Steering boxes

[andrewb70]

On my recent trip with the GTO, driving from Alabama to Kansas City, I noticed that at certain points my steering would get very tight and have a bit of a bind on center. At first I thought it was maybe something in the column and that maybe it was temperature related. For instance, when we first got on the road it was 90 degrees and it was binding. The next morning when we resumed our trip, it was fine, and by later in the day, when it got hot again, it started doing it again...

But then, even when it was hot, it was fine again. It seems unlikely that the issue is in the column (but maybe)...Maybe the pump? It was full of fluid. Maybe it is my 20 year old AGR steering box itself?

I am open to suggestions if anyone has experienced something similar.

I would also like to hear experiences with various steering boxes that are available on the market and real world driving impressions.

Andrew

[TheBandit]

You might have contaminants in your powersteering fluid occasionally interfering with the pressure regulator or you might simply have a regulator that's occasionally sticking/failing. I think it's less likely, but also possible the servo in the box is having an issue. Or you could have air in the system. Just some ideas.

[Z06vet]

The only similar thing I have come across, I had a 67 camaro with an older flaming river column in it. It had a nylon bushing on the bottom end instead of a bearing. As long as the car was moving, everything was fine. But after sitting in traffic, or sitting idling for a while, the wheel would get harder & harder to turn the long it sat without moving. That bushing was swelling with the heat. I ended up honing it slightly a little at a time, until there was just enough clearance to allow the heat expansion to not bind the shaft. I have read about the contaminants though, as mentioned above. What pump are you running? Is the pressure line in good shape? Pressure valve in the pump? Just rattling ideas off top of my head.

[andrewb70]

You might have contaminants in your powersteering fluid occasionally interfering with the pressure regulator or you might simply have a regulator that's occasionally sticking/failing. I think it's less likely, but also possible the servo in the box is having an issue. Or you could have air in the system. Just some ideas.

Clint,
Those are great suggestions and a good place to start before I start throwing money at it!


The only similar thing I have come across, I had a 67 camaro with an older flaming river column in it. It had a nylon bushing on the bottom end instead of a bearing. As long as the car was moving, everything was fine. But after sitting in traffic, or sitting idling for a while, the wheel would get harder & harder to turn the long it sat without moving. That bushing was swelling with the heat. I ended up honing it slightly a little at a time, until there was just enough clearance to allow the heat expansion to not bind the shaft. I have read about the contaminants though, as mentioned above. What pump are you running? Is the pressure line in good shape? Pressure valve in the pump? Just rattling ideas off top of my head.

Funny that you mentioned Flaming River, because I did not, but my car, in fact does have a Flaming Rive column in it, and it is from about 20 years ago! It feels exactly like a bushing was tightening up in the column!

Andrew

[CarlC]

Though not a Flaming River, the Camaro used to have an Ididit column. Thinking that an aftermarket column would be an upgrade, I learned the hard way that it's exactly the opposite. Having the stock column rebuilt and converted to tilt was made a huge difference in feel, smoothness, etc. It's crazy how much better it is vs. the aftermarket parts.

[dontlifttoshift]

Make sure linkage isn't rubbing on anything. Motor mounts settle and header clearance gets tight, sometimes the box shifts and the set screws for the u joints can catch the frame.

I've posted it about a 1000 times on here, you can't beat the Borgeson 12:1 box for the money. I went from a Delphi (DSE) to the Borgeson and ran it all year and just swapped it back and the difference in feel is so minor that most people would never notice it.

The problem is, you don't have a box problem. It's a mechanical bind somewhere or a pump issue.

[andrewb70]

Carl and Donny,

I really appreciate the thoughtful advice!
I actually now remember that mine is an Ididit column and not Flaming River.
Where do I even begin to look for a rebuilt stock column? I actually would like a stock column because my current key location is on the dash and I'd like to move it back to the column.

Andrew

[dhutton]

You can usually find stock tilt columns on eBay.

Don

[TheBandit]

I think this might be the guy to talk to:
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/133843-67-68-Camaro-Chevelle-rebuilt-tilt-steering-column

[ULTM8Z]

I've posted it about a 1000 times on here, you can't beat the Borgeson 12:1 box for the money.


100,000,000% agree.

Combined with their U-joint steering shaft setup and more modern caster settings with tubular control arms, and you'll have a steering set up that's easily on par with most anything late model today.

[cdrod]

^^ This ^^
Give Jim a call, he's great to work with and very responsive.

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/133843-67-68-Camaro-Chevelle-rebuilt-tilt-steering-column

It is a side business for him (he has a day job) but he does good work and doesn't over-commit so his delivery times are good. I purchased a tilt column from him for my '72 Cutlass/442 convertible project. His rebuilds include a new turn signal switch, bearings, billet tilt and turn levers, and a lock cylinder and set of keys. The column he sent me did not have an ignition switch but it did have an old NSS switch, which didn't match my wiring harness so I replaced it along with a new ignition switch. It was carefully packed for shipping and arrived safely. I paid $550 for mine (shipping included). Highly recommended!

Rodney

[andrewb70]

Thank you everyone for the responses! This is why this forum is so awesome! I sent Jim a text.

Andrew

[minendrews68]

Yeah Andrew, I have this problem still. I first thought it was trash in my system, drained everything and cleaned the stainless steel screen in the reservoir and put in a inline filter. Still did the same thing. Mine doesn't start to get into a bind until things heat up. When I first start out everything is fine after it heats up i start seeing problems. Some on here have suggested that since the steering box is so close to the header tube that the heat is in some way causing this. I haven't solved it yet, I am waiting to see what you come up with. My column is a "birdsand bowties" column. The people above are right, Jim Dion is a heck of a guy to build you a column. I've had mine for a few years now. He built mine with something he's not done before and I really like it, even though he said he wouldn't do another one anytime soon. He put my dimmer switch in the column. Mine is a '68 Camaro where originally the dimmer switch was in the floor.

[andrewb70]

Yeah Andrew, I have this problem still. I first thought it was trash in my system, drained everything and cleaned the stainless steel screen in the reservoir and put in a inline filter. Still did the same thing. Mine doesn't start to get into a bind until things heat up. When I first start out everything is fine after it heats up i start seeing problems. Some on here have suggested that since the steering box is so close to the header tube that the heat is in some way causing this. I haven't solved it yet, I am waiting to see what you come up with. My column is a "birdsand bowties" column. The people above are right, Jim Dion is a heck of a guy to build you a column. I've had mine for a few years now. He built mine with something he's not done before and I really like it, even though he said he wouldn't do another one anytime soon. He put my dimmer switch in the column. Mine is a '68 Camaro where originally the dimmer switch was in the floor.

Carl,

Thanks for the input. On a A body the steering box is in front of the front crossmember so it doesn't get anywhere near the headers, so I actually don't think it is related to the steering box itself. I exchanged a couple of texts with Jim and he said that he is pretty busy, which is fine, I am not in a hurry. However when I did describe the issue to him he said that it seemed "odd."

I will keep everyone updated.

Andrew