Loose steering box mount on K-Member

I’m dealing with an issue where the steering box mount on the K-member seems loose and is flexing noticeably.

I recently noticed more play and sloppiness in the steering, especially when driving. I found some of the steering box bolts on the K-member were loose. I tightened them up, but the steering box still flexes noticeably when turning the wheel and the steering feels less precise than it should.

This actually first happened a couple of years ago (MUCH worse that time) while I was across the country at a show. I found a local shop that welded the mount without removing the K-member. That fix got me back on the road, but now the problem seems to be returning (though not as severe as before).

The best fix seems to be to remove the K-member entirely so it can be properly inspected and welded (or replaced). I will also replace the steering box at that time. I have seen the QA1 replacement that appears to work well with an otherwise stock front end but am currently leaning toward repair.

Thanks in advance for any advice, recommendations, or stories from your own experiences.

1967 Satellite w/ 318

I’ve had issues on both my cars with bolts loosening up after swapping boxes. I now dope them good with blue Loctite and tighten them as tight as I can. Otherwise my steering seems fine to me.

Question is: is it the steering box bolted to the k-frame ? is it the mount area on the k-frame ? Have you observed the movement of the box visually while someone was turning the steering wheel ? Check if the prior welding has become compromised.

WileE said:

Question is: is it the steering box bolted to the k-frame ? is it the mount area on the k-frame ? Have you observed the movement of the box visually while someone was turning the steering wheel ? Check if the prior welding has become compromised.

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Yes, I have observed the movement with someone else turning the wheel. I expect that there should be zero movement but have not found a lot of resources regarding this. From what I have seen so far, it does appears there is likely some compromise to the weld. It appears the mount is attached to the K-Member.

FWIW, these mounts flex from the factory. If you put a dial indicator on the mount and turn the wheel you can measure it.

So... besides getting a better weld on there, adding a reinforcement gusset can also improve things.

I added some reinforcements on the unit for my 65. Easy to do if you have a welder, some scrap metal, ways to cut/trim pieces.