Can anybody tell me what the steering gear mounting bolts on a 1972 B-body with manual steering gear should be torqued to?

I checked the tech archieve here and I have the factory service manual but I couldn't find it in either place.

As tight as you can get them by hand...run them up with an impact if you like!

1976 Chrysler manual sitting heres says


Manual Steering

Gear assembly to frame bolt 100 ft lbs

No need to break out a torque wrench for those bolts. You'd be the laughing stock of the shop if fellow wrench's saw you using a torque wrench on a steering box bolt!
100ft pounds is about the equivalent to as tight as you can get it with a socket and 1/2 ratchet!

The thing is I have a clunking noise coming from the front end during acceleration and braking so I want to make sure that everything is torqued sufficiently.

My 1968 service manual says 80 ft.lb so that's what I torqued it to. If the noise is still there I guess the next step is to take the brakes apart and make sure the adjusters are working.

give everything the once over. inner/outter tierods, upper/lower balljoints, strut rod bushings, etc.

Have you considered the steering coupler? I chased my noise and vibrations to it. Now, I have to figure out how to fix it using the $10 rebuild kit.
Jim

The coupler is fine. The car only has 58K original miles on it.

I had the car up in the air Wednesday so while I was under there I checked the torque on all the bolts/nuts holding the suspension together including the sterring gear shich I torqued to 80 ft.lb per my 1968 service manual. Also while i was under there I greased the ball joints and tie rod ends. I did something right becuase the cluck seems to have gone away.