Please help me identify my power steering gearbox.

[DanWheeler]

Hello,
I've recently "inherited" my girlfriends 69 Bronco. I sure hope we dont ever break up because I'm really getting attached to this thing.

it's got a ton of issues - I pulled the steering gearbox tonight because the lower steering shaft U-joint is shot and the threads are all stripped on the gearbox.

I have no idea what I've got here:

Does this look familiar to anyone?

Thanks in advance for the help,

Dan Wheeler

 

[bmc69]

It's a Saginaw box..quite possibly off a Scout. I have a couple Scout boxes here somewhere..if nobody confirms or denys, I'll go take a look.

 

[broncnaz]

Not 100% sure but I believe thats a box off a international travelall 2wheel drive I just saw one last week in the pick and pull and thought that it would be a canidate for a P/S swap although I thought it mounted a little differently. You should be able to replace the input shaft with just about any input shaft from any sawginaw box ie GM car or truck. How was this box mounted in the bronco insidethe frame or outside?

 

[DanWheeler]

Thanks guys. Well knowing it's a Saginaw is definitely a start. I looked all over the web and couldn't find a gearbox that looked just like this one. Lots of similar ones though.

This one is mounted outside the frame - i assume you can only mount a steering gearbox inside or outside based on how it was designed. I can't imagine mounting this inside unless it was left hand drive - is that correct?

I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with this gearbox or not. I have no idea if it is any good or is working properly.

- How can I tell between a pump problem and a gearbox problem?
- Is there any way to bench test a gearbox?

It steers ok - it's just a little sloppy and noisy. I think the slop is from the busted U-joint so when I fix that we'll see how it does.

I really dont like the angle of the lower u-joint on the input shaft but I dont know what is acceptable. I'll try to get a picture and maybe someone can tell me if it's normal or if it's prone to keep destroying the u-joint.

What I meant to say was the bolt hole threads were stripped, not the input shaft splines. (fortunately) I'm trying to decide if I should stick with this unit and all the custom fab mounts or get something different and more standard. hmmm....

thanks again for the help

dan

 

[broncnaz]

Just drill out the bolt holes and use nuts to secure it. looking at the box closer its not a travel all box but you may be right about the right hand drive either that or its off a bigger vehicle maybe something like a UPS truck

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

It is an odd looking box. Usually steering box mount up on top of the frame, regardless of which side of the frame it bolts to. This one looks like it bolts to the outside of the frame (Which is proper for a Bronco), but the body looks like it would be sticking further outside the frame, insread of on top.

Or maybe it's an illusion caused by light & shadow.
It just looks wierd to me.

 

[DanWheeler]

It is an odd looking box. Usually steering box mount up on top of the frame, regardless of which side of the frame it bolts to. This one looks like it bolts to the outside of the frame (Which is proper for a Bronco), but the body looks like it would be sticking further outside the frame, insread of on top.

Or maybe it's an illusion caused by light & shadow.
It just looks wierd to me.

no i think you may be right and maybe thats what bugs me about the input shaft angle. I'm thinking I should abandon ship and go with something else.

 

[DanWheeler]

i took a look before i left for work today. the steering gearbox definitely mounts outside the frame and input shaft is also about 2" outside the frame. The steering shaft actually goes THROUGH the fender into the wheelwell and connects to the gearbox. Is it just me or is this really stupid?

This truck has a V8 and a ~4" body lift- i dont know if the engine is stock but i'm guessing it's not. The power steering pump is in the way of making a straight shot from the steering wheel/shaft to the gearbox. Maybe thats why the previous owner did it this way. seems screwy to me.

next thing is to figure out what engine I have and see how other people are accomplishing power steering with my setup.

 

[broncnaz]

Reguardless of the steering box mounting position al long as it works correctly I'd say its better than manual steering as there are not a whole lot of options availible for the bronco that are much better. Take some photos of your engine epecailly around the distributor area and heads/valve covers we can ID it for you pretty quick. sounds like you may have a big block stuffed in there if the PS pump sticks that far out to interfer with that box

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

OK, I had an epiphani, albiet an incomplete one. The steering box in question is from an older GMC 4x4 with a closed knuckle axle, or any solid axle truck or van from days gone by (1960s?)

In it's original application the mounting, bolts went thru the frame or cross member vertically and the sector shaft pointed straight out, to the left. The pitman arm would be pointed down for going straight and the drag link was parallel to the frame so it would move fore or aft, turning the knuckle. Then the was a single tie rod to the other knuckle.

The best example to look at would be a '79 thru '85 Toyota 4X4 P/U or 4Runner, except that I'm pretty sure they weren't using Saginaws. The closed knuckle GMC looked just like the 'yota, except alot bigger.

econolines were similar, and prolly GMC & Dodge as well.


Hmmm... It could be from an early '60s Studebaker Hawk also. & prolly a hunert others too.

 

[SaddleUp]

Here are a couple of pics to ponder. This is not the same box however as you can see in the pics it mounts to the outside of the frame and the input shaft is to the outside. The big difference I see here is that this box doesn't appear to drop down as far. From what I understand this box came from a Chevy. You would need to ask SecondChance what Chevy though. The steering shaft just clears the spring tower with the way he mounted it.

 

[broncnaz]

The box in saddleups pics are a standard saginaw box that was on most cars and trucks.

 

[DanWheeler]

thanks all for your help. Skuzz, thats a weird setup i've never even heard of before. I'll have to start looking closer at some of those toys. BTW - looks like you're in my nick of the woods. (sort of)

I'm going to start a new thread because I have some questions about fitting the 2x4x4 steering box in this truck - it doesn't seem like it will fit. i'll post a link here to the new thread once I get it going. I'll have some new pictures of this crazy (at least I think it is) steering shaft linkage the PO did.

thanks again,
dan