Is shimming a power steering box an acceptable thing to do?
My 68 Dart is going in to have the frame connectors welded on. I want the car on its wheels while this is done. I'm making it a roller...then it will come back apart when it goes in for paint. I installed the steering column so the car can be moved more easily. The stock steering coupler just barely hits the TTI shorty headers. I can still turn the steering wheel but the 4 corners of the coupler seal retainer rub one tube. My first though was to just trim a little off each corner of the coupler retainer but then I thought about shimming the box. It would only take a very thin washer under the box on the inside bolts. I could dent the tube but don't want to mess up the coating. Thoughts?
If you heat up the tube that needs clearance red hot and use something round and smooth like a 1/2" drive extension to gently press your dent in with, once it cools down it should be none the worse for wear.
My buddy found out the hard way that just because Indy says your headers will fit their new to the market at the time SR heads, it don't mean they will still fit your car. He never factored the raised exhaust port into the mix and his fresh from being coated headers were now hard on the passenger torsion bar. He expected the coating to burn off when he heated it but it was just as shiny silver when he was done as it had been before.
Your mileage may vary.
If you go the shimming route, I'm not sure how much of the steering box is in contact with the K-frame other than where the ears are but I would use large diameter fender washers or the required thickness of flat stock to spread that clamping force and torque across at least as wide an area as the box contacted before to avoid any potential for cracking.
Kevin
