Vega Steering Boxes: choices, choices .......

This is making me want to give more thought to using a UniSteer on my Model A I'm building and not using a Vega box at all. I'd rather not have to adjust the thing over and over.

 

This will stir the pot (not intended) but I talked to a builder at the Ventura nats this weekend regarding unisteer. He built nice high end model A's and I was impressed with his quality of work.
Said he'd never use anything else. FWIW.

 

I see the Saginaw 525 mentioned as an alternative. Anyone have the dimensional differences and what ratio?

 

Installed a Borgeson box in my brother's coupe last spring. No problems to report.

 

There are two brands of Vega boxes that are coming through the Hoffman group as well, Helix and Vintage Parts USA both list them at $239 US.

It's probably safe to ***ume that these are offshore made and are both the same box.

 

bought the cheapest one i could find for my '39. got less than 100 miles on it & it needs adjusting. probably a bad sign of things to come

 

The experiences in this thread are the reason I have a Unisteer on the way. Nothing traditional (or acceptable) about ****py "vega" boxes.

 

Here's a couple of pics of my Flaming River Vega box next to a 525.
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The body of the Vega is about 5 1/2" long compared to 7 1/2" for the 525. The length w/shaft is about 7" compared to 11 1/2". Width is pretty close at 4 3/4" for Vega compared to about 5" for the 525.

Blue

 

Thank you for the information. Does anyone know if this box was offered on some model with a shorter input shaft?

 

I'm wondering how well the 525 would swap into an existing Rod that currently has a Vega?

Do the box mounting holes happen to be the same pattern (or can a couple of holes at least be "picked up")?

From the pics, the 525 shaft and spline size looks to be the same. Can anyone verify this? If there isn't a shorter 525 shaft, can the Vega shaft be swapped into the 525? With a shorter/same splined shaft, an individual's existing column would bolt in w/o having to swap couplers.

Shortened up with a shorter shaft and being that a lot of the additional extra length of the 525 box falls ahead of the forward mounting bolt, I'm thinking the box might be a decent swap.

 

I know the steering shaft splines are the same on the vega and 525 box but to they take the same pitman arm?

 

had a vega box on mine from ebay.trash in a month.swapped it out for a 46 ford coupe box.works great and was free .the mounting is almost the same just had to make a new top boss with new threads on the frame

 

No trouble with a Vega box for thirty years and several cars. Have not ran a new offshore one but would expect problems if I did. I`ll stick to the factory and American made Vega`s and see no reason to reinvent the wheel.

 

Diddo, Algoma56

 

re; 525 boxes; Someone has them with the shorter input shaft, (same length as vega). Does anyone know where these can be found?

I have exactly enough space to fit 2 Borgeson U joints between the column and the input shaft, which prevents using the 525.

Thanks...... 4TTRUK

 

I think there 2 versions of the larger box. the 525 and another code number. The only difference, I think, is a different spline count. The shaft length is the same. It seems Borgeson had one w/ short shaft but is real pricey.

Blue

 

Unisteer/traditional ? HUH?

 

Vega traditional ? Came out in 1972, this thread will be a good test for the new and improved HAMB.

 

I'd say any steering box that needed adjustment,needs to be repaired or replaced.If it is a new box and it needs adjustment or screws back out,it needs to be returned! A customer shouldn't have to finish the manufacturing process.No need to be cheap or unsafe with an item as important as this.

 

Cl***ic Performance Products. is offering a quick ratio Vega power steering box. Wonder how it will work out. I think it would be nice to have a quicker ratio and be easy to park.



Ago

 

I can tell you as I worked at Flaming River up until a couple months ago that all of the boxes are now an in house deal as of about 2 years ago or so. The are a much nicer casting and unit. All are hand ***embled and tested.

 

Some data that I have compiled. Started gathering data for my 64 Malibu and then made use of it for my Model A.

Used a Saginaw 122 box with no problems clearing the Nailhead. My understanding is the 122 is a better box than the 525.

Luckily manual steering is easy to get. The place to look is in S10 pickup trucks for a steering box for GM ch***is. This will have a Saginaw 122 or 525 manual steering box. The only difference in these two boxes is the spline count for the pitman arm, which changed in 1986 when they renamed the box from the 122 to the 525. The stock ratios are 22:1 but 16:1 fast ratio boxes are available in the aftermarket.

