Steering relay rod for power steering / pitman arm
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 238
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From: Nashville, TN
Steering relay rod for power steering / pitman arm
For someone replacing their core power steering components, including steering box, slave piston and valve, hoses, tie red ends, tie rod sleeves and idler arm, is there any material value replacing the pitman arm and steering relay rod if these parts are not bent and have no obvious signs of damage?
I can understand replacing or rebuilding the steering relay rod on a non power steering car due to the ball joints and other moving parts but for a power steering car it seems like a waste, ditto for the pitman arm. Am I thinking the right way?
I can understand replacing or rebuilding the steering relay rod on a non power steering car due to the ball joints and other moving parts but for a power steering car it seems like a waste, ditto for the pitman arm. Am I thinking the right way?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,135
Likes: 3,939
From: Connecticut, USA
It depends on the parts. If they are original GM parts they are usually better than some of the new parts. For example, we never had all the leak issues with original GM PS control valves, hoses, Rams, or pumps like with the imported parts the past 20 years.
Steering boxes, what you use makes a huge difference. I recently was sent a common new box sold today and the original box from a C3. The new box was junk, the gears were bad. The original box I was able to reuse the original gears and dial it in better than new.
Pitman arms are made for PS or Manual. Original arms are sold for about $45 used. They do not sell outright to rebuilders for that.
Steering boxes, what you use makes a huge difference. I recently was sent a common new box sold today and the original box from a C3. The new box was junk, the gears were bad. The original box I was able to reuse the original gears and dial it in better than new.
Pitman arms are made for PS or Manual. Original arms are sold for about $45 used. They do not sell outright to rebuilders for that.
