I Hate My Power Steering!

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

The thing I hate about my mopar is the power steering, it just SUCKS! I have had the gear rebuilt, heavier reaction springs fitted, bearings machined into the sector shaft, new ball joints, the coupler is good, I have adjusted the sector shaft adjuster nut with the engine running yet the thing still has 1.5 to 2" of free play at the wheel in the center position, I read these articles and it says there should be none! I would like a Firm Feel Gear but they are like $1200-$1500NZD Gear+Core+Shipping to NZ it all adds up. Am I expecting to much from my steering gear, can you really get next to zero free play or at least down to a 1/8inch or 1/4"?

Mopars on Steeroids: We steer you in the right direction...

Thanks
Bruce

 

[Camtron]

I’m leaning towards a Borgeson box and pump in the future myself. From what I’ve read, they’re they only box that will get rid of that for our cars.
I think @Duke5A runs their box and pump in his car.

Mopar Cars 1962-82

 

[Bruceynz]

Borgeson are illegal in NZ due to the Steel brackets bird shit welded to the body of the steering gear. Check out photos and see if you would put your life on the line.

 

[Camtron]

No to answer your question.
Is your Mopar right hand drive or a left hand drive import?
Either way, that sucks.

 

[Bruceynz]

Check out the photo on right, check welding

 

[Camtron]

Check out the photo on right, check welding

View attachment 45292

Oh wow. Welds on the left hand models too. Interesting.
Seems plenty of people use them just fine here.
Now those imports were the whole housing has been welded, I can understand those being banned.

 

[Bruceynz]

My car left hand drive

 

[Bruceynz]

Oh wow. Welds on the left hand models too. Interesting.
Seems plenty of people use them just fine here.
Now those imports were the whole housing has been welded, I can understand those being banned.

Take your chances I guess but here they are banned!

 

[Camtron]

anyhow, to your original post, you’re likely about as good as you can be steering wise with what you’ve already done. Even the Firm Feel boxes have the slop in them.

 

[Aspen500]

The basic design of the Mopar steering gear and the way it works is always going to have some freeplay or "slop" on center. The sector shaft moves up and down slightly when the wheel is turned. That's how it compresses the reaction springs to allow fluid flow in one direction or the other. I call it an on center dead spot. Even the Firm Feel Stage 2 in my car still has SOME on center freeplay but it's a lot, lot less than the stock one was. Also, with this gear, there actually is some road feel, unlike the stock one which seemed to give way too much assist. Overhauling it made it better but I still wasn't happy.

P.S. It was the first steering gear I've overhauled and while the service manual goes step by step, it was also my last. It's a "did it once and once is one time too many" type of job! NEVER AGAIN!

 

[Bruceynz]

Is the manual steering setup any better for free play? I hear it's heavier than holding on to a poo when your busting to go!

 

[Bruceynz]

I have about 5.5 degrees caster on my car, that will make it even heavier!

 

[Bruceynz]

Oh wow. Welds on the left hand models too. Interesting.
Seems plenty of people use them just fine here.
Now those imports were the whole housing has been welded, I can understand those being banned.

If you read the NZ LVV bulletin they became aware of this issue after they suspect a weld broke, I dunno what you guys know about welding, I tried once to weld cast iron to steel, heating up, cooling down etc with I think was at the time low Hydrogen rods, (going back 20+ years now) and the welds cracked, so I know some places can weld blocks but everything has to be perfect and if it cracks later in life I doubt a crack in a block would have any impact on you like a steering wheel that turns and does nothing at 80mph

 

[Duke5A]

For what it's worth Borgeson has a second generation version of that box without the welds. The housing is all cast one piece.

Borgeson Small Sector Steering Box Only - Bergman Auto Craft

This is the version I have on my car and my Dad's car. You're not going to get any better than this. This box does remove the slop at 12 o' clock. Pair it with one of their power steering pumps. There are so many different flow and pressure combinations on Chrysler power steering pumps it's best just to get one that is matched for the box.

There are no rack and pinion conversions that I know off unless you're replacing everything with a custom K frame. The steering on these cars is behind the wheels and all the rack/pinion setups I see are forward of the wheels.

 

[Aspen500]

What kind of skews our perception of the steering is we (well most of us) get used to the newer cars that we drive most of the time, with rack and pinion and forget, all cars were kind of sloppy driving back then. Actually, I think Mopar's were a whole lot better than Ford or GM, especially Ford. In the summer my DD is an '08 Mustang and winter it's a '96 Dakota, both rack and pinion and I get so used to them that when I drive the Aspen, at first I think something's wrong but then remember it's a whole different system from another era.

Manual steering does take the slop out but, you need to have Popeye arms to steer, especially at low speeds or when stopped. My '70 Barracuda Gran Coupe comes to mind, that I had from '81-'86. Manual steering and it was a bear to drive in the city. I ended up converting it to power since it's one swap that truly is "bolt in" (took about 2 hrs start to finish). Made the car MUCH nicer to drive.

 

[BudW]

He (or We) need the Large Sector shaft box for FMJ's. The pictures do appear to be all cast (ie: no welds).

 

[Duke5A]

He (or We) need the Large Sector shaft box for FMJ's. The pictures do appear to be all cast (ie: no welds).

Here is the large sector box: Borgeson Large Sector Steering Box Only - Bergman Auto Craft

Linked the wrong one.

 

[Bruceynz]

For what it's worth Borgeson has a second generation version of that box without the welds. The housing is all cast one piece.

Borgeson Small Sector Steering Box Only - Bergman Auto Craft

This is the version I have on my car and my Dad's car. You're not going to get any better than this. This box does remove the slop at 12 o' clock. Pair it with one of their power steering pumps. There are so many different flow and pressure combinations on Chrysler power steering pumps it's best just to get one that is matched for the box.

There are no rack and pinion conversions that I know off unless you're replacing everything with a custom K frame. The steering on these cars is behind the wheels and all the rack/pinion setups I see are forward of the wheels.

Thats good to know as the welded ones were not allowed here! My car has the power steering pump that came with the magnum in the day, were those pumps all different pressures too?

 

[Duke5A]

Thats good to know as the welded ones were not allowed here! My car has the power steering pump that came with the magnum in the day, were those pumps all different pressures too?

Honestly, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if the Magnum era pumps are all the same though. Question though is what exactly is the pressure and flow rated at? Guys on Moparts might know if nobody here does.

The Borgeson box costs $600 here. Wouldn't the import taxes double it, or am I thinking Australia?

 

[Bruceynz]

Honestly, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if the Magnum era pumps are all the same though. Question though is what exactly is the pressure and flow rated at? Guys on Moparts might know if nobody here does.

The Borgeson box costs $600 here. Wouldn't the import taxes double it, or am I thinking Australia?

there is no import tax as such, there is a flat rate 15% here which is charged on the item and the shipping, thats on everything, Sales tax, really grinds my gears as I pay for shipping and I pay tax on it but the shipping was not even done by NZ company! Exchange rate is about .65 and lets say $100USD to get here so $595 + $100 = $695 / .65 + tax = $1230NZD for a steering gear, and I dunno about you but its the same for you guys in USA paying $1230 for it as me paying $1230 for it, the hit is hard! its over 1/10th the price of the car just for a steering gear if you follow what I mean! The joys of living at the bottom of the planet!