Anyone running a Flaming River manual steering box

Whas your input? Worth the $500? I can get a new OEM for $230.

NEW OEM or rebuilt OEM?

Cause NEW OEM would be a good deal.

going to a 16:1 fast ratio manual from the OE 24:1 manual was a night and day improvement in the stock car in the corners. it was $500 new (not from FR but that other company that makes em cant think of their name right off hand). Got a used OE one (16:1) manual for $175 from here. Not sure how a 16:1 would be in a DD on the street (how it would act/worth the money?)

new OEM 230 on ebay

I don't see new OEM boxes, I see new aftermarket ones

I know you said new but there's a used one on FABO for $50. If the guy says it turns smoothly thru its travel lock to lock and the steering input nub has minimal back & forth lash (ask him to check it) it'd be a deal & they do tend to be a low maintenance/dependable item. If I spent $500 on a new one it'd have to be a 16:1 & I would first want feedback from others who have ran it on the street. yeah if you can get a new 24:1 box for $230 that'd be a good deal. iirc the FR one did not have a plug to add/check grease which I never understood the reasoning there.

Put a 16:1 box in a V8 engine car with moderately wide front tires and you'll hate it in parking lots. It'll be an upper body workout every time you park.

R.

I have one in my Duster (408 stroker/4-speed)

Love-hate relationship!

Love it when the rear-end breaks loose when accelerating in a spirited fashion - easy to correct and get yourself straightened out

Hate it when parking, and turning into the garage (have a 90-degree turn driveway)

New aftermarket oem replacement

Car is street strip with 15x4 up front. Just sold a good oem last year for $50 with the coupler, now I need one can't find anything good. Gonna look on fbbo again, didn't see that $50 box. Just returned the $100 used "good" I got on ebay. Asked this joker ig it was tight and smooth lock to lock, told yes. This thing has easy 1/4 free play on the bench not to mention it bound up bad just past center. Really don't want to spend 5 bills on one. Any input on that 230 box? Anyone buy one?

Do you understand what OEM means?

Original
Equipment
Manufacturer.

NOT aftermarket. there is no such thing as "New aftermarket oem replacement" It's either OEM or it's aftermarket. Whicdh is why new OEM would have been a good deal, not so much new aftermarket.

go to "mechanical parts for sale" and it is on page (3) "manual steering box". Yeah I know what you mean as I have one or two & as soon as I sell em I'll need em! So I hang on to em, enables my hoarding

I run the 16/1 on the street in the 69 Dart with no issues. It does have 4" skinnies on the front. You just have to learn to turn while not standing still...

Really? Correct I didnt say replacement at first but there is a such thing as a aftermarket oem replacement, its a direct replacement of the oem built to oem spec's that is a direct replacement. Not doing a restoration building a street/race car, Im here to find out if the F.R. is actually worth the $500, otherwise Im buying the repop (happy now)

Thanks

16:1 flaming river box? Thought it would be easier to turn with the 16:1 especially with pie cutters. If thats the case might as well stick with the stock ratio for half the $$

16:1 gives less leverage & it does take more muscle to turn (maybe a slightly larger steering wheel would restore some of that) & the bennie of it is far less steering wheel input/movement is required. No exp with the 16:1 on the street but from my track exp (it was just hand over hand with the 24:1, not good) I'd sure be willing to try it but 5 bills for a steering box is crazy. I'm sure low speed turning would be harder but I'd like to find out how everyday driving with the fast ratio box is

I like the Flaming River in my Dart. Only time I notice it is turning while stopped, if rolling no biggie. Love all the extra space around my TTI's it provides.

I bought one used from a moparts member for $350. Box was in great shape and had min road time(allegedly 1000 street miles). Put it on my street strip wagon. Loved it on the street. At least for me I didn't think it was that hard to turn from a dead stop(I'm 54).

Now on the strip I was not very found of it. I did not like how minor movement of the wheel affected the handling. Felt very twitchy(yeah I know a real technical term lol). I had a post on some handling issues at the track. The only change was to switched back to my factory box(stole it from my Cuda) and it seemed to solve the handling problems. Feels much better on the track now.

I'm putting it on my Cuda for now so that I can move it around in the garage but will be selling it before I put the Cuda back on the track.

The 16/1 box I used was removed from a 69 GTS and was not a Flaming River part. I just had it to the track a couple weeks back and didn't notice it being "twitchy"...but it only ran a 12.32 at 109. Something faster may have different results. I do run slightly more positive caster than the factory spec so that may smooth things over some.

I have one in my 70 challenger, with 235 60 15s on the front. parking isn't that bad and those know me know im not a big guy

Mines not super fast, 6,94 in the 1/8th. Now the track isnt the smoothest either(Magnolia Dragway) but after the change I basically just pointed and went. Before I was holding on w/both hands and I swear my butt had a pucker hold on the seat as well. Lol
The Flaming River piece is a nice unit it just wasnt right for me. I had talked w/several others at the track that had tried the faster ratio units and none seemed to like them on the strip. They were all much faster than me and honestly I didnt figure at the speeds I was running I would have had an issue.

If it was me I'd get a stock box and have FirmFeel Inc. rebuild it. If you are weary of the 16:1 being a bear (I have one with 15x4" front wheels, it's not IMO) you can have them go 20:1.

I'd rather have an aluminum box any day over the cast iron Flaming River unit.

Addressing the person who described their 16:1 box as "twitchy":

I can completely understand how going from 5.5 turns lock to lock to 3.5 would make the car feel jumpy with out turning the wheel much. I have to re-train my brain in my four speed car not to yank the wheel when power shifting because it tried to change lanes the first attempt out of the shop lol.

As always it depends on lots of things including how used to manual steering you are. For instance on a day when my tendonitous (tennis elbow) is bothering my 16:1 manual steering sure seems 100x worse than a day when I remembered to take my vitamin supplements. The story here is take your meds/vitamins so you can drive a higher performing car lol.

Good luck with whatever you decided OP!