (insert frowny face symbol here).

Curious if someone has all the facts straight on this. Has anyone seen this before?
Know of a correct source?

Thanks,
Mike

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View attachment 533021

Hello Mike just read your post going thru same issue. What did you finally decide to do. Who had the best match

 

[Mike McGuire]

Hello Mike just read your post going thru same issue. What did you finally decide to do. Who had the best match

I communicated back with 'Great Auto Parts' (through ebay) and explained what was up. They mentioned that they knew what I was talking about and exchanged the incorrect part for the correct version within a couple days. ( I had sent them the photos posted here and the explanation, expecting nothing..., but what do you know, they came through alright). So, I suggest if you choose to go this route to call first and drive that point home, so there is no misunderstanding.

Best of luck.
Mike

 

[I84885]

I communicated back with 'Great Auto Parts' (through ebay) and explained what was up. They mentioned that they knew what I was talking about and exchanged the incorrect part for the correct version within a couple days. ( I had sent them the photos posted here and the explanation, expecting nothing..., but what do you know, they came through alright). So, I suggest if you choose to go this route to call first and drive that point home, so there is no misunderstanding.

Best of luck.
Mike

Ok thanks

 

[saforwardlook]

Over time, I have come to trust BBB Industries since I have found that the only mini-starters one can normally find on Ebay for example for cheap and made in China do not go the distance. You put them in and then take them out and throw them away after a few months because of early failure. So now I only buy mini starters for my cars that come from BBB Industries since they claim and really do seem to reproduce the Denso mini starter used in some 80's Chrysler products to the same exact specification with no skimping or altering. I was skeptical at first but tried one out. The are more expensive than the Chinese crap but they are well worth it and haven't failed one yet. The box containing them has the brand "Superior" on the box and in my view that is fully accurate. I will buy no other aftermarket mini starter now.

One of my friends wanted to improve his worn original steering gear in his full size C body but didn't want to pay the price of the Firm Feel or Steer & Gear rebuilds, so in doing some research, I ran across this gearbox highlighted by @fury fan because my research indicated it was also built by BBB industries. It looks only a little similar to the original Chrysler gearbox but apparently contains many of the original Chrysler gearbox parts (they want you to give back your original Chrysler box core for this reason, so not all the parts inside are new). It seems BBB Industries makes their own unique gear box housings but uses a mix of their own parts and some of the original parts inside.

I too had difficulty installing this bulky, heavy part since one of the mounting holes was slightly off, so I just enlarged the same hole mentioned above about 1/32 or 1/16" and then it went in.

I had some difficulty air bleeding the box on startup but after some pump reservoir rechecks and top offs and running the gear back and forth I finally got all the air out. It was then very quiet.

I concur that this box actually provides better results than the original Chrysler boxes even when new (nos). The on-center feel is significantly improved compared to original and there is significantly less slop on center making it more pleasing to drive.

So while installing one requires a little modification, they seem well worth it. I got this my box from Oreillys for a little over $200 since I didn't return the core in this case but it was $135 plus tax out the door with exchange of the old unit and they were able to obtain the box in one day. I initially ordered the box from Autozone since they wanted even less with core return, but after 5 days they sent me a message it wasn't available afterall despite the counter computer at the store said they were. So they cancelled my order even though BBB Industries said they had 200 in stock nearby my local Autozone store. I went round and round with Autozone on this one and got no where so I just went over to my local Oreillys and they got it in one day. Screw Autozone - no one even higher up knows or cares about what they are doing so I am pretty much done with them.

Bottom line is, I found this box to be quite satisfactory but they do not look correct for purists like me to use them but I might give way if my next rebuild by either Steer & Gear or Firm Feel doesn't yield about the same accurate feel.

So I can agree with @fury fan on this item.

 

[ACR Nick]

A grinder and a buffing wheel is all you need to make this fit like it should. The bolts do indeed line up, but the problem with clearance is simply a matter of shaving the inner, flat part of the bracket down a bit because the outer round part of these steering boxes end up bottoming out. That dimension sticks out about a 1/4" further than the stock steering boxes. Theres plenty of metal there to safely take down a bit of where it bottoms out on the frame. I literally just did this to a c body stub frame on a fury 3 about 2 and half weeks ago.

 

[ACR Nick]

A grinder and a buffing wheel is all you need to make this fit like it should. The bolts do indeed line up, but the problem with clearance is simply a matter of shaving the inner, flat part of the bracket down a bit because the outer round part of these steering boxes end up bottoming out. That dimension sticks out about a 1/4" further than the stock steering boxes. Theres plenty of metal there to safely take down a bit of where it bottoms out on the frame. I literally just did this to a c body stub frame on a fury 3 about 2 and half weeks ago.

To be clear, i mean take a bit of metal off of the bracket on the frame itself, not the steering box. Youve got at least 3/8" of a inch of metal that makes up the bracket on the frame, I wouldnt test the thickness of the steering box itself.

 

[Camshaft]

Interesting discussion. I have my 67 300 on the road (yeah!) after 22 years. Everything in the car in the entire suspension and the front end is new. Rebuilt PS pump etc. Have not had a chance to have the alignment done (Friday morning) but I notice when I am driving that there is a "flat" spot in the steering when turning both to the left and to the right. About an inch and a half off center there is no corresponding movement in the front wheels for about 1/2 " of steering wheel movement. Hard to describe but makes me want to overcorrect. My records show the PO had the steering box rebuilt shortly before I bought it, which would mean about 2500 miles ago. When the car was in a million pieces I thought about a rebuild but the correspondence I received with the car stopped me. Suggestions? C shaft.

 

[fury fan]

A grinder and a buffing wheel is all you need to make this fit like it should. The bolts do indeed line up, but the problem with clearance is simply a matter of shaving the inner, flat part of the bracket down a bit because the outer round part of these steering boxes end up bottoming out. That dimension sticks out about a 1/4" further than the stock steering boxes. Theres plenty of metal there to safely take down a bit of where it bottoms out on the frame. I literally just did this to a c body stub frame on a fury 3 about 2 and half weeks ago.

Welcome, Nick!!!
Take pics and post in this thread, please!!!

Interesting discussion. I have my 67 300 on the road (yeah!) after 22 years. Everything in the car in the entire suspension and the front end is new. Rebuilt PS pump etc. Have not had a chance to have the alignment done (Friday morning) but I notice when I am driving that there is a "flat" spot in the steering when turning both to the left and to the right. About an inch and a half off center there is no corresponding movement in the front wheels for about 1/2 " of steering wheel movement. Hard to describe but makes me want to overcorrect. My records show the PO had the steering box rebuilt shortly before I bought it, which would mean about 2500 miles ago. When the car was in a million pieces I thought about a rebuild but the correspondence I received with the car stopped me. Suggestions? C shaft.

If that is a fresh rebuild on the gearbox, a tightening of the gear endplay might correct things. I had that done to one of my cars, but was 20 years ago so I have no experience how to actually do it (but the FSM surely will?).

 

[fury fan]

So while installing one requires a little modification, they seem well worth it....

...Bottom line is, I found this box to be quite satisfactory but they do not look correct for purists like me to use them but I might give way if my next rebuild by either Steer & Gear or Firm Feel doesn't yield about the same accurate feel.

So I can agree with @fury fan on this item.

@saforwardlook
Thanks for your review, yours means a lot, esp being in a C-body and as you can relate it to FF and SAG.

And to clarify to everyone - I pulled that review from a parts-store website, I have no personal experience with this gearbox. (for some reason that post does not have an edit feature on it).