Buy Auto Parts steering box horrible

[john.thompson068]

I thought I was making a good investment replacing my old 1966 Plymouth Satellite steering box for a newly rebuilt one which was only going to cost me 227$ after I turned in the core for a $100 refund. I did not want to spend the $550 for a new Flaming River or Steer N Gear manual steering box because that was half of my budget for getting the car on the rode again. I knew the Buy Auto Parts box would not be as responsive as the Flaming River, but it is worse than my original. I thought I would get the slop down to a couple of inches of play and make the car easier to keep going straight especially after a turn. My original had 180* of free steering wheel rotation before the front wheels began to turn. This Buy Auto Parts rebuilt box has the same amount of play, and it is harder to turn which makes the car harder to control. I just completely wasted my money.

 

[Jonnyuma]

180 degrees sure seems like a lot. You sure there's not something else going on under there?
Sorry 'bout your bad experience. I hate when that happens, discretionary income is too damn hard to come by and wasting a large chunk on something that supposed to help but makes things worse well...I'd rather just throw it out in the street. It's less disappointing.

 

[HitIt]

Does the box come adjusted for play or is that something you are supposed to do? Seems like if there is 180 degrees of play the box is simply not adjusted yet... or defective and needing to be returned.

 

[john.thompson068]

All of the play is in the box. I had previously rebuilt the front end and even put a new pitman arm on when I installed this box. It was actually pretty tight until I started driving it. Before I made it around the block I could already rotate the top of the steering wheel until it pointed left and swing it back until it pointed right and the front wheels barely responded. Even if you had no steering box, you would be just as well off with one from a junk yard that would cost $50. I pretty much was robbed. They probably take a core, replace the seals, and then sell it as a rebuilt box even though it is no better than anything you would be trying to replace. It could even be worse. I feel like I just fell for a scam. I should have just paid the extra $250 and picked up a Flaming River box from the local distributor even though I plan on going back to power steering as soon as I can afford it and get to that.

 

[john.thompson068]

Does the box come adjusted for play or is that something you are supposed to do? Seems like if there is 180 degrees of play the box is simply not adjusted yet... or defective and needing to be returned.

It did not say it needed to be adjusted. It was actually pretty decent the first few times I pulled the car in and out of the garage. As soon as we went for a test drive, it was totally loose before I even made it halfway around the block.

 

[HitIt]

I hear ya. Do you know how to adjust the box preload with the top adjusting screw and locknut? Id try that first. Jus loosen the locknut and tighten the adjustment screw a half turn at a time and some slack should come out. Normally, if the adjusting screw is all the way down flush w/ the nut, you are out of adjustment.

Oh is this manual or power steering?

 

[HitIt]

Also check the bolts that hold the box to the k member. Mine came loose a couple times and caused sloppy steering.

 

[ga66mopar]

I would contact firmfeel.


http://www.firmfeel.com/

 

[john.thompson068]

I hear ya. Do you know how to adjust the box preload with the top adjusting screw and locknut? Id try that first. Jus loosen the locknut and tighten the adjustment screw a half turn at a time and some slack should come out. Normally, if the adjusting screw is all the way down flush w/ the nut, you are out of adjustment.

Oh is this manual or power steering?

It is manual. I thought it would come already adjusted, but maybe it is not.


I do not have any more money to spend on the car so I do not even want to visit the Firm Feel website. Especially after just spending over $1300 dollars of my savings, while I am currently between jobs, to get my car out of storage 300 miles away and roadworthy again, only to have the front calipers freeze up, almost cause the car to go out of control, and then smoked the brake pads all the way home on what was supposed to be a victorious and awesome test drive. To top things off, my brand new Auto Craft battery could not crank my car at the gas station so I needed a jump start.


I give up for a while. But I will attempt to adjust the box one of these weeks since that is not going to cost me anything as long as I don't need to buy a wrench size I don't have or something like that.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Oh, man. That SUCKS. But it happens like that sometimes. Don't get discouraged, the victory lap will be yours, just keep at it and put your questions here. Lots of knowledge on this board.

 

[john.thompson068]

So I loosened the retaining nut and began to turn the adjusting screw in on the box, and all the slack has disappeared. I have it set now so that with the car in the air, as soon as I turn the steering wheel, I see movement at the front wheels with maybe an inch of free play in the steering wheel. This sound good? I read something about not over tightening the adjusting screw cause it will overheat something inside the box. I have this quote from another thread which is from the Chilton manual: " loosen the locknut, then with the cross-shaft on center( pitman arm shaft )tighten the cross-shaft adjusting screw until the backlash( free play )just disappears. From this position, turn the screw in 3/8 to 1/2 turn. Hold the screw in place tighten the locknut to 50 ft-lbs." I do not understand what exactly they mean by free play just disappearing. Right now the adjusting screw is about flush with the top of the lock washer. Maybe I should call Firm Feel just to make sure I don't screw this up.

