Steering Gear Box Removal Problems....
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Middle Island New York
Steering Gear Box Removal Problems....
Hey Guys, maybe you can help me out. I got a 1971 corvette a little while back. Removed the raj joint and decided to replace the steering gear box since I'm under there; make it all new. I can get the raj joint on the new gear box no problem, and I have the old gear box off the frame of the vette. However, I cannot remove the big Nut on the bottom of the old gear box to pull it out and put the new one back in. This is ot to mention I don't know what kiind of headach it'll be to put it back together right so the steering wheel isn't upside down or something when I'm going straight.
Anyway, need help with ideas of how to get the old gearbox off the vette so I can put the new one on and drive it again.
Thanks
Stephen D.
Anyway, need help with ideas of how to get the old gearbox off the vette so I can put the new one on and drive it again.
Thanks
Stephen D.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,435
Likes: 793
From: Redondo Beach, California
That "big Nut" on the bottom of the old gear box, is I suppose the nut holding on the pitman arm. The nut was installed with something like 140 foot pounds of torque. I'ts going to take a lot of torque to get it off especially if it's rusted to the shaft. You'll have to rebolt the steering box to the frame to get that much torque on the nut. Next, as you try to unscrew the nut, you'll move the pitman arm so that it uses up all of its gearing play in the box. Putting torque in the hundreds' of foot pound range may damage the gears in the box. You need to move the Pitman arm to an intermediate position and then use a jamb, a piece of wood, a metal tool, etc to hold it in place and then unscrew it the nut. Also, when applying this much torque, make sure you don't push the car off of its jacks.
Maybe just remove the box with the Pitman arm still attached. This means using a pickle fork to pull the tie rod like attachment oof of the control valve assembly (assuming you've a PS car).
