66 steering box rebuild

[Bruce L.]

I am comptemplating rebuilding my own steering box with one of the kits offered from the venders. Does anyone know how difficult this is or have any insight into this? Are there any special tools required? My box is out of the car and on the bench. It seems nice and tight but leaks a little around the lower seal. Should I rebuild it for $50.0 or send it out for a couple hundred? Thanks in advance for our opinion. Bruce

[Jim S.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

Bruce,

I wrestled with that one myself, than I found out that Lone Star Caliper offers a Rebuilt one with exchange for around $110 .

I just ordered it so I can not tell you if it is the exact duplicate of mine or not . I did not send them mine ,as I was not prepared to do so until I saw their's first, hence an additional $80 core charge. Check back with me in a week or so and I will let you know the results of my inspection.

Jim

[Terry M.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

When I was editor of The Restorer I published a story on how to do a steering box rebuild. that story also mantioned the kit.

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

Bruce,

It's a piece of cake! Read the article in "The Restorer" and go for the gold! You will feel great driving a Corvette that you rebuilt yourself! Indeed, Lonestar has a fine product as well as many other vendors. I'm sure you will find that it's a properly rebuilt original with all numbers correct on the top cover.

JR

[Harmon C.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

If you only plan on doing one gearbox I would suggest you pay the $110. To clean up the unit you have and rebuild it depending on if you have a parts washer and other tools will take you 4-8 hours. The parts you need as far as seals were available at your local GM dealer for much less than $50. but some are packaged ten in a seaed bag and your dealer won't sell you one. I bought the parts for 10 kits in 95 for a little over $100. so you may want to check with your GM parts man.

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

If you only plan on doing one gearbox I would suggest you pay the $110. To clean up the unit you have and rebuild it depending on if you have a parts washer and other tools will take you 4-8 hours. The parts you need as far as seals were available at your local GM dealer for much less than $50. but some are packaged ten in a seaed bag and your dealer won't sell you one. I bought the parts for 10 kits in 95 for a little over $100. so you may want to check with your GM parts man.

Lyle----


A lot has changed with respect to GM-available 63-82 Corvette steering gear rebuild parts since 1995. The ONLY parts currently available from GM are the pitman shaft bushing, GM #266316, the worm shaft bearings, GM #5666693, and the pitman shaft seal, GM #7801626. That's it. Everything else is discontinued without supercession. All of the available parts are available, though, in unit quantities of one. Also, many of the parts needed to rebuild the Corvette steering gear are available in the aftermarket or reproduction.

[Gary R.]

Re: 66 steering box rebuild

I have rebuilt a lot of C2 & C3 boxes. For $100-$200 you're going to get a master kit and paint job at best. I've had them sent to me from all over and some were recently purchased rebuilds or "new" boxes. The common theme with all of them is the lack of setup and in many cases the internal parts were not replaced at all. I'm not speaking of any particular rebuilder either. There are some very fine shops out there and there are some that call a paint job and too much grease a rebuilt box.

The area of slop in many boxes are the bushings. The kit bushings are not too bad but for the best option machining cutom fit bushings is the way to go. Attention to preload and lash setting is also over looked a lot. I've seen many boxes come in with 3 in/lbs from lock to lock.

Over adjusting or adjusting them off center will result in poor feel and wear out the gears rapidly.

Good luck, if you have a dial 0-30 in/lb TW, access to a lathe then you can build a box better then anyone's.