Just debating picking one up vs a stock rebuild.
This is just a cruiser, no autox type stuff.
I just wanted a box with less slop.

Is FF something different or just less assist to give you a better road feel?

FF has three stages of PS boxes. You probably want a Stage 1. Call them and talk to Dick Ross.

right, but does anyone know what is different over a stock rebuild I might get from autozone or other parts store?

am I just getting a box that has less assist or are they doing something to it, to make it "better"?

Custom hand built vs volume built. Firm Feel is the way to go. Well worth the money.

If the price is too high try a box from Lares, you can always turn down pressure the pump if you want less assist.

it isn't if it is too high a price.
The question is if I am not auto xing my car, is there enough diff between a FF box and a regular rebuild.
Are they doing "more" than slapping new parts in a box. Do they have some "magic" they work over a regular rebuilder, other than attention to detail.

I don't need less assist. I just want the slop out of my steering, so I don't have to turn the wheel 10 degrees before it catches.

Also since this is for a 65, I am debating the larger shaft vs the small if I ever need to replace the pitman again.

The rest of the front end is "new" last 9 years. The only thing left is the box, pitman and the coupler.

A standard power steering box is going to eventually, over time, develop slop no matter who makes it. It's the design of the box. Even the new Borgeson boxes have been known to develop some slop over time. As far as I know, yes, Firm Feel does some more magic to the boxes besides their good workmanship, but I just don't recall what they do exactly.

If you want a very direct feel that will stay that way, usually a rack-and-pinion is the way to go; however, that usually requires a tubular K-frame otherwise you're going to have a hell of a time making the suspension geometry work out.

I had thought about it, but the order of magnitude in cost is insane to me.
Plus again, not a road racer, just a cruiser I would like to tighten up a little.

I've heard of plenty of street driven cars with various FF level boxes and 99.9% of them had good things to say. I've even heard from some street-only drivers saying they had wished they bumped up their Level 1 or 2 to a Level 3.

There is nothing different about the box, back when you could get NOS stock police boxes they were every bit as good as a firm feel. After a bunch of miles they will both go dead on center.

A fast ratio pitman would reduce the slop a bit.

Yes.

The problem is, especially for a guy in Fla, is the shipping costs, two ways. Ouch. If you can catch them at a show, with a core, it makes a whole lot of sense.

edit: nearly everybody that has stage 2, says they wished they had stage 3, me included.

I think they change the tension of the spring(s) in the spool. Giving the effect of more effort, instead of reducing the pressure from the pump.

I think.

I got a rebuilt box for my truck from a different place that took the time to put over-sized ball bearings in to fix the root of the slop problem, vs a paint job and new gaskets that we can expect from a parts store box.

Just give Dick at Firmfeel a call.

stage three all the way baby!!!!

Not entirely true... I believe it may fit within a Large flat-rate postal box.

I have a stage 2 I would sell. Very little use. Went coil over front end.

That would be great, however, FF has to be on board to make it happen at least one way. If anybody has done a flat rate box PS shipment, please share.

My friend did it a couple of years ago. He sent in his core that way.

There was a post on it somewhere that a guy did just that, and basically duck taped the crap out of the box.

While I am all for saving on shipping, I can't see that as a good way to send something back.
I ship things the way I would want to receive them. And while a steering box is not likely to be damaged by the shipper, I would still hate to get a beat on the outside box, or damaged splines.