I'm installing the Borgeson steering box kit in my '70 and I'm having difficulties collapsing the column's shaft. Anyone else have this issue?

I have the column out of the car and still no luck. I don't want to hammer on this to hard and break something inside. I already contacted Mr. Shea and have his papers on column rebuild already.

Also I'm a little concerned about the gearbox itself as there seems to be excessive friction "at center" compared to full left/right positions. Anyone else feel that on their new box?

At this rate I may not get this completed today.

Thanks,
GD

 

As I recall you do have to break the plastic part inside the column that keeps the shaft from collapsing. It breaks when the shaft is tapped hard enough, then the shaft should go back in fairly easily. I had a lot of crap at the end of my steering shaft and cleaned that first.




http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...n-options.html

 

Thanks for the link, I didn't see that during my searches.
I too had to clean the shaft of overspray and junk on the
exposed section. Still doesn't move.

Hammered on the old portion of rag joint and after some
indentations it still doesn't move. Tried again with column
on bench with a block of wood and hammer with no results.
Figured I'd stop there as I've never had one this hard to
collapse before (other new GM projects).

At some point I'll have to dive into the column to do some
repair and also so we can repaint the column for black
interior. For now just wanted to get the box in and get
tie rods on to move it around the garage.

GD

 

Usually the steering column is removed from the car; the steering shaft "tapped" on the floor; and the steering shaft shortens itself without the owner even being aware of the problem. Then when the column is reinstalled in the car, the owner discovers that the steering column shaft doesn't reach the flex coupling on the gear and can't understand what happened.

So your problem is unusual in that the shaft won't move. There is a plastic injected joint holding the upper and lower steering shafts in place. The joint is designed to shear and the shafts telescope in a severe frontal collision.

BTW, the telescoping tubes in the previous posting is actually the energy absorbing joint that is used in the steering column jacket. It was invented, manufactured, and placed in production at Saginaw Steering Gear starting in the 1969 model year.

The typical Saginaw (Borgeson) steering gear is designed such that there is a small interference between the pitman shaft teeth and the rack teeth exactly on center. There is also designed clearance off-center all the way to full lock. So you will be able to actually measure a difference in turning torque of the input shaft (in inch-lbs) from on-center to areas off-center. (The gear would have to be empty of fluid during the test.) However, I am not sure that you could actually feel the difference.
Jim

 

The problem may be with your lower bearing being rusted tight to the shaft and jamming into the shift lock and column outer housing and not the telescope feature at all. Sometimes these bearings get so solid, the only choice it to cut the inner race off and replace.
If you already have the bearing off, disregard this.

 

Thanks Jim. It appears the lower bearing is not moving freely on the shaft dispite soaking for a day now. When I try and pry out the lower bearing from main tube it does not move. I may have to cut it off and replace it. Since I will have to order parts I may as well dive into the rest of the column and update it as well.

As far as the steering box goes, at 90* off center in either direction it's hard to turn the input shaft. I don't want to install this and find out later there's a QC issue from vendor. I have a PM to them or I will follow up more on Monday. I mentioned the same torque check (in lbs) in my email to them as well.

Like everything else on the project over the years...one step forward, three back.

GD.

 

Just wondering why you did not have your OEM box blue printed and rebuilt by someone like GTR1999? I had my done a couple of months ago and I have zero play in the box now and the car steers terrifically and goes where it is steered to. I love it-better than when the car was NEW!!!

 

If there is any oil inside the gear and the ports are plugged for shipping, you will feel a hydraulic lock when you try to rotate the input shaft. Could that be what you are feeling with your Borgeson gear?
Jim

 

I just completed my Borgeson project a month ago. Unfortunately, I can't help with the steering column because mine collapsed with minimal effort.

I had the tightness at on the input shaft near center as well. I don't notice it now that there is fluid in it and everything is operational.

I did have a very difficult time getting the pittman arm up the splines on the new steering box. It took several attemps and a file to get it to go. After getting metal burrs on the original pittman arm I tried a new remanufactured pittman arm I had and got the same problem. Borgeson said that they can't control the quality of remanufactured parts. That doesn't answer why I had the problem on what I believe to be the original pittman arm. Borgeson said that the pittman arm doesn't need to be all the way up the splines, just enough to get the nut fully threaded (~1/4" short if being all the way up). That took a breaker bar with a 2-foot cheater with all of my strength, to the point where I hurt my elbow from pulling and was seriously worried about pulling the car off the jack stands. I used anti-sieze grease on the splines.

Now that it is installed, I love it. Jeff at Borgeson was very helpful.