Corvette Steering Box Swap?

[Justin S]

If you haven't gone over anything lately, I bet the idler and pitman are shot, you can easily tell, have someone wiggle the wheel back and forth slowly just to the point where the wheel turns, and look at the shaft coming off of the steering box where it attaches to the center link, I bet there's slop. Also, ball joints and tie rods will add to that.

 

[Justin S]

The last truck I had, well I still have the frame, drove decently but had sloppy steering. Once I put it in the air, I could move the driver's front wheel back and forth over 30 degrees without moving the steering wheel because so many things were shot.

 

[LML Duramax 95 Z71]

I'm gonna have to check all those parts but I was just reading a thread on here where a guy put a 454ss steering box in his lifted 4wd Silverado and it's been working fine for about 2 years

 

[df2x4]

I'm gonna have to check all those parts but I was just reading a thread on here where a guy put a 454ss steering box in his lifted 4wd Silverado and it's been working fine for about 2 years

"Working fine" doesn't necessarily mean "safe."

 

[kennythewelder]

The rag joint @ the steering shaft to steering box connection, are bad for creating steering slop in our trucks. If all the front end parts check out good, the rag joint is most likely the problem. You can replace the rag joint or even better, do the jeep steering knuckle swap.

 

[LML Duramax 95 Z71]

"Working fine" doesn't necessarily mean "safe."

That may be true but if I remember correctly, which I am, he said he tried it in panic situations and nothing bad happened because his brain had adjusted to the new steering. You guys are acting like our brains don't learn the capability of our vehicles and adjust our actions accordingly, which they do.

 

[df2x4]

You guys are acting like our brains don't learn the capability of our vehicles and adjust our actions accordingly, which they do.

And you're acting like the basic physics of the argument are invalid because of this. They're not. Less turns of the wheel to accomplish the same action = easier rollover in a less than desireable situation.

The whole "your brain adjusts" argument is true for everyday driving. But like @FL0WL0W said in the thread you're talking about, "if you turn it fast at high speed doent matter what ratio your box is you're going to roll." Do you honestly want to make that physically easier to do with your choice of parts? I sure wouldn't.

 

[Ironhead]

I'm thinking the same as a couple of other guys here: first thing to do is make sure your steering and front end is all in good order. Start with the ball joints, by taking the weight at the outer end of the lower control arm using a bottle jack or similar. Put a long pry bar under the front tires, and check for ball joint slop while prying the wheel up and letting it go down. Second point is the idler arm. Notorious for failing, often due to the fact that some guys do not realize there's a grease fitting hidden up behind the lower rad hose. The check is to watch it, while someone else turns the steering wheel. The ball joints on the ends of the pitman arm, idler arm, centre link, and outer tie rods can all be checked fairly easily.

If all that is good and free of slop, time to go ver the steering shaft and box. Not rocket science at all. Once all that stuff is fine, you may be happy with the steering, or not.

If not, I think the sport steering box suggestion is the best bet available to you that would swap in with minimum work.

 

[LML Duramax 95 Z71]

I'm thinking the same as a couple of other guys here: first thing to do is make sure your steering and front end is all in good order. Start with the ball joints, by taking the weight at the outer end of the lower control arm using a bottle jack or similar. Put a long pry bar under the front tires, and check for ball joint slop while prying the wheel up and letting it go down. Second point is the idler arm. Notorious for failing, often due to the fact that some guys do not realize there's a grease fitting hidden up behind the lower rad hose. The check is to watch it, while someone else turns the steering wheel. The ball joints on the ends of the pitman arm, idler arm, centre link, and outer tie rods can all be checked fairly easily.

If all that is good and free of slop, time to go ver the steering shaft and box. Not rocket science at all. Once all that stuff is fine, you may be happy with the steering, or not.

If not, I think the sport steering box suggestion is the best bet available to you that would swap in with minimum work.

Thank you. I am going to check all that out but I already know from when there wasn't this much slop, that I'm just not happy with the amount of lock to lock turns it takes. I live out in the country so we have lots of windy backroads and with the slow ratio box, I have to turn the wheel 90+degrees for nearly every single turn. That coupled with the totally numb steering feel, doesn't inspire much comfort let alone confidence during corners

 

[Ironhead]

OK, got it. I guess I'd like my truck to handle a bit more like my Mustang GT, but I'm used to the numb truck feel now. Good luck on getting your truck to steer as you'd like it to.