Okay I just wanted to do a short thread on how to reverse a steering box I searched the internet and came across some threads but some were either lacking pictures or lacking instructions so I figured I would do one to help out anyone like myself that was seeking info on it This is my first time doing this and I am not an expert mechanic etc. by any means so anyone with basic knowledge of how things work and some basic tools can get this done at home in about 1/2 to an hour worth of work First heres one of the boxes that I have picked out ( I have no idea what it is out of I bought a pile of manual steering boxes out of a local swap for $25) also please not the disassembling steps are from a different box that the one I actually used just the side pitman short was a little longer on the one I used if anyone knows what this is from please let me know Going to start by removing this back cover piece shown here Once that is opened remove the bolts on the side cover shown here You will have to play a little with both shaft pieces in order to get them out (just have to line the teeth up with each other so turn both shafts slightly to line them up and they slide out very easily you should not have to bang or hit on anything) The Pitman arm shaft will come out first
Next the other shaft will be removed (please note this is where I changed over to the current box Im using which is solid on the opposite end of the rear cap unlike the pic above I forgot to take a pic of it before I centerpunched it) Now your going to make a center punch in the center of the opposite side of where your steering wheel shaft originally was positioned and drill a small pilot hole the final hole size was drilled with a 1" hole saw in order for me to install the seal shown on the next post down that originally was inside the threaded on cap piece
also on the current box Im using the cover is where the steering wheels shaft comes out of and it has this little seal pressed into it simply heat the cap very slightly with a propane torch around the body of the cap staying away from the rubber on the seal and from the inside very carefully knock the seal out without damaging it
Basically thats all the modification that you need to do nothing fancy and simply reinstall everything the way it came apart just remember to put the bearings back in on the steering wheel shaft before you reassemble it there will be 1 bearing on each end the shaft for a total of 2 bearings note in the pic you can slightly see the backside of the bearing ring that just sits on the inside of the threaded cap heres what the cap looks like reinstalled on the steering box ( Im just waiting on a brass freeze out plug to arrive at the local parts store and I will install that in this old hole where the steering wheel shaft used to come out of) This Pic shows the side where the steering wheels shaft now sticks out of that used to be solid with no hole note the seal that is used which is the one above that I removed from the threaded on cap
Thats pretty much it Im going to go back and try and get some better pics after I install the brass plug and also take some pics when I install it in the car as well I hope its helpful to anyone that might need it This just shows it all put back together I just have to install the brass plug
Cool post, You make it look easy. This may solve some of my steering box problems on an up coming build. Thanks for the info. ...........Jack
The numbers to I.D. the box are in the second picture, they run parallel and just below the input shaft. Just above and to the right of the big S for Saginaw. Looks like 5579142. Quite possibly the infamous 525 box. You can google the actual number or do a search here, I beleave another HAMB member has already posted a GM steering box ID chart. Nice job. BDM
Why not just get a box that does not need reversed? There are a few out there that are aluminum and the mounts are such that they are very easy to mount to cowl bracing. But you do nice work.
Don't want to rain on your parade BUT I believe you've overlooked something here. I've reversed approximately 20 Saginaw recirculating ball nut gears over the last few years. Fundamental to reversing are 1) reversing the steering SHAFT in the box and 2)keeping the position Of the BALL NUT GEAR SEGMENT in it's original position relative to the box.The gear teeth on the sector and on the ball nut segment are tapered so that their engagement (backlash )can be adjusted by moving the pitman shaft up or down along its centerline. Take a good look at photo 4--it shows the ball nut segment in it's original position re the case and the worm shaft. Close inspection may reveal the taper on the teeth. Photo 5 shows the pitman shaft and sector gear--the taper on the teeth is obvious. Photo 7 shows the ball nut segment still mounted on the shaft but out of the case. The taper of the teeth can be seen. The point of all this is that the relationship of the ball nut segment and the sector gear must remain the same when reversing the gear. The only thing you want to reverse is the worm shaft. The mesh of the gear teeth on the two components has to stay as it was. How do accomplish this? By removing the ball nut segment from the worm shaft and reversing it on the shaft. This requires removing the two circulator tubes and emptying all the balls out (into a pan so you don't lose any of them) which allows the nut to be removed from the shaft. Turn it around and reinstall on the shaft. NOW, very carefully reload all the balls back into the nut. Be careful that none of them try to track toward the outside of the nut (they will either fall out or jam up). It may take a couple attempts before you get this to work. The last few may have to be stuck into the circulator tubes (use wheel bearing grease). When all are safely back into the inner most grooves of the worm shaft and nut and the circulator tubes anchored back in place, then you can reload the reversed shaft back into the case. Use plent of lube (I use Lubriplate Assembly Lube). You need to adjust preload on the ball bearings that support the worm shaft and, finally, adjust the backlash between the two gears.
because I dont have money to spend at will this car is being built on a very very tight budget so Im forced to work with what I got right now I see the BMW 2002 series boxes going for well over $350 and a reversed corvair box sells from some vendors on here for about $250 and then needs modification to work with a cowl setup I got a pile of about 5 steering boxes at the swap for $25 so thats just money saved I can spend elsewhere on the car right now
HMM thanks for bringing this up I wasnt aware that the portion with the teeth on the worm shaft (steering wheel shaft) had to be reversed as well I measured and marked how much the shafts turned before I took it apart and again measured and marked how much they turned after I put it back together with the shaft coming out of the other side of the box and it moves the same distance for each shaft and there is no slop or play in the movement and either shaft does not have any movement side to side or in and out theres really only 1 way the gears can be installed onto each other to get the shaft both back into the housing if the 2 seperate gears are meshed correctly I cant see there being a problem it didnt appear that there was a taper on either side of the gear teeth but I will go back and take a closer look I didnt think it was anything to consider during this process and this is the first time Im hearing of any of this everything Ive read or looked into didnt mention this process I will take a look at it tonight again thanks for pointing that out
Great, it might take me two days to "get" what Dale said about the angle on the teeth in pic 4, and why that angle means the worm needs flipping. Too late at night for me to grasp it yet ..and no, I have never done reversing
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