steering box woes

[metalneverdies]

Spent a good portion of the day messing with my steering box.


It was leaking badly so I went to Oreilly auto and bought a reman box. Looks ok, except even with the box out of the truck it won't let me slide on my steering shaft. The splines look good on my steering shaft and they look alittle lower and not as defined on the reman. I am going to try and get them to swap it out tomorrow for one that will mate up.

Should I keep the reman? Fight to get my box back with a refund? I don't know of anyplace that will rebuild my stock box.

 

[sweetk30]

could have been swaped before . early boxes had smaller spline count on input shaft.

rag joint swap from same era would fix this.

and dont know if he still does but 4x4high reman's boxes here and from what i hear he is GOOD

 

[metalneverdies]

Pretty sure it was never swapped before. But a possibility I guess

 

[metalneverdies]

Well, I PMed 4x4high.

Hopefully I can get my original box back tomorrow and send it out to him, if he is willing to rebuild it

 

[metalneverdies]

I'm afraid to see the cost of shipping something as beefy as that. haha!

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Ship it priority flat-rate.
Package the HELL out of it, tho....

My new steering box came from a junk yard, fwiw...

 

[POORBOYK5]

was it just leaking or was it loose? Should be able to get a sseal kit for it and replae all the seals yourself if its just leaking from age. O'reilleys should stock one for about $25. Just another option

 

[oakknight]

I am going to suggest a different route. Why not do the XJ steering shaft upgrade and replace the rag joints and improve the steering for a few bucks?

 

[metalneverdies]

I am going to suggest a different route. Why not do the XJ steering shaft upgrade and replace the rag joints and improve the steering for a few bucks?

The steering is fine, other than it was leaking so bad I have oil on the tail gate and drivers side of my truck from driving at free way speed.

Not a lot of junkyards out here. With working 60 hrs a week and only hating half a Saturday and 3 hr of a Sunday for my weekend I don't have time to go junk yard searching either.

I think I'm going to have it rebuild by 4x4high. Might not be the cheapest solution, but if his work is good then it should last another 20 years like factory.

I may put in the xj shaft alittle bit further down the road. Mainly, right now, I just want to get it driveable so I can wheel OT once before I start nodding it a bunch.

 

[oakknight]

Cool Where in Okla are you ?

 

[metalneverdies]

Cool Where in Okla are you ?

I live in Norman and work in the OKC area.

 

[oakknight]

Cool Im just North of you in Wichita

 

[metalneverdies]

Sweet, I'm looking to hit up hogans offroad park in Disney, OK in a few weeks if you are interested in running a few trails.

 

[oakknight]

Well my offroad club is going to ksrocks park in 2 weeks . but.. I have a cracked frame , I actually broke my steering box off the frame.lol I am not sure If I will be repaired in time.

 

[metalneverdies]

Dang that's intense. I have a hairline crack starting in mine, right on the inside edge off the bend where the fame starts the C. Need to find some one willing to weld it.