https://www.ebay.com/itm/MOPAR-A-B-E-body-Steering-Box-Rebuild-Kit-Cuda-Duster-Satellite-Road-Runner/323285331466?hash=item4b454eae0a:g:fiQAAOSw4vFZ8gE4

I need to address the worn out power steering box on my '71 Charger.

I guess I am weighing the options between a $400 Firm Feel rebuilt box (plus the shipping costs, etc.), or possibly trying the above for $70.

Anybody have any real world experience with these kits? It would be nice to see the instructions before buying it to see what I would be up against in trying to do this myself. Do you need any specialized tools? Do you think a normal person with normal tools could succeed in rebuilding their steering box with this kit?

Any and all input is appreciated.

Thank you.

Greg

Since you ain't gettin any love here I will offer that if I was even partly comfortable going into one of those boxes, for $70 VS $400 it'd sure be worth taking a chance, they cant be that complicated.

For years, Rick has stated that the cheap rebuilds you find at the auto parts stores are no better than an old steering box. He said they are merely disassembled, cleaned and reassembled with new gaskets. He would go on to say that Firm Feel goes further, replacing hard parts, adding stiffer springs, etc.
It would be a hit to his credibility if these kits he offers is nothing but gaskets. Maybe you should email him to see what is in the kit.

Have you checked with Steer and Gear?

The pic shows what's in the kit and there isn't a worm and sector shaft, so his kit won't correct slop from wear in those parts.

Great, thank you for all of the input.

As I thought about it today, I was starting to think that there must be more parts in the box than are in the kit.

I think I will pay the $400 to Firm Feel or Steer and Gear.

Greg

Trickiest part of rebuilding a Chrysler power steering gear box is setting the drag on a torrington thrust bearing. Need to be able to measure the drag with something like an old distributor scale they'd use to see how many pounds of pull it took to move a points distributor shaft to move sideways enough to cause dwell changes. I use a fishing scale that can measure in pounds and ounces. Other than that it's similar to an auto transmission, with metal hooked end sealing rings and rubber seals.

Firm Feel.

Dick and his crew are top notch.

Pretty sure at this point that I am just going to spend the $400...

All is fine until U have to return a defective product under warranty..
Terrible customer service, bad attitude when a return is requested..

Just my $0.02...

This is the first time Sinitro had a bad thing to say about Firm Feel.
(Said NO one ever )

Do Steer and Gear or Firm Feel replace the worm and sector shaft if they are worn? Just asking. If the problem is the output shaft bearings and the soft parts, the kit is probably all you need.

You would hope they would, I will have to check their website again.

I wonder if it's obvious when the worm and sector shaft are worn if a person has never had a box apart before.

I just finished rebuilding the steering gear box in my 1965 Belvedere II wagon using a Gates 350510 kit from Rock Auto. $32.79. This kit included bearings, all seals, O-rings and packings.
The reason I rebuilt mine was the upper shaft seal was leaking and I could of just replaced the seal, but figured I would completely rebuild the unit. I have an original service repair manual and it helped. The instructions included with the Gates kit are not very complete. The next one I do, will be much easier.

Steer & Gear's website says "the worm gear assemblies are resized." whatever that means.

Where there any differences in parts supplied between the Gates and Ehrenberg kits??

They appear to be identical, except Ehrenberg's is twice the price. I wonder if that is because he took the time to create better instructions?

My situation is this ... all of my under car work is done laying in the driveway, trans and PS box (headers) work is a pita, and problems are not known until things are buttoned up.

That being said, I did a steer and gear box, (68 Dart) with the thought to leave that magic stuff to professionals.

Shortly after finishing things I sold the car, and for whatever reason that owner needed to sell it, and a friend of mine bought it. It started leaking, and he merely replaced it with a parts store box, never to leak again, at least while he owned it. Beyond there I heard the car ended up somewhere up nawth.

Doing it again I would get a firm feel box.

Just my thoughts.

Hmm. This is a guess, just a guess, but I suppose you could re-grind the ball races and use oversize balls. As to the piston and sector gearing, who knows. I guess I could call but so far I've always rebuilt my chucks so.....

The worm and sector are tapered and any slack is adjusted out after the box is reassembled.

I'd guess that nobody replaces worm and sector.

I've also never heard of any wear issues with the recirculating balls.

What needs to be replaced are the bearings, seals, the output shaft bushing and the gaskets.

Rick Ehrenberg is a solid source of information on Mopars Sure he can be caustic, but it has to be wearing dealing with fools much of the time. I don't know where he got his information, but it is encyclopedic.

It seems characteristic of this board that people attack, attack, attack and tear people down.

R.

I found galling on my

'recirculating' balls...


Not to where I thought it presented an issue...


As described above, and has been in service for quite a few years...

No issues...

The only reason I brought up the ball issue is that AMC's with the Saginaw box had balls of different OD's as service parts to adjust the clearance between the worm and piston.