Manual Saginaw 525
The box was renamed 525 in 1986, when the input spline on the 122 box was changed from 3/4-36 to 3/4-30. The 525 manual box was used extensively by GM. The 525 box is recommended for manual box applications on street rods, especially those more than 2,500 lbs. The location of the motor mounts often restricts the box size in street rod applications prior to '34 with modern V-8 engines. This accounts for the popularity of the smaller Vega box. The 525 boxes can be used on some pre-'34 applications with slight frame modifications. Borgeson offers a number of 525 variations, such as a rebuilt 525, a short-input rebuilt 525 with a 1-inch input shaft, a reversed rebuilt 525, a Mullins quick-ratio 525 with a 16:1 ratio versus the stock 22:1, and a quick-ratio 525 short input. There's also a Mullins 122 rebuilt manual box available with the 36-spline input shaft if required. (Borgeson owns Mullins, so the latter are available through Borgeson.)

Manual Steering Box
Buick Special '64-70
Camaro '67-74
Chev P*** '65-70
Chevelle '64-70
Firebird '67-73
Grand Prix '69-70
Monte Carlo '70
Monza '75-79; 8 cyl
Monza '78-80; 6 cyl
Nova '68-70
Olds '64-70
Olds F-85 '64-70
Pontiac '64-70
Skyhawk 75-80
Starfire '75
Starfire '76-80; 6 cyl
Starfire '77-79; 8 cyl
Sunbird '76-80; 6 cyl
Tempest '64-70

The following fit, but have different ratios or some other characteristics

Several '70-83 AMC cars
Several Jeeps '70-86
Apollo '73-75
Buick Special '71-72
Century '73-74
Chevelle '71-77
Cutl*** '73
Cutl*** '76
LeMans '73-77
Monte Carlo '71
Nova '71-79
Olds F-85 '71-72
Omega '73-79
Phoenix '77-79
Regal '73-74
Skylark '75-79
Sprint (GMC) '71-77
Tempest '71-72
Ventura II '71-77

Manual Steering Box
Buick Special '64-70
Camaro '67-74
Chev P*** '65-70
Chevelle '64-70
Firebird '67-73
Grand Prix '69-70
Monte Carlo '70
Monza '75-79; 8 cyl
Monza '78-80; 6 cyl
Nova '68-70
Olds '64-70
Olds F-85 '64-70
Pontiac '64-70
Skyhawk 75-80
Starfire '75
Starfire '76-80; 6 cyl
Starfire '77-79; 8 cyl
Sunbird '76-80; 6 cyl
Tempest '64-70

The following fit, but have different ratios or some other characteristics
Several '70-83 AMC cars
Several Jeeps '70-86
Apollo '73-75
Buick Special '71-72
Century '73-74
Chevelle '71-77
Cutl*** '73
Cutl*** '76
LeMans '73-77
Monte Carlo '71
Nova '71-79
Olds F-85 '71-72
Omega '73-79
Phoenix '77-79
Regal '73-74
Skylark '75-79
Sprint (GMC) '71-77
Tempest '71-72
Ventura II '71-77

I used a Pitman arm from s 70-72 Chevelle 5” centre to centre (the one used on the coupe, with steering arm reamed from bottom, arm bent to a slightly straighter shape).

From Pete and Jakes catalogue, the following all use #2020 steering arm:

55-57 Chevy all
58-64 Chevy all
65-86 Saginaw 122, ¾” nut with either 30 or 36 splines, .728 or .735 dia
87 - >> Saginaw 525
78-84 Saginaw 605 power

and from C9 on the HAMB

used a manual box from a '64 Chevelle on my '38 Ford pickup. The splines are the same as the early Ford box, so the stock Ford pitman arm fits as is.


Hope this is some help.

 

I have been searching on the hamb for vega gearbox threads and came across this one. I also am ready to decide what to use in a willys coupe and still have pretty much decided on the vega box. Always being one that doesn't want to chinse out on important areas as brakes and steering lean towards better manufacturers. Some of these boxes are quite pricey as noted by the fellas on here. There has to be differences, just like steering u-joints why does one guy have a decent pictured billet joint for 39.95 and others are 80 bucks? I have no idea where these parts are made other than what the manufacturer states. I am just leery of the cheaper ones as being offshore, but seeing what I read here the expensive USA units have issues too. Also, I agree, cheap or expensive, an ***embled gear should not have screws back out or go out of adjustment or the like. I see some places even have reman units but have read that some parts cannot be replaced..so where do all the good cores come from? I am not sure which to get as everything always turns into this muli***ude of manufacturers and prices..whatever it ends up being I want it safe. Not even sure which ratio to get 16:1, 20:1 or the oem 22:1. Any other comments to this thread, I would like to hear.

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0607rc_steering_box_installation/

http://www.buy-steering.com/vega_steering_box.htm

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Articles/Steering/Vega_Boxes/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200720&highlight=good+or+bad+vega+box