Steering box

[Bob_C]

Recently took my A1 to get a safety inspection. All looked OK except my steering. Theres quite a bit of slop in the steering gearbox. I thought it was perhaps normal, since the previous owner supposidly rebuilt the box. Luckily for me, the guy that took a look at it is part of my local club and has an M38, so he's not in the dark with how they work. He said it was pretty worn. Which explains that ugly leak by the pitman arm.

Question for you all. They look simple inside. But finding parts is a mess. Many people only want to sell me the full gearbox. Anyone have the individual parts -- that are of any type of quality? No JC Whitney, No Tiawan. Yes, sometimes you get good stuff from them -- but often you don't. Dont feel like gambling now, just want a quality part that works.

Or is it even worth it to rebuild? I understand theres some bushing in here that have to be machines pretty darn close. Would it just be worth it to get a NOS one / govt rebuilt and just call it done?
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Bob Collins
1954 M38A1 MD79056

[Ryan_Miller]

Bob,

There is a bushing in there that you have to use a reamer to get within a certain tolerance.

I took mine to a guy down the road who has done a lot of them.

I would think about having a shop rebuild it or buying a rebuilt/NOS gearbox.
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Ryan Miller
MVPA # 22010

[Ryan]

I got my parts form krage motor sports. The sector and worm shafts are newly available. I reamed my bushings out with a brake hone. Everything went back together right so Im going to run it like it is until it gets loose again. If you follow the procedure in the tm's its not hard to rebuild the box.

[Bob_C]

Well, I took it apart yesterday. First thing I noticed was the glittery oil. And big hunks of metal shavings. The previous owner actually had grease in there and said he rebuilt it -- so I did have it apart before, but never noticed the little metal shavings (or really looked at it closely. Just wiped up the grease, made sure all was there, and called it good. Needless to say that assumption that everything worked was a wrong one). . There were also hunks of metal in the bottom. Worm shaft was basically gone. Sector shaft I think they call it was gone (the dowels + the shaft itself). ball bearings were corroded. It was a mess.

I have a show coming up next weekend. And I didn't feel like hunting for parts that if i got could be bad. Many places don't have them / only have Tiawan repro. Some stuff from Tiawan is good. Some is bad. ANd thats a gamble I dont want to take. Heard some good about Krage, heard some bad (pertaining to steering gearbox) -- and I just was not in the mood to gamle.

So I went to Aberdeen yesterday in the quest for parts for my gearbox (and to check out the really awesome stuff!). No one really had anything I was looking for. George Baxter was there and brought along a Govt rebuilt steering gearbox luckily, and I bought it from him (AJP is always a little on the expensive side, but I've never had a problem with any of his stuff at all).

Installed it today. Steering is a LOT better. Although, my bellcrank is a little lose, yet I replaced that whole center bolt + bushing + needle bearins + seals, etc. George was saying something like I have to extend the cut in my frame at that bracket or something. I didn't quite pick up all of it. Anyone know what he would be talking about?

(Just an FYI Ryan. I think that bushing is supposed to be reamed actually. It is my understanding that they want that and the shaft to extremely tight tolerances, which is why they make it undersized so you can get within a few thousands of an inch of what its supposed to be).
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Bob Collins
1954 M38A1 MD79056

[Ryan_Miller]

Bob,

I think you did the right thing. Less headaches anyway!

I'm not sure what George was talking about as I am not up on the M38A1 frame/steering stuff.

If Wes doesn't post on here soon, give him an email.


Glad you got it worked out!

Let's see some action photos of your jeep running!
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Ryan Miller
MVPA # 22010