You need to un-couple your coupler and center your pitman and idler so they are equal distance from the frame rails, then put on the coupler with your steering wheel centered. The set screw on the coupler DOES NOT align with the flat on the input shaft EVER.

If I did that, then the box would be 30% out of center when the steering components were square.


My options are:

1. Un-center the steering boxes travel range, and square up the components under the car.

2. Center the box, and move the pitman arm 10deg by eliminating the master splines.


Right now my current setup is that the box is perfectly centered in it's range of travel left to right (Internal stops in box) The steering wheel is perfectly centered on the perfectly centered box, with a perfectly centered coupler (Ignoring the flat, I put it where it needed to be)

Well in your case I would call Peter, if you bought it from him, and see about returning it. Mine is on center with the Pitman/Idler where they should be.

"Mine is on center with the Pitman/Idler where they should be."


So is mine!

How bad would it be to run this box off of it's center point? As it stands, in order to make everything correct under the car, the steering box is turned 90deg' to the right off of it's center point.

I am thinking that the main shaft on these boxes is cut incorrectly, as well as the mounting ears are welded wrong.

Or!

They knew all the shafts were cut incorrectly, Didn't want to eat the cost of making new ones and decided to try and fix the problem by welding the ears for the boxes out of time to move the box more in the direction of the offset (wrong) cut center shaft.

The byproduct of this is that now we have the terrible angle from steering column to coupler.

As I think about it, if I were to remove the shim in my box, it would make the coupler impossible to get on the shaft, however doing so would fix all the centering issues.

It's been some 16 months since I finally gotten everything squared away with the Borgeson in my E Body. All is well and am pleased with the way the car drives. The shim was the ticket to success, but still pi$$ed at the crapola that I had to go thru feuding with the responsible vendors as they told me that my issues were likely because I was a dumb [censored] and my alignment guy didn't have a clue either,,,,when we were insble to get the car to proper toe whilst having the steering box indexed to top center.

The shim took care of all issues. However have never been 100 % easy with having that shim in there, wondering about possible unnatural stress on the box.

A few months ago did install a Borgeson in wife's 55 T Bird. A real pita, but none of which was Borgeson's fault this time,,,they don't make a kit for these cars. Was fantastic to rid the T Bird of the mess of slave cylinders, ram pistons and multiple leaky hoses inherent to the stock Ford PS setup and to take 3 inches of play out of steering wheel. Makes an honest driver out of this 60 year old Bird.

I removed my shim, and now the angle on the column is so extreme that it's hard to turn with the wheels in the air. I am told this is normal! Also with the box simply mounted in as instructed, neither of the ears are flat on the K-Frame. The twin bolt mount is angled when tightened down so I can see light on one side of the ear....

No worries! crank her down! hope the ear doesn't break off.

Taking the shim out brought my alignment closer to center. I can now square up the front, and the tie rods are equal length now. The box is now only about 45 degrees one way off of center.

If I could let the column soak up an additional 20 degrees of angle, I think we would all be good! I would have to grind a channel in the side of the coupling to allow that though.

I will save that mod for another day.

Anyone have any new pics to show?
I would love to see some fresh (viewable) pics in this topic again.

If the alignment is really that far off, given the cost of these boxes, why not just send it back for a new box or ask for a refund?


By reading the alignment-issues most seem to have with their Borgboxes, I'm wondering if I was just lucky enough that my Borgeson box didnt' need any shimming at all.
Although mine did leak a drop every 10 seconds with running engine caused by a pinhole in a weld.

As if on cue, both John with his Black Beauty and I with my Hemi Orange Challenger ended up on the same extra long freeway on-ramp one Saturday afternoon after leaving an annual open house event at one of Silicon Valley's most noted high performance restomod building shops, Cambell Auto Restoration Services(CARS). No firm conclusions were to be drawn that day ,,,however it was certainly the most invigorating Sweaty Palm event that I have experienced in the last 40 years.

Thank you John for a memory that will remain with me for the rest of my life.