Steering box gurus...HELP!!

[southernspeed]

I'm just drilling and tapping my box for hydro assist and like an IDIOT I let the input shaft fall out.
I know have 6 black balls, 7 chrome balls and a worm gear sitting on my bench!
How the heck do I put it back in????? Anyone?

 

[1-ton]

I did a search for any tech articles about rebuilding Saginaw steering gear boxes, but I could not find any. rebuilding steering gear boxes must be one of those black arts that no one wants anybody else to know about.

 

[southernspeed]

Thanks for trying! I've surfed google for ages looking but no luck. I'm pretty sure I can see how to do it and with some grease to hold them in place it should be easy enough....but if I'm wrong it'll be big! There's a lot of forces going on inside a steering box!

 

[1-ton]

Dude! I did another search, and found a tech article on rebuilding steering gear boxes. It comes from PavementSucks.com. Here is the link...Sorry! after looking at this article closer, it only shows how to get a sector shaft out.

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech/steeringbox.php

 

[1-ton]

Apperantly CK5 used to have a tech article on rebuilding steering gear boxes, but now it is gone. Here is the old link for it...http://coloradok5.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2146&stc=1. I wonder why they do not have that tech article anymore?

 

[southernspeed]

Thanks for the effort! I guess no one else has been dumb enough to drop the input shaft out like me!!!
The tech article prob got lost when the server crashed a couple of years ago.

 

[76zimmer]

Can you get your hands on a GM service manual? It should have that in it. If not I can look at mine if I can remember.

 

[bdozeraz]

I did that along time ago so I don't remember exactly, but you need to get some realy thick grease to hold the ball bearings to the shaft as you put it back in. Also the black ones and chrome ones are slightly different sizes and you need to alternate them: one chrome, one black, one chrome, and so on.
Hope this helps.
Brent

 

[Stomper]

Steering box

Here ya go

 

[southernspeed]

Steering box

Here ya go

Thanks for that but I'm a bit confused! I haven't got the box here at home with me so i could be talking outta my backside but when the 'piston' is in the bore of the box you can't get to the pipe and bolts to put the bearings in?
Have I misread that post and what I'm supposed to do is put enough grease in to hold the bearings, put all the bearings in with the piston out of the box, remove worm gear then put the piston back in the box from one end then the worm gear from the other??/
Sorry to seem a bit dumb but I can't work it out in my head!!
Thanks.

 

[85mudblazin]

Why were you messing with the input shaft anyways??

 

[southernspeed]

Well, you know....one minute it's sitting in the box, I turn the box over to try get all the filings out and bamm...tinkle tinkle...shaft and ball bearings on bench!

 

[85mudblazin]

but why did you pull out the front part of the box?

All you need to do is stick a antenna magent in the holes to get the shavings out.

 

[southernspeed]

I didn't pull the front part untill the worm gear fell out the back. Then I thought i may as well clean the box properly. The front ain't a prob, it's getting the balls back in and the input shaft back in that's a problem!

 

[Stomper]

Thanks for that but I'm a bit confused! I haven't got the box here at home with me so i could be talking outta my backside but when the 'piston' is in the bore of the box you can't get to the pipe and bolts to put the bearings in?
Have I misread that post and what I'm supposed to do is put enough grease in to hold the bearings, put all the bearings in with the piston out of the box, remove worm gear then put the piston back in the box from one end then the worm gear from the other??/
Sorry to seem a bit dumb but I can't work it out in my head!!
Thanks.

You're correct.....You'd have to pull the sector shaft to do it the way I said....Which isn't hard to do..