 

[mrkinger]

Hope things get better for you.let us know how you make out with the steering box.I just bought one myself ,dont have it on yet ,
Paul

 

[696pack]

I thought I was making a good investment replacing my old 1966 Plymouth Satellite steering box for a newly rebuilt one which was only going to cost me 227$ after I turned in the core for a $100 refund. I did not want to spend the $550 for a new Flaming River or Steer N Gear manual steering box because that was half of my budget for getting the car on the rode again. I knew the Buy Auto Parts box would not be as responsive as the Flaming River, but it is worse than my original. I thought I would get the slop down to a couple of inches of play and make the car easier to keep going straight especially after a turn. My original had 180* of free steering wheel rotation before the front wheels began to turn. This Buy Auto Parts rebuilt box has the same amount of play, and it is harder to turn which makes the car harder to control. I just completely wasted my money.

I have never heard of these people.

All of the info you have received so far is good.

One thing you need to be cautioned on is WHO you buy from. Places like Auto Zone, O'Reillys, etc. are good for SOME things. It take some sorting out on what to use them for. NAPA is tyically good for nearly everything but a little more expensive. Some of these discount store get SOME of their parts from SOME of the same local parts warehouses that NAPA sometimes use.

SOME of these rebuilt parts from the cheaper sources only install the new parts that stand out as needing replace where the more expensive sources use rebuilders that replace everything inside the core housing. In other words like with most things you get what you pay for.

I never buy electrical parts from the discount stores because ALL electrical parts once installed are not returnable. The discount stores sell the cheap stuff that often doesn't work new or for long so you are really taking a chance with them.

The discount stores are good for buying things like oil, filters, coolant, and select parts that you will learn by asking others before you buy or by learning the hard way if you don't.

 

[john.thompson068]

Makes me wonder if I should by the relays for my headlights from Advanced Auto? Anyway, I just ordered some calipers from advanced so it looks like I will be driving the car by next weekend. I need to figure out the proper way to have this box adjusted before taking it out on the road. I should probably just call Firm Feel. And by the way, this box is only temporary. I am just waiting to be able to purchase some TTI headers and then convert over to power steering with a Firm Feel box.

 

[john.thompson068]

I think this is what I remember reading, but don't know how true this is. It is from someone on moparchat: "you need to have some play in the steering box or you will burn up the worm gear been there done that now im rebuilding mine you need 2 in min play in the box".

 

[greenmonsta79]

I disagree with 696pack. I own a Auto repair shop and we use GP Sorensen electrical parts from Advance with no problem, And I bought a starter for a Ford tractor a couple weeks back from Napa and guess what it was bad out of the box! You will find a bad part from all of these parts stores. The quality of the parts is not there due to inferior materials and workmanship (most all are imported) Unfortunately!!

 

[john.thompson068]

Okay, but what about my steering box adjustment? I will call Firm Feel if I have to. I want to get it as tight as possible, but I don't want to burn up the box.

 

[john.thompson068]

I'll let you know what they say when I call them.

 

[john.thompson068]

He said adjust it tighter in 1/4 inch turns until you feel some resistance when sweeping the wheel back and forth, then back off 1/4 turn. I turned my screw tighter until it would not turn in anymore and there does not seem to be any play left in the wheel anyway so I tightened everything down. I will let you know what happens when I take it back out on the road as soon as today. I just have to bleed my brakes first.

 

[john.thompson068]

Box has zero slop in it. It is nice being able to control the car so easily in first and second when it starts to float around. Only problem is, the steering box has a knock like clunk sound and sensation coming through the steering wheel when I turn the steering wheel. It is definitely from the box as this only started to occur after installing the box. It won't do it as loud when the front of the car is off the ground on stands. Everything on the front end is tight. I couldn't get a torque wrench on the top left bolt of the box, but I torqued the other ones to about 70 ft lbs, and I got that third one tight. I can double check that third one, but I don't think that is it. I better check that third one and make sure it is still as tight as I can get it. Actually, I better just plan to unbolt the header and move it to the side next weekend when I replace my split cork oil pan gasket with a pair of Moroso 40700s. However, being that it does it when the front wheels are in the air makes me suspect it something going on inside of the box. What do you think?